We value the daily opportunity to join together as children and staff to share together in prayer, praise and reflection. Whilst it is a statutory duty for schools to provide a daily act of worship, we do not do so merely because we have to. These times are led by staff, children and at times by visitors from local churches and attended by children and adults.

We work closely with Reverend Robert Simpson our Rector at our local church, St Mary and St Bartholomew in Cranborne.

We continue to learn from the ‘Open the Book’ team of parishioners who tell Bible Stories through drama, which the children greatly enjoy and benefit from Ian Carr’s ministry to us from the Counties Organisation and Keith Jewell through PACE (Programme for Applied Christian Education).

The week follows a pattern which includes a class as well as whole school worship. Each Friday we enjoy a celebration worship when we celebrate achievement both in and out of school, and reinforce the message that our best efforts give glory to God. Stickers and certificates reward learning progress, good learning dispositions and demonstrating our Christian values of love, wisdom and hope. We celebrate birthdays on whichever day of the week they fall.

We want our children to learn and experience what it means to worship. We acknowledge that each one of us, whether child or adult, is travelling our own spiritual journey. We offer the opportunity to find a point of peace and quiet in the day where we can explore ideas, and learn from the examples of Christian teachings and aspects of other faiths and cultures how we can best live our lives. We use a variety of stories, images, music, poetry, songs and drama to convey meanings and messages. We know that all individuals are equally important and valued in God’s sight. Our worship is inclusive and delivered so everyone present feels included, whilst respecting the integrity of the different families and backgrounds we serve. The themes we cover supplement RE teaching and include our Values, the Scriptures and the Church Year.

We are proud to be a school with a distinctive church ethos. We seek to work with our Church to serve our community, to cherish and nurture everyone in our School and Church families, and to forge links.

We seek to be an inclusive community however we respect the right of parents to withdraw their children from Collective Worship and Religious Education. This school expects that withdrawal will only be made following parental discussion with the Headteacher followed by written confirmation of withdrawal.

The school will provide a system of suitable supervision for children withdrawn from Acts of Collective Worship and Religious Education. However, no additional work will be set or followed in this time.