All Saints' C of E Primary School

🌟 Spirituality at All Saints’ Church of England Primary School

Discovering God. Learning Together. Achieving Our Best.

At All Saints’, spirituality is at the heart of all we do. Rooted in our Christian vision and inspired by Psalm 32:8 –
“The Lord says, ‘I will guide you along the best pathway for your life’” –
we believe every child and adult is uniquely created and deeply loved by God. We are committed to nurturing the spiritual development of every member of our school community, so that all can flourish, reflect, and grow in faith, wisdom, and purpose.

🕊️ What Is Spirituality?

Spirituality is about how we make sense of who we are, how we relate to others, to the world around us, and to God. We use the helpful language of:

                                                        CONNECT WITH OURSELVES, CONNECT WITH OTHERS, CONNECT WITH GOD 

                                                                                                                                    AND 

• WOW moments – times of awe, wonder, and joy

• OW moments – times of challenge, sadness, and growth

• NOW moments – peaceful pauses for reflection, prayer, or stillness

We see spirituality as a journey of discovery—encouraging curiosity, empathy, imagination, and a sense of belonging and purpose.

🙏 How We Nurture Spirituality

Spiritual development is woven through all aspects of school life, in line with our Christian vision and the 2025 SIAMS framework:

• Collective Worship offers inclusive, reflective, and meaningful opportunities to connect with God and each other (SIAMS IQ3)

• Our curriculum, particularly in RE, PSHE, and the arts, provides space for self-expression, big questions, and deep thinking (IQ2, IQ6)

• Prayer spaces and quiet areas invite children to pause, wonder, and reflect throughout the day

• Our Spirituality Garden offers a sacred space for prayer, calm, and connection with nature—designed by our school and church community

• Our school values (Curiosity, Kindness, Respect, Courageous Determination, and Joyfulness) are lived out daily and form the foundation for spiritual growth (IQ1, IQ4)

• Special events like Church Week and seasonal services help embed spiritual reflection and community worship into the rhythm of school life

🌿 Spirituality in Action

• We use the SPIRIT approach (Space, Process, Imagination, Relationship, Intimacy, Trust) to help shape meaningful spiritual experiences

• We embrace encouraging pupils to reflect, see beauty, and take thoughtful action

• Through stories, prayer, silence, creativity, and conversation, we support children in understanding their place in the world and their relationship with God and others

💬 Why It Matters

At All Saints’, we want every child and adult to:

• Know they are loved, valued, and known by God

• Develop a language for reflection, faith, and feeling

• Explore life’s big questions with curiosity and confidence

• Experience times of stillness and joy in an often busy world

• Grow spiritually alongside their academic and personal learning (IQ1, IQ3, IQ4)

As Ofsted noted in 2023:

“Pupils and children of all ages enjoy spending time in, and respect the sanctuary of, the spirituality garden.”

🌈 Our Spiritual Vision:

Spirituality at All Saints’ is not something extra—it’s the thread that runs through everything we do.

From learning and relationships to prayer and play, we seek to be a community where each person can grow spiritually, emotionally, and academically in the light of God’s love.

At All Saints', we use Godly Play and Outside The Box with one of our amazingly creative Flourish Leaders Hev Taylor (Foundation Governor), to enrich pupils’ spiritual development and deepen their understanding of Christian values. These approaches fostering theological reflection, curiosity, and respectful dialogue. Godly Play invites children into sacred stories through wonder and imagination, helping them explore their own spirituality in a safe and nurturing environment. Outside The Box encourages inclusive, creative thinking about faith, identity, and community, supporting our vision to help every child flourish. Together, they reflect our commitment to providing a distinctive Christian education rooted in talk, contemplation and spiritual growth.

As part of our commitment to Christian distinctiveness and our vision of enabling all to flourish, All Saints’ have built a strong and meaningful partnership with another local Church school – St. George’s C of E Primary School in Hyde, Tameside. Over the past few years, our schools have collaborated to share best practice, develop spiritual leadership, and build lasting relationships across our communities.

Ethos Group members from both schools have taken part in joint Collective Worship, Ethos Conferences, and Diocesan training, exploring the rich tapestry of Christian values that unite us, while also celebrating the diversity of belief and background in our school communities. With the majority of pupils at St. George’s being Muslim, this partnership has provided a powerful opportunity for pupils to be respectfully curious, learn from one another, and develop a deeper understanding of different faiths and cultures in a safe, inclusive environment.

