Collective Worship
Collective Worship is a central part of daily life at Alpington and Bergh Apton Primary. Our collective worship encourages us to think carefully about what we think and believe. We celebrate our 6 Alpington values and the rule that is central to the way we behave “ treat others as you would like to be treated”. There is time to explore, think and reflect. There is time for worship and prayer, which everyone is invited to be a part of. We are a Church of England school and it is important to us that our collective worship is invitational and inclusive, open to those of all faiths or none.
Spirituality is central to our collective worship at Alpington. Children and staff have the opportunity to pause, reflect, feel and respond in a range of different ways, including music, art, poetry, images and candle flame. We look for wonder in the vastness of creation and the tiniest of details, in our own uniqueness and the things that bring us together. We bring this to our wider learning, relationships and play.
Each term has a theme that gives our collective worship a context through the term. There is always bible based; either through a story that follows through the term, a bible passage which is explored bit by bit, or a theme supported by verses or stories. Each week collective worship follows a pattern, with assemblies led by the headteacher, class teachers and visitors. Recent examples include “Love is….” Based around 1 Corinthians 13, “Alpington Connected” , reflecting on how we are linked to the world around us and “What would it be like to be….” Looking at what makes us unique and special and how we ensure that everyone is welcome at our school.
Our current theme is “More than words….”, linked to the story of Moses from the old testament. We are thinking about the power of words to inspire, hurt or heal and how we can use our words to have a positive impact. Each week we are looking at a different poem and having a go at writing our own. Check out our efforts below!
The school has strong links with the local church. Fr Chris, our Rector, supports the school through contributions to collective worship and the RE curriculum. The church also has an “Open the book” team who lead collective worship each month.
Every term, the children go to church for festivals and celebrations. At harvest festival, children use the church for harvest activities and prayers. The whole school community comes together for our annual Christingle service at St Mary’s Yelverton and at Easter we hold a service at the church in Bergh Apton. This year children and families from Thurton and Alpington schools are coming together to collect toys for the Salvation Army Christmas toy appeal and contribute to a joint service and Bergh Apton School.
