As described by the Diocese of Norwich, Spirituality is a core component to ‘living life in all its fullness’ as the mind, body and soul needs to be nurtured equally. It relates to fundamental questions about the meaning and purpose of life which affect everyone and is not dependant on a religious belief. It is also based on the search for ways to answer questions about life and a search for identity.

That means awareness of our relationships with our:

Self (being a unique person and understanding self-perception)

Others (how empathy, concern, compassion and other values and principles affect relationships)

World and Beauty (perceiving and relating to the physical and creative world through responses to nature and art)

Beyond – (relating to the transcendental and understanding experiences and meaning outside the ‘everyday’)

 “Spirituality was generally viewed as enriching individuals in their understanding of and ability to relate to, others and of society as a whole”. Education for Adult Life (SCAA 1996). Many people assume that spirituality is to do with Religious Education (RE) or PSCHE and therefore it tends to be put into those boxes. However, the truth of the matter is that it should influence all areas of education and life. At SPS, this is also clearly seen through our four key pillars:

· Love of Learning

· Love for oneself

· Love for each other

· Love of the world around us

It is also reflected through how we demonstrate our values of being: Happy, Respectful, Collaborative, Curious, Brave and Loving. Therefore, here at Steyning CofE Primary School, pupils are encouraged to:

· Ask big and challenging questions and seek fundamental answers

· Are inspired by our Vision and Values to achieve long term goals

· Are able to work against convention and show flexibility

· See connections between diverse things and are encouraged to be holistic in their view of the world

· Have an ethical life-style and are trustworthy

· Encouraged to show self-awareness and humility; put aside ego for the good of others

· Encouraged to grow in resilience and be brave

· To be courageous for others in social action.

We do this through:

• Physical spaces such as our prayer tables in each class and in the hall for collective worship, displays, and our regular visits to our parish church, St Andrews and St Cuthman’s.
• We make links made between different subjects to develop awe and wonder in every half termly topic.
• We focus on ‘enquiry’ based learning both in RE and through other subjects.
• We focus on creativity in all our learning and give opportunities to work with artists, poets, authors and faith leaders.
•  Collective worship with Buddy classes so children can look at big questions together and reflect and discuss.
• Moments of prayer, quiet and silence as a school and in class groups.
• We have created a sense of belonging, welcome and hospitality. We have explored our values and created a matrix of “I can” statements for every area of the school for every value and what we as staff must do to make that happen.
• Use of the ‘windows, mirrors and doors’ model to encourage children reflect on themselves, others and life beyond their immediate surroundings.