What is spirituality?

Spirituality is a difficult thing to define! At St John's 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 defined spirituality as this:

Spirituality is looking out beyond ourselves. It is not something we can see or touch but we feel it inside. It is an expression of the relationships we form, the creative energy we share and the support we provide for each other. As spiritual learners we are encouraged to develop and appreciate a sense of awe and wonder about the natural world. Everyone should never stop asking questions to learn and explore!

How do we nurture spirituality at St John's C E (C) Primary?

• 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 our classroom, our hall, St John's Church and other places of worship.
• We share art, music, stories, prayers 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 ground.
• We encourage the spirit of 'courageous advocacy' and standing up for what we believe in.
• 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 through our 'Window, Mirror and Door' activities 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.
• Through our school vision.

What are ‘spiritual skills’?                                                            

1. Honesty and acceptance of oneself
2. The ability to be still and focused
3. The ability to relax and be calm
4. A sense of empathy for others – to be able to show consideration for their feelings
5. The capacity for forgiveness
6. Being able to find hope when things are difficult
7. Being able to let go of things that are causing hurt
8. The ability to know when you need to stop and ‘recharge’
9. The ability to know and name your feelings

What will a spiritual learner be like?

1. Be comfortable with who I am  and be happy being me
2. Be happy being silent sometimes
3. Appreciate what is good
4. Respect people, places and things
5. Use my senses to reflect and learn
6. See rather than look, listen rather than hear, feel rather than touch
7. Take joy in simple things
8. Be at peace
9. Show an understanding and appreciation  towards others
10. Recognise when I am stressed and calm myself
11. Reflect and wonder about the bigger picture and God