Holy Trinity a Church of England School
At Holy Trinity we are proud to have strong links with the Church of England and work closely with the Diocese to provide the very best education for the children that we serve. Church of England schools are schools where pupils and staff come from all faiths and none.
Through our own vision and values we support the Church of England's vision for education, which is a vision which is deeply Christian, with Jesus' promise of 'life in all its fullness' at its heart. In line with the Church of England's role as the established Church, the vision is for the common good of the whole community.
Educating for wisdom, knowledge and skills: enabling discipline, confidence and delight in seeking wisdom and knowledge, and developing talents in all areas of life.
Educating for hope and aspiration: enabling healing, repair and renewal, coping wisely when things go wrong, opening horizons and guiding people into ways of fulfilling them.
Educating for community and living well together: a core focus on relationships, participation in communities and the qualities of character that enable people to flourish together.
Educating for dignity and respect: the basic principle of respect for the value and preciousness of each person, treating each person as a unique individual of inherent worth.
Worship
Collective worship at Holy Trinity is a high priority and is in addition to our Religious Education teaching. Our collective worship reflects the traditions of the Church of England and develops learners' understanding of Anglican traditions and practice.
We work closely with our local parish Church and other church members to plan and deliver acts of worship that are invitational, reflective and engaging. There is plenty of flexibility in the provision of collective worship to enable all pupils to benefit without compromising their beliefs.
Collective worship gives children and adults the opportunity to:
- Engage in an act of community.
- Express praise and thanksgiving to God.
- Be still and reflect.
- Explore the big questions of life and respond to national events.
- Foster respect and deepen spiritual awareness.
- Reflect on the character of God and on the teachings of Christ.
- Affirm Christian values and attitudes.
- Share each other's joys and challenges.
- Celebrate special times in the Christian calendar.
Our Approach to Collective Worship is -
Invitational - everyone is welcome. This means we use invitational language and consider carefully our choice of words or songs. Children are invited but not compelled to pray and reflect.
Inclusive - we choose topics that can be understood by all and when we present Christian teachings we make it clear that this is what Christians believe. Our worship is accessible for children of different beliefs and backgrounds.
Inspiring - we aim for our acts of worship to inspire those engaging with them. How might it engage their emotions enabling a sense of peace, comfort, hope or motivation? How might it inspire them into action, into thinking differently and considering their behaviour and actions? How might it inspire them to reflect on their faiths and beliefs, or on the faiths and beliefs of others?
Spirituality
We believe that spirituality is an awareness of ‘journeys’: Inwards – towards yourself and Outwards – to others; to the environment; to society and to something larger than yourself and Upwards – to ask big questions, to reflect or pray. We have a school shared vision for Spirituality that an experience can make you look in, out or/and up. (Experience > IN, OUT, UP). Our School Vision supports this as with each experience we may need to be an inquisitive, thinker, challenge seeker or kind heart.
We provide children and staff with a variety of experiences throughout the school year and have areas for quiet reflection outside and throughout the school.
Spiritual development is about each person as a unique human being with lifelong potential for growth and development – an ability to learn through reflection on experience about self, others and creation.
'Spiritual Development is the development of the awareness that there is:
Something more to life than meets the eye
Something more than the material
Something more than the obvious
Something to wonder at
Something to respond to'
Terence Copley
Prayer
Prayer plays an important role in the daily life at school and we usually pray together in the morning, at lunchtime and when we go home. We also pray during our worship. Prayer is worthwhile and can have power for everyone, believer and non-believer and it provides an opportunity to remind ourselves how we should be living, our responsibilities to others, our own failings, and our relative good fortune.
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Our School Prayer
Dear Lord,
Inquisitive thinkers, challenge seekers, kind hearts,
Thank you for helping us to be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that we may have the full riches of complete understanding.
Amen
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Holy Trinity Church
We have very close links with our local parish church of Berwick- upon-Tweed, dedicated to the Holy Trinity with St Mary, and the building is a rare example of a parish church built during Oliver Cromwell’s Commonwealth. Consequently it has no tower, spire or bells and has a lively story to tell in this borderland between England and Scotland. Berwick Parish Church is an active, living Church which is open to all, welcomes all and has its ministry rooted in serving the local community and the many visitors who come to explore this very special part of the world. For more information please follow this link to their website.
