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29/08/2008
Archbishop’s Pastoral Letter to Bishops of the Anglican Communion More...

23/08/2008
Noel Richards visits the diocese More...

22/08/2008
Toolkit More...

18/08/2008
Departure Announcement - The Revd Gill Smith More...

18/08/2008
Retirement Announcement - The Revd Canon Wim Zwalf More...

06/08/2008
Lambeth 2008 More...

25/07/2008
New Secondary Schools Online Survey More...

18/07/2008
Appointment Announcement - The Revd Pam Abraham More...

18/07/2008
Appointment Announcement - The Revd Canon Fiona Brampton More...

18/07/2008
Appointment Announcement - The Reverend Christopher Barter More...

17/07/2008
Departure Announcement - The Revd Stephen Taylor More...

14/07/2008
Prince Charles bestows agricultural fellowship on Bishop of Ely More...

03/07/2008
Consecration of Bishop of Huntingdon More...

01/07/2008
Northstowe New School Competitions More...

30/06/2008
Consecration of new Bishop of Huntingdon More...

30/06/2008
Diocesan Children's Work Adviser More...

29/06/2008
Petertide Ordination 2008 at Ely Cathedral More...

24/06/2008
Appointment Announcement - The Revd Jutta Brueck More...

24/06/2008
Appointment Announcement - The Revd Fiona Windsor More...

24/06/2008
Announcement - Rural Dean Fordham & Quy Deanery More...

06/06/2008
The Venerable John Sanderson Long More...

05/06/2008
Bishop’s Lent Appeal raises £17,000 More...

02/06/2008
New Bishop of Huntingdon appointed More...

02/06/2008
The Revd Canon George Christopher Stead More...

20/05/2008
The Revd Mark Mills-Powell More...

17/05/2008
Children's Holiday Clubs More...

28/04/2008
Licensing Details - The Revd Sheila Anthony More...

18/04/2008
Announcement of Rural Dean Appointment - The Revd Canon Wim Zwalf More...

18/04/2008
Announcement of Rural Dean Appointment - The Revd Canon Shamus Williams More...

18/04/2008
Announcement of Rural Dean Appointment - The Revd Canon Dr John Binns More...

14/04/2008
Announcement of Appointment - The Revd Sheila Anthony More...

11/04/2008
Retirement Announcement - The Revd Christopher Strong More...

09/04/2008
The Parish of Trumpington More...

01/04/2008
Departure Announcement - The Revd Anna Hult More...

01/04/2008
Retirement Announcement - The Revd Geoff Turner More...

01/04/2008
Retirement Announcement - The Revd David Spencer More...

18/03/2008
Appointment Announcement - The Revds Alan & Jane Hulme More...

11/03/2008
St Catharine’s College Girls’ Choir More...

01/03/2008
The Launch Of 'Breathe' More...

20/02/2008
Retirement Announcement - The Revd Richard Bunyan More...

15/02/2008
Licensing Details - The Revd Kylie Hodgins More...

04/02/2008
Appointment Annnouncement - The Revd Margaret Ann Gurner More...

04/02/2008
The Revd Stanley Brown More...

25/01/2008
Institution Details - The Revd Matthew Bradbury More...

24/01/2008
Licensing Details - The Revd Dr Paul Andrews More...

23/01/2008
DIOCESE OF ELY PRESS RELEASE - Trumpington Tribunal More...

18/01/2008
Bishop’s Lent Appeal to support people affected by leprosy More...

16/01/2008
Diocesan Children's Work Adviser More...

11/01/2008
Appointment Announcement - Chair of the Diocesan Youth Council More...

10/01/2008
Bishop Anthony backs sustainable initiatives for local democracy More...

05/01/2008
New Year's Honours Awards More...

04/01/2008
Appointment Announcement - The Revd Matthew Bradbury More...

03/01/2008
Appointment Announcement - The Revd Kylie Hodgins More...

03/01/2008
Appointment of New Honorary Canons More...

13/12/2007
Four new Honorary Canons to be installed early next year More...

11/12/2007
Departure Announcement - The Revd Dr Giles Kendall More...

10/12/2007
Bishop takes seat in House of Lords More...

03/12/2007
Appointment Announcement - The Reverend Dr Paul Andrews More...

02/12/2007
Hundreds say fond farewell to Bishop John More...

25/11/2007
Hundreds of local parishioners expected at Bishop's farewell More...

24/11/2007
FAREWELL TO BISHOP JOHN More...

19/11/2007
The Reverend Nigel Cooper More...

16/11/2007
The Reverend Professor Dan Hardy More...

13/11/2007
Appointment Announcement - The Revd Annabel Shilson-Thomas More...

05/11/2007
Departure Announcement - The Revd Dale Gingrich More...

01/11/2007
Appointment and Licensing Details - The Revd Rachel Nicholls More...

