LPS acts of collective worship are educationally meaningful and provide opportunities to engage with the needs of all learners, whatever their faith or belief background. Our collective worship promotes spiritual development, contributes to personal development, benefits the whole school community, links the school community and the wider local community and enhances awareness of global citizenship. 

LPS Collective Worship Aims:

• To develop a coherent school policy and approach to collective worship, with active engagement from the whole community. 

• To create collective ‘ownership’ of the school’s programme of collective worship on the part of staff, learners and governors.

• Ensure that there are clear expectations among staff concerning their contributions to collective worship.

• Offer opportunities for learners to actively engage in collective worship.

• Make collective worship an integral part of the school day by reflecting in planning its relevance to and connections with all aspects of school life. 

• Provide continuing professional development opportunities for staff which will allow critical reflection on and enhancement of collective worship provision in the school. 

We wish to work closely with the Pupil Voice Group and to hear their views and opinions as we acknowledge and support Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child that children should be encouraged to form and to express their views.

We acknowledge that children’s entitlement to Acts of Collective Worship should not be affected by gender, culture, race or special needs. We will ensure that there are no barriers to this equality of opportunity.

We as a school community have a commitment to promote equality. Therefore, an equality impact assessment has been undertaken and we believe this policy is in line with the Equality Act 2010.

In order to develop educationally meaningful and effective collective worship, it is important to appreciate the benefits of collective worship and to be familiar with the legal requirements relating to collective worship. 

Collective Worship Benefits:

WASACRE 2012 states how collective worship promotes spiritual development, contributes to personal development, benefits the whole school community, links the school community and the wider local community, and enhances awareness of global citizenship. 

Collective worship promotes spiritual development:

Schools have a duty to promote the spiritual development of learners. Effective collective worship enables a school to contribute to this statutory requirement. It is important to understand that spiritual development or spirituality is not the same as being religious, but it is about the process of developing learners’ appreciation of the spiritual dimensions of life and the wider issues of meaning, purpose and fulfilment. 

Staff and learners should appreciate that acts of collective worship: 

• provide a special time separate from ordinary school activities; 

• support learner-centred experiences, and enable learners to develop a sense of their position within the universal picture; 

• develop learners’ ability to reflect on their own feelings, values and attitudes; 

• develop learners’ awareness of the inner life and the spiritual dimension of each person; 

• explore and encourage responses to fundamental questions about the meaning of life, change and death. 

Collective worship contributes to personal development:

Schools have a duty to promote the personal development of learners. Effective collective worship enables a school to contribute to this statutory requirement. Staff and learners should appreciate that acts of collective worship: 

• contribute to health and wholeness, and emotional intelligence; 

• encourage reflection on inner feelings and beliefs; 

• develop beliefs and values, both personal and communal; 

• encourage an understanding of the beliefs and values of others; 

• increase self-esteem and purpose in life; 

• nurture the human ability to make moral choices for good or evil, through thinking about ‘moral codes, relationships, responsibility, respect for diversity, temptation, the power of self, sacrifice and love’.

Collective worship benefits the whole school community:

Effective collective worship provides benefits for the whole school community. Staff and learners should appreciate that acts of collective worship: 

• encourage shared values, meaning and purpose; 

• contribute to the experience of belonging to a community; 

• provide opportunities to celebrate the school’s achievements and the contribution of individuals to those achievements; 

• develop understanding and appreciation of the beliefs and values of others within the school community; 

• provide opportunities to reflect on and to share in the ‘happy’ and ‘sad’ events and experiences which effect the school community; 

• contribute to a school ethos which supports the educational attainment of all learners, regardless of background, through developing self-esteem and a sense of purpose in life.

Collective worship links the school community and the wider local community:

Schools are expected to consider how they support and promote community cohesion, and it should be recognised that collective worship offers a valuable contribution at both school level and wider community level. Effective collective worship makes links between the school community and the wider local community. 

Staff and learners should appreciate that acts of collective worship: 

• draw on a range of carefully selected and appropriate representatives within the local community to contribute to collective worship; 

• contribute to the experience of belonging to a wider local community; 

• provide opportunities to celebrate the local community’s achievements and the contribution of groups and individuals to those achievements; 

• develop understanding and appreciation of the beliefs and values of others within the local community; 

• support shared understanding of how individual learners and a school may contribute positively to the wider community; 

• provide opportunities to reflect on and to share in the ‘happy’ and ‘sad’ events and experiences which effect the local community. 

