SMSC (Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural) Development
Spirituality at Cookham Dean Primary School
Vision: Where we all flourish
“You make known to me the path of life”
Psalm 16 verse 11
Spirituality is a difficult thing to define! At Cookham Dean we believe it is fundamental to our mental and physical well-being (for children and adults too), but is not exactly the same as those things. It is not necessarily tied to a religious belief. People of faith and people of no faith can be deeply spiritual.
We have been exploring what spirituality means and how it looks in our school. Reverend Jo (our chaplain) worked with last year’s Pupils for Praise to delve deeper into their understanding of spirituality and the staff worked together to agree on a draft definition to help the school community have a clear, shared understanding. The draft definition is as follows:
Spirituality is not something we can see; it is something we feel inside ourselves. It is about awe and wonder, asking questions, inspiration and being aware of something ‘bigger’ outside of ourselves.
In order to help the children understand spirituality in a more child-friendly way, we have introduced the approach of Windows, Mirrors, Doors.
Appreciating the world around us: Windows
The World: giving children opportunities to become aware of the world in new ways; to wonder about life’s ‘WOWs’ (things that are amazing) and ‘OWs’ (things that bring us up short). In this, children are learning about life in all its fullness.
Reflecting and thinking about ourselves and how we feel about things: Mirrors
Ourselves: giving children opportunities to reflect on their experiences; to meditate on life’s big questions and to consider some possible answers. In this they are learning from life by exploring their own insights and perspectives and those of others.
Thinking about how others feel: Doors
Responding: giving children opportunities to respond to all of this; to do something creative as a means of expressing, applying and further developing their thoughts and convictions. In this they are learning to live by putting into action what they are coming to believe and value.
Using the vocabulary and approach of Windows, Mirrors, Doors, we are allowing time for the children to develop their spirituality across the curriculum as well as giving time for the children to reflect in mindfulness sessions, wild worship and Space Makers in Collective Worship. As we progress through the school year, the children will be able to understand this concept more easily so please remember to ask your child about it.
How do we nurture spirituality at Cookham Dean CE Primary School?
Our school Christian values are taught, lived out and celebrated.
We make sure there are times of peace and for reflection in the school day.
We spend time in special places such as St John the Baptist Church and other places of worship e.g. Maidenhead Mosque
We share art, music, stories and poems together.
We share moments of awe and wonder.
We encourage respectful debate and questioning and make sure children feel secure enough to ask those 'big' questions.
We foster a love of creation through our school grounds and school trips
We encourage the spirit of 'courageous advocacy' and standing up for what we believe in.
We share different ways of exploring spirituality in worship e.g. looking at different religious art and icons, using candles, holding worship outside.
We practice gratitude - we take time to give thanks and show thanks for the things, the actions and the people that bring us joy.
We learn about our feelings, how to recognise them and live with them.
We foster reflective thinking linked to our Christian values, encouraging us to look inward at our own behaviour and thoughts, outward at the wonderful world around us and considering actions of ourselves and others which make a difference moving forward: Windows, Mirrors, Doors.
Through our school vision of 'Where we all flourish” children and adults are nurtured to be the best that they can possibly be.
Spiritual skills that we encourage at Cookham Dean Primary School
Honesty and acceptance of oneself
The ability to be still and focused
The ability to relax and be calm
A sense of empathy for others – to be able to show consideration for their feelings
The capacity for forgiveness
Being able to find hope when things are difficult
Being able to let go of things that are causing hurt
The ability to know when you need to stop and ‘recharge’
The ability to know and name your feelings
We encourage our spiritual learners to:
Be comfortable with who they are and be happy being themselves
Be happy being silent sometimes
Appreciate what is good
Respect people, places and things
Use their senses to reflect and learn
See rather than look, listen rather than hear, feel rather than touch
Take joy in simple things
Be at peace
Show an understanding and appreciation towards others
Recognise when they are stressed and calm themselves
Reflect and wonder about the bigger picture and God
There are many ways that all staff at Cookham Dean Primary School promote spiritual, mental, social and cultural development and there are many opportunities for children to be involved in areas of our school that promote SMSC (Rotakids, Pupils4Praise, Emotional Wellbeing Ambassadors, Eco Warriors, Bookworms, Digital Leaders, School Council).
Our pupil leaders are involved in many community projects - some to raise money for charities but sometimes they try to raise awareness of issues that affect everyone. They also help promote special weeks throughout the school year e.g. Anti-bullying week; Internet Safety Week; World Book Day.
Prayer Space July 2024
Pupils for Praise led our Prayer Space using ideas and resources from BeSpace. They transformed the library into a prayer space which was visited by every year group during the week from reception to year 6. It was a wonderful week for reflection and spirituality. The children focussed on saying sorry; forgiveness; thank you; being grateful for family and friends; asking God for help and lighting a candle for a loved one.
Prayer Space Photos June 2024
Wild Worship June 2024
Rev Jo (our chaplain) led Wild Worship for KS2. The focus was St John the Baptist to celebrate his birth date (24th June) and the link to our local church. Each class took part in story telling, art and trying crickets to emulate St John the Baptist's diet in the wilderness. The children were very enthusiastic about the outdoor session although not everyone liked the crickets!