29/10/2007
Bishop’s Adviser for Music appointed More...

29/10/2007
A day of prayer for the Armed Forces More...

25/10/2007
Lent Appeal More...

22/10/2007
Presentation Gift for Bishop John More...

22/10/2007
Departure Announcement - The Revd Dr Diana Sanders More...

22/10/2007
Appointment Announcement - The Revd Val Fernandez More...

17/09/2007
Bishop John's Farewell Service More...

17/09/2007
Departure Announcement - The Reverend David Deboys More...

16/09/2007
55 Lay Ministers commissioned More...

03/09/2007
Retirement Announcement - The Revd Canon Fred Kilner More...

17/08/2007
Church thefts More...

17/08/2007
Flood appeal More...

10/08/2007
Retirement Announcement - The Revd Colin Backhouse More...

09/08/2007
Announcement of New Rural Dean Appointment : Keith Johnson More...

09/08/2007
Announcement of New Rural Dean Appointment : James Blandford-Baker More...

09/08/2007
Announcement of New Rural Dean Appointment Annette Reed More...

03/08/2007
Retirement Announcement - The Revd Canon Jeremy Pemberton More...

30/07/2007
Flood Appeal - closing date & gift aid More...

25/07/2007
From Bishop Anthony: the recent flood disaster More...

12/07/2007
Lent Appeal raises over £10,560 to challenge poverty More...

10/07/2007
Bishop John Inge to become Bishop of Worcester More...

06/07/2007
Licensing Details - The Revd Stuart Mews More...

05/07/2007
Licensing Details - The Revd Nick Devenish More...

01/07/2007
Bishops ordain record number of clergy this year More...

11/06/2007
ELY DIOCESAN SYNOD 9.6.2007 - A STATEMENT BY THE BISHOP OF ELY More...

08/06/2007
Licensing Details - The Revd Keith Jeffries More...

22/05/2007
Appointment Announcement - Honorary Rural Officer More...

16/05/2007
Appointment Announcement - The Revd Nick Devenish More...

13/05/2007
Christian Aid Week More...

08/05/2007
Retirement Announcement - The Revd Canon Roger Arguile More...

08/05/2007
Licensing Details - The Revds Michael Banyard & Kate Peacock More...

08/05/2007
Licensing Details - The Revd Dr Robin McKenzie More...

30/04/2007
Retirement Announcement - The Revd Canon Christine Sindall More...

19/04/2007
New Schools' Bulletin launched More...

18/04/2007
Appointment Announcement - The Reverend Dr Robin McKenzie More...

09/04/2007
Diocesan Children's Work Adviser More...

03/04/2007
The Reverend Richard Kenneth David Watkins-Wright More...

03/04/2007
Appointment Announcement - Honorary Assistant Directors of Ordinands More...

30/03/2007
Appointment Announcement - The Revd Michael Hore More...

29/03/2007
Institution details - The Revd Nick Moir More...

27/03/2007
Mission Shaped School Study Day 20th April More...

20/03/2007
Living with climate change in the Fens More...

19/03/2007
Appointment Announcement - The Reverend Kate Peacock More...

16/03/2007
Licensing Details - The Revd Gareth Rowlands More...

15/03/2007
Licensing Details - The Reverend Jim Mynors More...

28/02/2007
Licensing Details - The Reverend Michael Matthews More...

27/02/2007
Appointment Announcement More...

21/02/2007
Challenging Poverty More...

21/02/2007
Appointment Announcement More...

09/02/2007
For England and Saint George More...

08/02/2007
Rave in the Nave 2007 More...

29/01/2007
Chaplaincy to People at Work More...

27/01/2007
Four new Honorary Canons installed More...

22/01/2007
Schools Service Level Agreement More...

12/01/2007
Schools Admissions Guidance Issued More...

11/01/2007
The Young Ones More...

09/01/2007
Website More...

18/12/2006
Diocesan Children’s Adviser More...

12/12/2006
Good News for Church Schools in League Tables More...

12/12/2006
Education Sunday materials online More...

07/12/2006
Church of England New Chief Education Officer appointed More...

06/12/2006
December Thoughts by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Willams More...

23/10/2006
Making your voice heard More...

21/10/2006
Diocesan Fresh Expressions Advisor licensed More...

15/10/2006
81 Lay Ministers commissioned More...

09/10/2006
Appointment of four new Honorary Canons More...

30/09/2006
New lay minsters licensed More...

27/09/2006
High Sheriff’s Justice Service More...

02/09/2006
Downham Market High School More...

18/08/2006
England’s first vicar sub-postmaster? More...

03/08/2006
John Eddy More...

01/07/2006
Clergy numbers in Ely Diocese boosted More...

24/06/2006
Diocesan Schools Team posts More...

