Collective Worship

At St Mary and St Chad C.E First School, we believe that daily Collective Worship plays a very important role in the life of our school. It is an opportunity to promote the Christian foundation of the school, to celebrate and support all aspects of school life and to provide time for stillness and reflection in what is often a very busy, active day for our children. The worship reflects the special relationship we have with the parish church of St Mary and St Chad, Brewood.  

Collective Worship in school supports the learning experiences in the classrooms.  In order to promote our pupil’s learning and meet the needs of the different age groups, Collective Worship times vary in size and groupings.

The current schedule is broadly as follows –

The Act of Worship will be based on –

• Half termly values
• Special events in Christian calendar and church themes
• Issues which arise from the everyday life and ethos of the school

The Act of Worship will include time to listen, offer personal views and ideas, sing, reflect, pray and celebrate. The structure of worship includes a time for gathering, engaging, responding and sending.

At specific times throughout the school year, celebrations of Worship are held in the local parish church.  Parents, governors and friends share in these services which are normally held during Harvest, Christingle, Christmas, Mother’s Day, Easter and the end of the school year. 

We have a worship council who help to evaluate worships by collecting pupil voice from their class and sharing them at half termly meetings. 

Prayer Spaces

At our school, we believe it is important to provide all children with opportunities to pause, reflect, and explore life’s big questions. Prayer Spaces are special areas we create each term where pupils can step away from the busyness of the day and spend quiet time thinking, wondering, and reflecting.

What Are Prayer Spaces?

Prayer Spaces are calm, creative, and interactive zones set up around a particular theme, such as:

• Hope
• Thankfulness
• Courage
• Friendship
• Peace

Each space includes reflective prompts and activities designed to help pupils consider the theme in a meaningful and personal way. These activities may involve writing, drawing, creating, or simply sitting quietly.

Whole‑School Participation

Every term, each class takes part in Prayer Spaces. Sessions are guided by Cathy, our youth minister, and children are encouraged to take part at their own pace. The experience supports emotional wellbeing, spiritual development, and personal reflection.

Parent and Carer Participation

We value the involvement of families in school life, and parents are also invited to visit our Prayer Spaces. This provides an opportunity to:

• Experience the activities firsthand
• Share reflective moments with children
• Appreciate how the theme is explored across the school

We warmly welcome all parents and carers who wish to take part.

What do the parents say? 

'Really lovely session, so nice to be part of it with the children. They really understood alot of the messages behind the activities'

'I enjoyed spending time with my daughter to reflect on the great things we have to share. Lots of interesting activities too.'

'Interactive session, good opportunity for the children. Enjoyed my time with my child'

'was lovely to see all the children different thoughts and ideas'

'Lovely to spend time with my child'

'I loved prayer space today. The way the children supported each other and were absolutely invested, was wonderful to see.'

Why do we have prayer spaces?

Prayer Spaces help children:

• Develop mindfulness and emotional resilience
• Reflect on their own thoughts and feelings
• Explore spiritual ideas in an open and inclusive way
• Build empathy and compassion for others

What do the Children Say? 

'I love doing all the activities'

'It makes me think'

'I like to think about others'

Prayer - 'I am sorry for all the bad things I have done'

'I want to mend God's broken heart because his son was killed' 

SIAMS - Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist School 

All Church of England schools are inspected against the framework for the Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools under Section 48 of the Education Act 2005. The framework provides a process for evaluating the extent to which church schools are distinctively and recognisably Christian institutions. 

In our recent SIAMS inspection, it said -

'Relationships are rooted in the school’s Christian values of friendship, peace, thankfulness,respect, courage and hope.

As a result of a deep understanding of these, pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. This leads to a culture of acceptance which permeates school life, creating a calm and purposeful atmosphere for learning.'

Read our past two reports below