Collective worship enhances awareness of global citizenship:

Effective collective worship enhances awareness of global citizenship. Staff and learners should appreciate that acts of collective worship: 

• draw on a range of carefully selected material to promote global awareness; 

• contribute to the experience of belonging to a global community; 

• provide opportunities to celebrate global events and human achievements; 

• develop an understanding of global diversity and inequality; 

• offer opportunities to reflect on and share in global crises and human suffering. 

LPS has much to gain from educationally meaningful and effective acts of collective worship, and members of the school (and local community) have much to offer through presentations and contributions to acts of collective worship. 

Collective Worship Law:

The law distinguishes between ‘schools with a religious character’ and 'schools which do not have a religious character' (School Standards and Framework Act 1998). ‘Schools with a religious character’ are those linked with one or more Christian denominations or a major world faith by virtue of their foundation or by a specific legally binding decision to become such a school. The DfES maintains a list of such schools in Wales. 

What the law states about worship in state-maintained schools WITHOUT a religious character:

• There is a statutory requirement for schools to provide a daily act of collective worship for all learners; 

• This requirement is for every learner to have opportunity to participate in an act of collective worship every day; 

• There is provision for learners to be withdrawn from acts of collective worship, at the request of parents; 

• There is also provision for teachers to withdraw from conducting acts of collective worship; 

• The majority of acts of collective worship in a school term and year should be ‘wholly, mainly of a broadly Christian character’, and in maintained schools, not solely of any one denomination; 

• The majority of acts of collective worship should have elements in them which relate to traditions of Christian belief; 

• Worship in a school context should be ‘collective’ rather than ‘corporate’;

• Acts of collective worship should not be passively received – a response is required; 

• For maintained schools, acts of collective worship must take place on the school premises;

• Schools have the right to a ‘Determination’ – that is, to be released from the requirements for acts of worship to be wholly, mainly of a broadly Christian character, if the school composition might require this (applications are to be made to the local SACRE); 

• Acts of worship are distinct from an ‘assembly’ – which, in law, is actually any gathering of the school apart from collective worship; 

• Since January 2009, post-16 learners may request withdrawal from collective worship for themselves.

• ‘Collective worship’ implies bringing together people of differing views and understandings, while ‘corporate worship’ implies bringing together those who share in a single view or understanding.

What the law really says about state-maintained schools WITH a religious character:

• There is a statutory requirement for schools to provide a daily act of collective worship for all learners; 

• This requirement is for every learner to have opportunity to participate in an act of collective worship every day; 

• There is provision for learners to be withdrawn from acts of collective worship, at the request of parents; 

• There is also provision for teachers to withdraw from conducting acts of collective worship, however, there are some limitations to this right in Voluntary Aided schools; 

• The acts of worship will reflect the religious character of the school; 

• The acts of worship are likely to include material drawn from the worshipping practice and traditions of the specific faith or denomination with which the school is associated; 

• Worship should be ‘collective’ not ‘corporate’; 

• Acts of worship should not be passively received – a response is required; 

• Schools may use a local place of worship for some of its acts of worship where this is appropriate;

• Schools do not have the right to a determination; 

• Acts of worship are distinct from an ‘assembly’ – which, in law, is actually any gathering of the school apart from collective worship; 

• Since January 2009, post 16 learners may request withdrawal from collective worship for themselves.

What the law does not say:

There is often confusion about collective worship, and it is important to know that the law does not require: 

• the whole school to be together for collective worship

(The requirement is for any gathering of learners the school chooses, other than groupings based on religious affiliation)

• acts of collective worship to be at the start of school in the morning 

(The timing of collective worship in the school day is for each school to determine)

• a stated length of time for acts of collective worship 

(The length of acts of collective worship is a school matter, but should not reduce the expected hours of the curriculum day). 

Role of the Governing Body

• delegated powers and responsibilities to the Headteacher to ensure collective worship takes place in the school;

• delegated powers and responsibilities to the Headteacher to ensure all school personnel and stakeholders are aware of and comply with this policy;

• responsibility for ensuring that the school complies with all equalities legislation; 

• the responsibility of involving the Pupil Voice Groups in the development, approval, implementation and review of this policy;

• Monitoring Committee members to visit the school regularly, to liaise with the Headteacher and the coordinator and to report back to the Governing Body;

• responsibility for the effective implementation, monitoring and evaluation of this policy.

