Spirituality

Spirituality in EYFS

• Planting and growing things such as pumpkins and wildflowers allows children to see the beauty of creation and teaches patience as they watch them change over time. Meeting visitors such as the police or a new mum with her baby encourages empathy, curiosity and reflection. Experiencing weather changes like snow, puddles and fog brings excitement and delight while helping children to notice the awe and wonder of the natural world. - 'Wow' moments.
• Sharing achievements, celebrating festivals and taking part in performances such as the Nativity nurtures pride, joy and a strong sense of community and shared meaning - 'Now' moments.
• Facing difficulties such as learning a new skill, resolving conflict with a friend, or persevering when things go wrong develops resilience and determination - 'Ow' moments.

Spirituality in Art

Spirituality is very often seen in art and children have opportunity to explore their inner selves and connect with the world around them. Art provides a platform for children to express their emotions, thoughts, wonder and experiences in a creative and imaginative manner.

• By appreciating and engaging with a diverse array of artists and their works children connect with the world around and explore their own identities and values. (All art lessons.)
• Using collage with various textures and colours, or drawing abstract forms, allows children to express their emotions, feelings, and unique individuality. (Raging Rivers - Class 3)
• Creating prints can be a connection to nature and the world around us. Flowers represent growth and beauty and through their choice of colours and patterns, children communicate and explore their emotions and feelings. (Fun in the park - Class 2)
• Art can provide moment of “Awe and wonder” by exposing children to a diverse range of art and materials, encouraging experimentation and fostering a sense of empathy. (Our finest hour – Class 4)

Through art, children embark on a journey of self-expression and discovery. This allows a foundation for lifelong connection between spirituality and creative exploration.

Spirituality in Computing

• ‘Wows’ happen when children experience the thrill of making something work, whether it’s a program they’ve coded, a digital animation they’ve designed, or a game they’ve built from scratch. These moments of discovery and creativity spark awe and wonder, showing children the power of their ideas.
• ‘Ows’ emerge when children confront the challenges of the online world, learning about cyberbullying, misinformation, or the consequences of poor digital choices. These moments help children develop compassion, responsibility and a deeper understanding of how their actions affect others.
• ‘Nows’ are found in the quiet satisfaction of problem solving, the focus of debugging code, or the teamwork involved in a collaborative project. These moments encourage children to be present, to reflect on their learning, and to appreciate the value of perseverance and collaboration.

Spirituality in DT

D.T supports spiritual development by allowing children the opportunity to use their imagination and inspiration through creativity and risk taking in analysing, designing and manufacturing a range of products. It provides a sense of awe, wonder and mystery when studying the natural world or human achievement.

• By appreciating and engaging with a diverse array of designers and their products, children connect with the world around and explore human achievement. (All DT lessons.)
• Cooking involves exploring the origins of food and the process of making something with care, allowing personal growth and a deeper connection to the world and others. (Bake Off - Class 3)
• Building structures encourages children to design and construct objects. This process deepens perseverance in problem solving, and reflect on their work's deeper significance.
• Mechanisms in DT, involves understanding and creating movement. This can in still a sense of awe and wonder at human achievement.(Toy fire engine - Class 2)
• Textile projects allow children to explore their inner thoughts and feelings through creative, hands-on projects, expressing themselves creatively. They connect with nature through materials encouraging qualities such as empathy and awe.(Trouble at mill -  Class 4)

Through DT, children review and evaluate things that they have created, thus enabling them to consider carefully the Now’ moments of life.

 Spirituality in English

We see our English curriculum as an opportunity for spiritual growth. Language is a powerful tool that transcends borders and cultures, allowing us to share our thoughts, emotions, and experiences with a broader audience. By learning English, children open themselves to a wealth of knowledge, literature, and perspectives from around the world.

We take regular opportunities to incorporate spirituality into the primary English curriculum.  We aspire for this to enrich our children, fostering a deeper connection with the world around them and encourage their personal growth. Here are some ways spirituality can be found within our English curriculum:

• Literature and Stories: We explore themes of spirituality through stories and literature, such as discussing characters' moral dilemmas, personal growth, and the beauty of language. This can help children reflect on their own beliefs and values. Spirituality is regularly woven into the fabric of reading as our children delve into the enchanting world of literature. Through stories, fables, folktales and poetry, our readers encounter characters facing moral dilemmas, ethical choices and moments of self-discovery, allowing them to reflect on their own values and beliefs. Literature provides a medium for exploring diverse perspectives, fostering empathy and encouraging a sense of connection with the human experience. Our children and teachers read whole stories aloud to each other and we use a whole class guided reading approach to encourage discussion.
• Creative Writing: We want to encourage children to express their thoughts and feelings through poetry, stories, and reflective writing. This can be a powerful way for them to explore their inner lives and connect with spiritual themes. Through creative writing, exploring genres and storytelling, our children have the opportunity to articulate their thoughts, emotions and spiritual experiences. Writing becomes a device for our children to explore and express their inner worlds. As they create narratives, poems or reflections, our children engage in a process of self-discovery and contemplation, nurturing a deeper understanding of their spiritual identities.
• Discussion and Reflection: We provide opportunities for children to discuss and reflect on spiritual themes in texts. Questions like "What would you do in this situation?" or "How does this story make you feel?" can prompt deeper thinking and personal connections. This is explored throughout our curriculum with our novel focus for all narrative writing.
• Cultural Awareness: We use literature to introduce children to different cultures and spiritual practices, fostering a sense of empathy and understanding.

