Appendix 4: Collective Worship- Self-evaluation toolkit

Collective Worship (CW) should be an affirmative and celebration of the values and ethos of the school.

CW in a school is ‘good’ when:

• it is held daily or as often as possible (as space and timetabling allows)

• it is in addition to any secular assemblies

• it is well-planned, imaginative, inspiring and challenging

• it involves high levels of participation by learners

• it evokes a positive response from those attending

• it is sensitive to the beliefs and traditions of all faiths and none represented in the school, recognising and affirming the family and culture background of learners

• it makes the collective worship an inclusive activity for all

• it significantly contributes to the development of the social, moral, spiritual and cultural areas of school life

• it educates learners into the experience of what worship might be

• learners respond to shared human experiences of celebration, happiness, joy, sadness, etc.

• it celebrates and explores the ethos of the school so that learners can recognise their responsibilities to others and reflect on community and personal values.

A school may want to discuss the nature and impact of CW with learners and adults in the school in order to complete the self-evaluation below.

COLLECTIVE WORSHIP

SELF EVALUATION TOOLKIT

Statement	Comment	Rating 1 - outstanding 2 - good 3 – requires improvement 4 - inadequate
Legal Considerations • Is collective worship held daily for all learners? • If not, how often do pupils take part in an CW? • What importance is given to CW in the School Improvement Plan? • Are parents informed in the school prospectus of their right to withdraw their child from CW? • To what extent are parents made aware of the purposes of CW? • Does the school have a policy for CW? • To what extent are the governors aware and involved in the policy and monitoring of CW?

Statement	Comment	Rating 1 - outstanding 2 - good 3 – satisfactory 4 - inadequate
Planning for Collective Worship • Is there effective planning for CW eg. themes? • Does the planning include opportunities for a range of visitors? • Is a range of approaches used effectively? • Is there planning for learners to be involved? • How appropriate is the material to the age and stage of development of the learners? • Does planning identify and support the different groups for CW eg tutorial or class groups? • How effectively is CW evaluated and monitored? • How well-resourced is the school to assist those who lead CW? • Have staff who are involved with CW attended any recent CPD? • To what extent does CW support and affirm the values of the school? • Does CW make a significant contribution to the SMSC learning and development of learners?

Statement	Comment	Rating 1 - outstanding 2 - good 3 – satisfactory 4 - inadequate
Learners’ Attitudes to CW • How well do learners respond to CW? • How often do learners contribute to CW? • How are the views of learners heard eg. do they enjoy and value CW? • To what extent do adults take part in CW and speak positively about the experience? • Are learners able to suggest themes and subject matter, approaches etc?

Statement	Comment	Rating 1 - outstanding 2 - good 3 – satisfactory 4 - inadequate
To what extent do learners and staff of all faiths and none derive inspiration, spiritual growth and affirmation from CW? • How are pupils and adults encouraged to express their views on CW? • Does CW provide opportunities for reflection? • How helpful do members of the school community find such quiet times? • To what extent do learners from a variety of faith or non-faith backgrounds feel that their own faith or non-belief has been recognised, affirmed and respected?

Action Plan: