Values
Dursley C of E Primary Academy has six important Christian Values: Respect, Responsibility, Thankfulness. Kindness, Forgiveness, Perseverance. Our pupils, parents and carers, Governors and staff were all involved in the creation of the values. These values are at the forefront of everything we do as a School Community.
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We celebrate Values in action every week, during our celebration worship. The names of the pupils who have demonstrated the value, whether at home or school, are added to our Values Tree.
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Worship
The school meets every day for collective worship, which, as the Education Act states, ‘is wholly or mainly of a broad Christian character, the main emphasis being on the broad traditions of Christian belief.”
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Collective worship is an important and special part of our school day and reflects Church of England beliefs, practices and values in accordance with the requirements of the Trust Deed. Worship themes around our Christian values and are planned to support pupil’s spiritual development, to promote reflection on their own experiences and those of others and to learn about the life and teachings of Jesus.
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Worship is led by the Head Teacher, members of the teaching staff, visiting clergy and the Open the Book Team. They are supported by members of the Reflect and Connect Pupil Parliament. We aim for our worship to be creative and inspirational by giving our pupils opportunities to listen to and act out stories, to listen to music and sing, pray and have time to reflect. From time to time worship takes place in the classroom and the children are given opportunities to reflect on our school Christian values. Pupils are encouraged, when appropriate, to help to plan and/or lead worship. This may take a variety of form, including being encouraged to ask and answer questions; act or mime a story; reading poems, prayers and stories; exploring artwork or leading the music/singing.
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We are privileged to welcome pupils to our school from all faiths, none and from diverse cultures and lifestyles. Our collective worship is open to all, providing an opportunity to share in an experience which is emotional, reflective and invites the community to explore life through the lens of our vision and values. Pupils and adults are invited to engage in worship without compulsion and in a way that never compromises their integrity or dignity.
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Spiritual Reflection
At Dursley CofE Primary Academy we believe that Spiritual Reflection offers a unique opportunity to step back and reflect on ourselves and the world in which we live. All schools have a responsibility to support their pupils’ spiritual development because the four Governments of the United Kingdom have each built this into their curriculum requirements and expectations.
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We use the language of spirituality developed by the Education Department at the Diocese of Gloucester, the children are introduced to the concepts of wows, ows and nows. These are used to explore relationships with: ourselves, others, the wider natural world and beyond and offering the invitation to relate to God. Each classroom has a designated Spiritual Reflection area. Read about this here.
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