Spirituality in French

Spirituality is promoted throughout the teaching and learning of French at Barrowford St Thomas CE Primary School. Learning French helps children to develop confidence in themselves and their ability to communicate. It helps to broaden their horizons by introducing them to new and exciting places they may have not heard of or have been before. This gives our children a sense of wonder (wow moments) and helps them to see that they are part of a much wider world.  Sharing of experiences by both adults and children, allows them to hear about other people's experiences of French speaking places.  At times, these can be thought provoking or even sad (ow moments) and enhance children’s empathy.  Learning French in a fun and interactive way is helping to build a generation of children who are open and enthusiastic to learning new languages, meeting people from different countries and exploring new cultures.

Spirituality in Geography:

Here at Barrowford St Thomas’, we believe that Geography nurtures the spiritual growth of all our children by allowing them to say ‘Ow’, ‘Wow’ and ‘Now’ as they marvel at the beauty, diversity and complexity of the natural world and human environments.

We encourage the children to consider deep, profound questions about their world: What is our role in sustaining the Earth for all the future generations to come? Children can develop through their reflections a deep respect and an empathy for the human and natural world.

Through fieldwork and outdoor learning experiences it helps the children connect directly with their environment, empowering them to make informed choices and developing a sense of responsibility and care for the Earth and all God’s people. 

 Spirituality in History

At Barrowford St Thomas CE Primary School, we believe that the study of history enriches the spiritual development of our children by providing opportunities to explore the deeper meanings of human experience across time. Through history, children reflect on the values, beliefs, and cultures of those who lived before them, fostering a sense of awe and wonder at the diversity and resilience of the human spirit (now moments).

We aim to inspire curiosity about the past while encouraging children to see themselves as part of an ongoing story. By examining key events, people, and movements, they develop an understanding of how past decisions and actions shape our world today. History also provides a space for reflection on moral and ethical dilemmas faced in the past, helping pupils form their own values and principles.  This includes not shying away from some of the sadder and more difficult times of the past including evacuation and the battle of Britain (ow moments).

Through stories of triumph and adversity (wow moments), our curriculum encourages empathy, compassion, and gratitude, enabling children to make connections with the courage and creativity of those who came before them. By acknowledging and appreciating the legacies of different civilizations and communities, children grow in their understanding of shared humanity and develop a sense of responsibility for contributing positively to the future.

Our history curriculum is not just a study of dates and events but a journey of spiritual growth, where pupils learn to cherish the richness of human experience and reflect on their place within the unfolding story of our world.

Spirituality in Mathematics

We believe our robust and challenging maths curriculum at St Thomas contributes to the development of our children’s spiritual development. We often see spirituality within our children as we give them  the opportunity to problem solve, explore abstract concepts as well as engaging them in logical reasoning. By offering the children mathematical challenges we are helping them to become resilient, show patience and have a positive growth mind set, all valuable aspects of spiritual development.

Through collaborative working and exploration our children develop a deeper understanding of working with others and the importance of being able to reach different perspectives. With this our children are not afraid to make mistakes, and they embrace the challenges that a mastery approach to mathematics brings which enables them to flourish.

• Maths lessons help children develop a deeper sense of self-awareness and confidence. In the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), foundational skills such as number recognition, subitising, and one-to-one correspondence lay the groundwork for mathematical understanding. These activities encourage children to explore their abilities, fostering a sense of achievement and self-confidence. As children progress to more complex topics like place value and calculation in later years, they learn persistence and problem-solving, which build resilience and a growth mindset. The development of this continues throughout school.
• Mathematics provides numerous opportunities for collaboration and mutual support. Group activities and problem-solving tasks require children to communicate, share strategies, and work together.
• Mathematics connects children to the broader world, enhancing their appreciation of its structures and patterns. Understanding concepts like measurement and data collection helps children see the relevance of maths in everyday life and the natural world.
• Maths also offers moments for reflection and deeper thinking. The study of geometry, with its exploration of shapes, symmetry, and spatial reasoning, can inspire awe and wonder about the inherent order and beauty of the world.