16/06/2006
Diocesan website wins national award More...

14/06/2006
Recent appointments and departures More...

12/06/2006
new Priest-in-Charge for Stanground More...

05/06/2006
Departure of the Reverend Anne Haselhurst More...

20/04/2006
Networking among Faith Groups More...

19/04/2006
Low flying Screaming Swift Survey More...

16/04/2006
The Bishop of Ely's Easter sermon More...

07/04/2006
Retirement of the Revd Frank Fisher More...

03/04/2006
Imagine! -- an outdoor children's party at Anglesey Abbey More...

31/03/2006
Ground-breaking appointment for fresh approaches to Christian mission and ministry More...

30/03/2006
Licensing of new Curate for East Leightonstone Group More...

30/03/2006
Licensing of new Assistant Priest for Haddenham and Wilburton More...

20/03/2006
Licensing of new Area Dean of Cambridge Deanery South More...

14/03/2006
New Secondary School for Downham Market More...

01/03/2006
Church schools affirm broadening RE teaching More...

01/03/2006
2005 Annual Report on the diocesan schools' work More...

01/03/2006
'See It Like It Is' photo exhibition More...

01/03/2006
new Area Dean of Cambridge Deanery South More...

06/02/2006
St Mary's, Godmanchester More...

06/02/2006
new Priest-in-Charge of St Mark's, Newnham More...

02/02/2006
Oarsmen celebrate historic link with Church More...

30/01/2006
Diocese launches Lent Appeal 2006 to support AIDS victims in Vellore More...

23/01/2006
Licensing of new Priest-in-Charge of Great Gransden with Abbotsley & Little Gransden and Waresley More...

05/01/2006
new Chair of the Diocesan Children's Council More...

 
 
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Education & Training > Schools > Church Schools Handbook
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Collective Worship in Church Schools

In all Church Schools, whether Voluntary Aided or Voluntary Controlled, collective worship should be an important feature of the school's life, and a positive focus of its ethos and values.

 

The Legal Basis for Church School Worship

Worship in Church Schools is carried out in accordance with the school's founding Anglican Trust Deed (this has recently been supplemented by the Ethos Statement in the new Instruments of Government). In essence, this means that collective worship should be identifiably Christian (in accordance with "the faith and practice of the Church of England"). It is inappropriate to e.g. celebrate the festivals of another faith community in collective worship, although this may be a feature of assemblies in county schools.

All pupils at the school are entitled to a daily act of collective worship. They cannot be withdrawn from worship on educational grounds (e.g. swimming lessons), but parents may withdraw them from assemblies on religious grounds. Parents must be advised of this right through the school prospectus.

Responsibility for the collective worship of the school lies with the Governors, after consultation with the headteacher.

 

The Special Nature of Collective Worship in Church Schools

Worship which takes place in faith communities, such as churches, is generally termed "corporate worship", because it can be assumed that the worshippers, as a body, are broadly in agreement about their beliefs. This is clearly not the case in a school, even a church school, which accepts pupils from the local neighbourhood, regardless of their faith backgrounds. It is therefore important that collective worship in schools should be both educational and inclusive in its nature, taking into account the backgrounds and developmental stages of pupils. At the same time, the school must not lose sight of the fact that it is offering Christian based collective worship.

Forms of worship within the Church of England differ widely, so church schools should also be encouraged to draw on a wide range of worship experiences and styles, from reflection to drama, from celebration to meditation. In keeping with their Anglican heritage, most church schools firmly base their collective worship planning around the cycle of the Church's year and the major festivals. Many schools also like to make some use of traditional materials in their worship, especially in prayer.

Collective worship is an ideal opportunity for promoting the community life of the school and exploring the values that it upholds. Many schools like to include in their regular timetable an act of worship which celebrates pupils' work and achievements. These "sharing assemblies" can be an important part of the worship programme, as long as pupils are actually given the opportunity to worship God within the same act of worship. (The same caveat holds true for hymn practices.)

 

Documenting Collective Worship

The school is advised to have the following documents in place:

  • A policy statement for worship, including a statement on the Aims of collective worship in your school.
  • Collective worship plans and records (the records can simply be an annotated version of the plans).
  • Written advice for visitors leading collective worship.
  • A statement on the supervision and care of pupils withdrawn from collective worship by their parents, if this is appropriate in your circumstances.
  • A record of INSET and resources for collective worship.

Acts of worship in both Voluntary Aided and Voluntary Controlled Church Schools are inspected as part of the "Section 23 Inspection" of the school, and the documents listed above will be required as part of the school's inspection evidence.

The officers of the Diocesan Board of Education & Training and always happy to advise schools on collective worship. A more detailed coverage of the subject may be found in the Diocesan "Religious Education Guidelines for Church Schools".

 

Church Schools Handbook Links

 

 
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