Spirituality
Altwood School – Spirituality
John 10:10 - Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.’
We are known, we are valued, we succeed.
Our aim is to promote spiritual development as a part of our broad and balanced curriculum, within the context of our Christian vision. This needs to be embedded with integrity, recognising that Altwood School has a Christian foundation whilst recognising that many of our families and staff may not have any religious affiliation.
Spirituality is a complex concept and to define it by a single notion would be to oversimplify and potentially misrepresent an important aspect of school life.
At Altwood, Spirituality is embedded through our Christian Vision of having life in all its fullness. We define this through:
‘Appreciating the beautiful world in which we have the privilege to live. To appreciate each and every person, to take nothing for granted, to be truly grateful, humble and to seek ways to serve others.’
‘To seek meaningful connections with each other, and with something bigger than oneself. It has to do with relationships to other people and for believers, with God.’
‘It is a lifelong experience. It is about growing together, developing not in isolation but learning from and with each other. It is a search for ways to answer questions about life and a search for identity.’
How do we live this within our school?
As a school, we have chosen to use the ‘Wows, Ows and Nows’ concept as a common reflective structure for spirituality. We have developed the model to ensure it is accessible for all our students.
We understand that in life things happen that impact us and cracks can appear. Like a pot, cracks need attention and repairs. Through our visions of knowing our students, we can identify these potential cracks and over support.
In Japan, Kintsugi is the art of mending broken ceramics with gold joinery. As members of the school community, we are part of such joinery. We support young people face the challenges, as well as celebrate the joys, that may cause the metaphorical cracks and help them strengthen their pots with gold. This metaphor links in nicely with the bible quotation: ‘Everyone is a valued creation, individually and uniquely made by God, like pots by a potter’ (Isaiah 64:8)
All members of our school community will experience the ‘Wows, Ows and Nows’ of life. Our job, as a school community, is to walk alongside our young people and help them navigate their journey, supporting them so they can succeed.
In schools and in society we are acutely aware of where relationships have gone wrong or been lacking. Schools do all they can to compensate for this. For us this is done by encouraging young people to build meaningful relationships, with peers and staff, making them feel known and valued as individuals. Schools are part of communities and provide the roots and context in which healthy, creative connections can be encouraged.
Our developing sense of self and identity, including our spiritual identity, informs the essence of how we act, how we respond to different situations and the choices we make. Students should ask themselves ‘what kind of person should I be in this situation?’
Teachers should not be regarded as leaders who already know the truth ‘but as experienced and trustworthy companions who encounter and accompany children on their path through life’.
Through this approach to spirituality, our vision can be realised, students will feel known and valued. The necessary support will be in place to ensure all young people can succeed. This approach is mirrored with all members of our community, allowing each and every person to feel appreciated and ensuring Altwood is a place where everyone can life live to the full and flourish.
