Promoting Spiritual Reflection

At St Meriadoc Junior Academy, our pupils have regular opportunities to engage in experiences that develop their own personal spirituality. 

Within RE lessons, a significant focus is placed on reflection, which allows pupils to think about the teachings from the Bible, how these impact on their lives as well as their own beliefs and spirituality. As a result, pupils are challenged by RE which deepens their understanding and contributes towards their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

Within Collective Worship, we believe that our sessions provide all of our children and staff with a time to come together as one, reflect on ourselves and the outside world. It allows us to consider our Christian values and beliefs and how these can guide us through our school day and longer spiritual development. Our collective worship is inclusive and well planned so that the children can feel inspired and enthused by a range of stories, songs and moments of reflection, that they can relate to their own lives.

At St Meriadoc Junior Academy our Millennium garden reflection space has been further developed, including a focus on sensory elements and activities promoting opportunities for pupils to reflect. The Millennium Garden is open to children during their play and lunchtime and classes often go out and use this space throughout all curriculum lessons.

Within the Millennium Garden, the pupils have regular opportunities to take part in reflection and prayer activities. These allow pupils to develop their understanding of the Christian faith as well as other religions and topical issues. 

Every classroom has an RE display which also includes an element of reflection – this area can be used to promote reflection and prayer as well as celebration of high quality RE work. There are also many reflection corners around the school linking to our six Christian values. The school provides opportunities for reflection and prayer throughout the year linked to topical issues and specific celebrations including those from other religions, such as Remembrance Day and Diwali through pop up prayer spaces and activities held within the Reflection Gazebo.