At Esh Church of England Primary School we would like all pupils and adults to flourish spiritually. We recognise that being spiritual is different for everyone and we provide opportunities to nurture spirituality in school in a variety of different ways.
Children and adults in school are familiar with the language of in, out and up (from Durham and Newcastle Diocesan Advisor Paul Rusby) as a way of describing what spirituality means to them and ways in which we can be spiritual. It also draws upon research into spirituality by Rebecca Nye and David Hay.
Spirituality is mapped across all subjects and the wider curriculum, for example in after school clubs. These can be found below. Opportunities for spirituality is highlighted on all Long Term Plans for each Curriculum subject.
Collective Worship is at the heart of our school and is a fundamental part of spirituality for children and adults at Esh Church of England Primary. A separate page is dedicated to Collective Worship.
Opportunities are given for quiet reflection or prayer both indoors and outdoors. We have an outdoor tranquility garden that pupils are able to access in our nature area. An indoor prayer/reflection space has been developed and pupils can access this at break times. The children can also access Spirituality Backpacks which have a range of activities and resources in them, linked to the language of in, out and up to promote spirituality. These have been developed through training from the Prayer Spaces for School website.
We believe that all adults in school, including parents, should have opportunities for spirituality. Parents are invited to special services at St Michael and All Angels Esh. We also run very successful Messy Church events for families, after school, up to three times a year.