Spirituality in Music

• Learning new skills such as mastering an instrument, remembering lyrics, or performing in front of others, builds resilience, confidence and perseverance - 'Ow' moments.
• Special events that celebrate achievement, like our Musical Afternoon, where children perform for the school, generate pride and joy for both performers and audience - 'Now' moments.
• Singing and performing together in worship, concerts and productions fosters gratitude and a sense of community - 'Now' moments.
• Experiences such as the Lancashire Music Service ‘Music Bus’, where children explored the ukelele, provide awe and discovery provided awe and discovery - 'Wow' moments.

Spirituality in PE

Here at Barrowford St Thomas CE Primary, we believe that PE enhances our children’s well-being, calms their minds and promotes mindfulness (now moments).  PE provides a space for our children to explore their physical abilities and develop an appreciation for the connection between the body, mind and spirit. Our PE curriculum allows our children to experience a sense of presence and teamwork which contributes to their spiritual development.

Throughout each child’s school journey, they are encouraged to take part in team sports, competitions and tournaments. This links to spirituality as it teaches them a range of values such as determination, empathy, commitment, resilience and teamwork. All these values and achievements are celebrated each week in our Excellence Worship when the children bring in medals and certificates.

The children are able to appreciate nature during their OAA lessons. These lessons allow the children to explore the environment and spend time outdoors helping the children to feel a sense of awe and wonder,  sparking curiosity about the world around them.  

Spirituality in PSHE

At St Thomas’ we believe that spirituality is not something that we can see; it is something we feel inside ourselves. It is about awe and wonder, asking questions and inspiration. Spirituality is key to teaching and learning in our PSHE lessons where we aim to foster empathy, a sense of purpose as well as self-awareness.

We follow the PSHE Association  which is based around 3 core themes –

• Health And Wellbeing
• Relationships
• Living In the Wider World

These themes all help to develop spirituality by focusing on the holistic growth of each child, nurturing their emotional literacy, well-being and sense of uniqueness. By helping children understand and value themselves, PSHE Association encourages self-reflection and self-awareness, key components of spiritual development. It also promotes positive relationships, empathy and social skills, fostering a sense of connection with others.

It has a focus on mindfulness and emotional regulation which enables children to begin to develop inner peace, resilience and a deeper understanding of their place in the world. This supports spiritual growth as children reflect on their own experiences, build meaningful relationships and approach life with a sense of purpose.

In PSHE we give the children the chance to share, explore and express feelings and opinions with others in a safe space. They are taught the importance of relationships and how to communicate effectively with others while learning how their choices can make a difference to the environment and the rights and responsibilities, they have in order to help to try and make the world a better place.

Our weekly use of Picture News also enables children to foster a deeper understanding of the ‘Wows’ and ‘Ows’ that they may experience during life and encourages them to think about the ‘Now’s,’ in terms of how they view things.

Spirituality in RE

Spirituality is promoted throughout the teaching and learning of RE here at St Thomas’ school. We follow the Questful RE syllabus from Blackburn Diocese which provides opportunities for spiritual development and personal reflection. We take the children on a quest to discover more about religion and world views and where the children will discover more about themselves. Our RE lessons nurture the children’s spiritual growth, encouraging them to think critically and compassionately about the world around them.

Our RE lessons develop the children’s knowledge and understanding of the nature of religion and belief and children are encouraged to reflect deeply on their own spirituality, ask provoking and challenging questions about meaning and purpose, truth and values, identity and belonging. The subject promotes an environment where our children can tackle questions about meaning, morality, and the greater aspects of life, cultivating a foundation for empathy, understanding, and open-mindedness that extends beyond the classroom.

Children are taught stories from Christianity and other world faiths, as well as about religious and non-religious festivals and places of worship, so that they can learn to respect one another and live peacefully together. We encourage the children to think about their own ideas and beliefs about life and about what is right, whilst being sensitive to the needs of others. We foster respect for different worldviews and traditions. Our children gain insight into how different cultures and beliefs shape people's lives and values. This helps them to develop empathy, appreciation for diversity and a thoughtful perspective on their own beliefs.

RE at St Thomas’ prepares children for citizenship in today’s diverse society and allows children to know that spirituality is all around us and it is what makes us who we are. It provides opportunities to understand feelings and emotions and develop empathy and understanding whilst allowing children to grow and flourish, respect others and be respected.

Spirituality in Science

• ‘Wow moments ’ are sparked when children encounter the marvels of the natural world - whether it’s the intricate design of a flower, the vastness of the solar system, or the invisible forces that shape our everyday lives. These discoveries inspire awe and deepen children’s appreciation for the world they live in.
• ‘Ow moments ’ arise when children learn about the effects of pollution, climate change, extinction, or disease. These moments of sadness help children to develop empathy and a sense of responsibility, encouraging them to think about how their actions can make a difference.
• ‘Now moments ’ are found in the quiet moments of observation - watching a seed sprout, noticing the rhythm of a heartbeat, or reflecting on the results of an experiment. These experiences help children to slow down, be present, and recognise the wonder in the everyday.