Year Group Collective Worship (YGCW)
Worship at St Margaret’s is inclusive, invitational and inspiring. In line with statutory requirements, we hold a daily act of worship, which also serves as an important way of outworking our Christian distinctiveness and ethos.
We believe that spiritual development can best be encouraged by trying to foster within the students:
- a sense of their own unique value/worth
- a belief in the value of others
- an understanding of oneself and one's feeling and emotions
- an understanding of the spiritual dimension in human experience
- an appreciation of ultimate questions about human life
- a sense of vision, challenge and inspiration a sense of the numinous, and how this may be experienced
- a sense of the key values and ideas that underpin our society
Form Worship
In addition to their YGCW, students take part in daily Form Worship. Form Worship is led by their Form Tutor, often assisted by students in the form. Form Worship is often based on our school values of Compassion, Resilience and Respect and may link to an event within the Church calendar or a National or International Awareness Day. We encourage our students to take part as much as they feel able, it is a vital part of school life and an important opportunity to explore, reflect and pray.
A list of form worship themes can be found here.
Please click here for our Collective & Form Worship policy.
It is intended that education at St Margaret’s should be both life-lasting and life-enhancing; the work and the life of the school takes place in an orderly atmosphere where self-discipline, mutual respect and the welfare of each individual are greatly valued. Importance is given to regular worship, religious education in the classroom and on the general presentation of Christianity in the school family. The school presents the teaching of Our Lord but recognises that commitment is a matter which must be left to each individual.
We regard the school as an extension of the family. We want everyone to enjoy their time with us, to be proud of their school and to uphold the principles that underpin a Christian School.
Please click here for more details on how students at St Margaret’s are engaged with the community as Agents of Change.
As seen in our Academy Vision, we have three Christian values which we feel are the basis of our community.
Our journey will be all the easier if we show COMPASSION. Compassion is more than just sympathy: like Jesus, we aim to put ourselves in other people’s shoes, see their point of view, then do something about it. As teachers and leaders, our actions must show that we understand the world from others’ perspectives; as students, we must learn to do that ever more effectively.
Perhaps we are more accurately described not as human beings, but as human becomings – people who are always learning, always growing. Growth is rarely pain-free. Learners make mistakes; that is how we learn. Like Jesus we do not shy away from those painful times – times when we will grow more, when we will learn more. As James put it, “the testing of your faith produces perseverance” (James 1:3). We will persevere, and show RESILIENCE, on our learning journeys.
The apostle Peter encourages us to “show proper respect to everyone” (1 Peter 2:17). We believe that this is necessary, but not sufficient, if we are to be a respectful community. Property, creativity and protected characteristics are all worthy of RESPECT too; it is hard for us to claim to be followers of Christ if we do not respect, for example, the different backgrounds represented in our school community.
Although the overwhelming majority of pupils take part in religious education lessons and morning worship, the right of parents to withdraw a boy is respected. It is hoped that parents who have reservations about the subject will discuss the concerns with the Principal before withdrawing their child and, in the event of withdrawal an alternative scheme of worship should be provided by the parents and agreed by the Governors.