Children have loved visiting each other’s schools, forming new friendships and engaging in shared learning experiences. Our Senior Leaders have also greatly benefited from professional dialogue and school visits, allowing both schools to reflect on practice, inspire and support one another, and strengthen our shared mission to nurture confident, compassionate, and spiritually aware learners.

Together, we are living out the principles of community, dignity, and hope, enriching our school vision through real-world connection and collaboration.

🌿 Spirituality & Gardening Club – Growing Together in Faith, Nature and Community

At our school, Spirituality & Gardening Club is more than just getting our hands dirty—it’s a time to connect with God’s creation, develop life-giving skills, and reflect on what it means to flourish as individuals and as a community.

Rooted in our Christian vision, the club nurtures a sense of awe, wonder, and responsibility for the natural world. Children are encouraged to see gardening as both a practical and spiritual journey—an opportunity to pause, notice beauty, work together, and reflect on the rhythm of life that God has placed in creation.

🌱 What We Do

Running monthly from Easter to September (with extra opportunities at break and lunch during the growing season), pupils take part in:

• Planting, watering, weeding, and harvesting in our school allotment

• Tasting fresh produce – many children try new foods for the first time (last year’s sugar snap peas were especially popular!)

• Caring for the environment, composting, and exploring sustainability

• Creating reflection spaces outdoors using natural materials

• Exploring biblical themes of growth, stewardship, and gratitude

💬 Why It Matters – Connecting to Our Christian Vision

Our theologically rooted Christian vision calls us to be stewards of God’s creation, to grow in community, and to flourish in body, mind and spirit. Gardening Club brings this vision to life by offering children a space to:

• Experience spiritual development through awe, gratitude, and stillness 

• Build self-esteem, resilience, and teamwork, allowing pupils to flourish 

• Explore justice and responsibility, caring for the earth and each other 

• Feel valued, included and supported, as the club is open to all including siblings, parents, grandparents and Church and community volunteers

• This hands-on, reflective activity is a powerful example of how our curriculum and wider opportunities support holistic flourishing for all pupils, fully aligned with our Christian ethos and values

🕊️ A Spiritual Space to Grow

Spirituality & Gardening Club is a calming, therapeutic activity where pupils can reflect quietly or share conversations while working in nature. Many say they feel more peaceful, focused, and happy after gardening sessions—an important aspect of spiritual wellbeing.

“When I’m gardening, I feel close to God. It’s quiet and calm, and I like helping things grow.”
– Year 4 Pupil

🌍 Growing Responsibility

Children come to see that even small actions—planting a seed, caring for soil, sharing food—can make a difference. Through this, they grow in their understanding of justice, sustainability, and global responsibility—themes central to both our Christian vision and the SIAMS framework 

🌟 Join Us!

Spirituality & Gardening Club is open to all pupils. Whether planting your first seed or harvesting your first crop, it’s a joyful, life-affirming way to:

• Learn new skills

• Discover the wonders of nature

• Reflect on God’s creation

• Help our community flourish

Come grow with us—body, mind, and spirit. 🌿

Impact of Spirituality

Rooted in our Christian vision: Discovering God, Learning Together, Achieving Our Best

At All Saints' C of E Primary school, spirituality is at the heart of who we are. It flows through our curriculum, collective worship, relationships, and everyday life. Guided by our Christian vision, we nurture a sense of awe, wonder and purpose in our children, helping them to discover not only more about God, but also more about themselves and the world around them.

Through spiritual development, our children learn to:

• Recognise their own intrinsic value as unique individuals, created in the image of God, and develop a deep sense of self-worth and purpose.

• Understand and express emotions thoughtfully and sensitively, showing increasing awareness of their feelings and those of others.

• Demonstrate empathy and compassion, both within the school and beyond, through their actions, words, and relationships.

• Ask big questions about life, meaning, morality, and faith, showing curiosity and an openness to explore different perspectives.

• Appreciate beauty and stillness, finding peace and reflection in quiet moments, whilst also showing creativity and imagination in response to their learning and experiences.

• Discern right from wrong, developing a strong moral compass shaped by our Christian values, and a desire to live justly and act with integrity.

Our children grow spiritually as they journey through school — learning to discover God’s presence in their lives, to grow in community with one another, and to strive to be the best version of themselves, academically, socially and spiritually.