At The Federation of Holy Trinity Church of England Schools, our daily act of collective worship is an integral and important part of our school life. Through collective worship, and the ethos of our Federation, we seek to promote our vision for the Federation to be ‘a welcoming community of faith, where we learn and flourish together. Our Collective Worship instils our belief that ‘each day opens up horizons of hope, aspiration and joy!’

Our worship aims to secure the Church of England vision of ethos enhancing outcomes for learners through the embodiment of ‘life in all its fullness’ (John10:10).

As a Church of England Primary School, our Collective Worship will be in accordance with the principles and practices of the Anglican Church. The daily act of Collective Worship has a special status and is distinct from R.E.

Aims and purpose of Collective Worship at The Federation of Holy Trinity Church of England Schools

• To enable pupils to explore and respond to Anglian worship, enabling those pupils with a religious commitment to deepen their experience of worship, and to allow those without a religious commitment to begin to appreciate what worship means for others.
• To enable pupils to approach worship by fostering in them an attitude characterised by feelings such as humility, awe, wonder, appreciation, thankfulness, respect, reverence and elation.
• To explore core Christian core values and the positive impact living through these values can make on an individual, a school or a wider community.
• To enable pupils to consider and reflect upon spiritual and moral issues and the many questions which relate to life.
• To acknowledge the things which have meaning, value and purpose for the pupils as individuals, as well as for the school and the wider community.
• To develop a sense of community within and beyond the school.
• To celebrate achievements, special occasions and special events in relation to individual pupils within school, to the school as a whole, or to the wider community.
• To foster respect and understanding for difference and diversity.

The school recognises, as with all areas of the curriculum, collective worship should be a valid educational experience, and that, as set down in the 1988 Education Reform Act, the nature of the collective worship is wholly or mainly of a broadly Christian character.  

As an Anglican Church school, the daily act of collective worship is fundamental to our Christian ethos. We understand worship to be a special act or occasion whose purpose is to show reverence to God. Collective Worship involves all members of the school coming together and participating in an assembly. We also hold worship that reflect other religious traditions that are represented in the school and the wider community. We expect everyone to take an active part in our worship.

Legal Requirements

All schools must take note of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 (Section 70 and Schedule 20) which requires that:

1. All registered pupils (apart from those whose parents exercise the right to withdrawal) must on each School day take part in an act of Collective Worship.

2. The daily act of Collective Worship should be conducted in accordance with the provisions of the Trust Deeds of the school and the ethos statement in the Instrument of Government and should be consistent with the beliefs and practices of the Church of England.

3. All acts of Collective Worship in Church schools must be Christian in character. Pupils can be grouped in various ways for worship such as the whole school, year groups, tutor groups, classes, or other combinations.

4. Acts of worship must be appropriate for the pupils in that they should take account of the pupils’ age, aptitude and family backgrounds.

5. The daily act of Collective Worship will normally take place on the school premises but all schools may hold their Act of Collective Worship elsewhere (e.g. the local Parish Church) on special occasions.

6. Responsibility for the arrangement of Collective Worship in a Church of England school rests with the Local Academy Council in consultation with the Executive Headteacher. Foundation Governors have a special role in ensuring the Collective Worship is linked to the Trust Deeds.

7. The Executive Headteacher has a responsibility to ensure all arrangements for Collective Worship are secured.