Prayer and Reflection

Assemblies, Worship and Reflection

The Brian Clarke Church of England Academy is a Church of England school with a distinctive Christian ethos.

Assembly, worship and reflection is an important part of the school day. It brings us together as a community to reflect on what is important and how we treat one another as members of a shared moral community where people are all valued as individuals. Assemblies are therefore a key vehicle for pastoral care, as much as spirituality, reinforcing the messages which are central to young peoples’ development as kind and respectful people who can care for themselves and one another, and whose lives are enriched by a spiritual dimension.

Assemblies reflect on:

• The importance of intention – why it is wrong to use others
• Doing the right thing for the right reasons
• Developing character – integrity, honesty, courage, generosity and fairness
• Understanding that people of faith believe that God loves us all, and the sacrifice made by Jesus which shows that this love has no limits.

Assemblies address these issues through real-life examples using stories, multi-media, and the Gospels.

Each assembly has a period for quiet reflection, which may involve listening to a prayer, or a piece of music, or simply a period of silence and stillness.

At key points in the year, leaders of other faiths take assembly, supported by the Trust’s Chaplain, e.g. the Mufti takes assemblies for Ramadan.

The collective assemblies of year groups and Houses are complemented by form reflection which follows the same themes and is supported by materials prepared by the chaplaincy team so that students are all included and involved.