Role of the Headteacher and Senior Leadership Team:

• ensure all school personnel, pupils and parents are aware of and comply with this policy;

• ensure that collective worship takes place in the school;

• nominate a member of staff to be responsible for the organisation and development of this policy but is aware that teachers cannot be directed to conduct collective worship;

• provide leadership and vision in respect of equality;

• provide guidance, support and training to all staff;

• monitor the effectiveness of this policy.

Role of the Collective Worship Leader:

• lead the development of this policy throughout the school;

• work closely with the Headteacher and the Monitoring Committee;

• provide guidance and support to all staff;

• provide training for all staff on induction and when the need arises regarding;

• keep up to date with new developments and resources;

• undertake risk assessments when required;

• review and monitor provision and development.

Role of School Personnel:

• comply with all aspects of this policy;

• implement the school’s equalities policy and schemes;

• report and deal with all incidents of discrimination;

• attend appropriate training sessions on equality;

• report any concerns they have on any aspect of the school community.

Role of Pupils:

• be aware of and comply with this policy;

• during assembly time pupils be:

  • dignified and respectful

  • calm and reflective

  • able to behave in an appropriate manner

  • quiet, thoughtful and to listen carefully

• listen carefully to all instructions given by the teacher;

• ask for further help if they do not understand;

• treat others, their work and equipment with respect;

• support the LPS Code to ensure the smooth running of the school;

• liaise with the Pupil Voice Groups;

• take part in questionnaires and surveys.

Role of Parents/Carers

• be aware of and comply with this policy;

• be invited to attend class assemblies;

• be asked to take part periodic surveys conducted by the school;

• support the LPS Code to ensure smooth running of the school.

Involvement of Local Religious Groups:

We believe that the involvement of local religious groups is vital to the development of our pupils. Therefore, speakers from local religious groups will be invited to speak to our pupils when we celebrate collective worship. 

Involvement of Others:

We actively encourage the involvement of outside speakers such as the Local Police, NSPCC, Health Organisations, etc. who will be invited to take an active part in our collective worship on a set theme. 

Format & Themes:

In planning collective acts of worship, we consider the following formats:

• singing, readings and storytelling, music for listening, responses, audio-visual presentation, symbols, prayer, dance, visiting speakers and drama.

In planning collective acts of worship, we consider the following themes:

• CfW 4 Purpose Foci

• Right of the Child Themes

• Celebration days and holidays 

• Saint Days 

• World Faiths 

• School Events

• National Events

• World Events 

• Charity Events

• Current Themes

• ESDGC Themes

Achievements Assembly

The assembly on Friday morning is an occasion when the whole school meets to share together the successes and achievements of individual pupils, both in and out of school. A number of achievements are celebrated, these include:  

• House points - A running total is shared each week, this underpins our Positive Behaviour Policy, encouraging a collective approach and whole-school ethos;
• Healthy Snack - The class with the highest total receives a weekly award and a running total is displayed in the main hall. This approach underpins our Pupil Voice, Health and Wellbeing Policy, encouraging a collective approach and whole-school ethos;
• Attendance - The class with the highest attendance receives  weekly award and a running total is displayed in the main hall. This approach underpins our Attendance Policy, encouraging a collective approach and whole-school ethos;
• Seren yr Wythnos - Each week, class teachers select a pupil that has displayed a positive attitude and approach to school throughout the week. These pupils receive an award and their contributions are celebrated and shared with the whole school. These awards reflect skills from with the LPS Pupil Learning Journal;
• Seren Cymraeg - Each week, class teachers select a pupil that has shown a commitment to using the Welsh language in the classroom and around the school. These pupils receive an award and their contributions are celebrated and shared with the whole school. These awards support our work towards the Siarter Iaith;
• Personal Achievements - Each week, pupils bring in awards or share achievements that they have gained outside of school. The pupils are given the opportunity to share with the whole school;
• Birthday Celebrations - Pupil birthdays are celebrated with the whole school during the assembly. 

This policy will be reviewed when required.