As well as communal prayer and reflection areas such as ‘The Garden of Hope’ (inspired by Sir Captain Tom Moore and created in 2021) in the courtyard, each classroom (nursery – Year 6) has its own prayer and reflection area. Each prayer and reflection area follows the 4 I’s: inclusive, invitational, inspiring and interactive.  

Inclusive: Children, their families and other adults can expect to encounter reflection areas that are inclusive of, and fully accessible to, all. Many children and adults in our school come from homes of different faith backgrounds as well as of no faith background. Moreover, many children will naturally be at different stages of their spiritual journey during their time in school. There should be space to consent, and dissent: to participate and to stand back; and to consider. Inclusion requires child involvement in planning and evaluating the reflection areas and the activities and resources within them. 

Invitational: Children, their families and other adults can expect to encounter reflection areas that are consistently invitational. There is no compulsion to ‘do anything’, allowing the freedom of those of different faiths and those who profess no religious faith to be present and to engage with integrity. Children and adults will always be invited to pray whilst being given the option for quiet reflection if they do not wish to join in with prayer.   

Inspiring: Children, their families and other adults can expect the reflection areas they encounter to be inspirational.   These spaces enable children and adults to ask big questions about who we are and why we do what we do. It motivates children and adults into action, into thinking differently, and into reflecting on their and the wider community’s behaviour and actions. As a result of inspirational collective worship and reflection, children and adults should be inspired to become courageous advocates of causes. It should encourage them to think searchingly about their faith, beliefs and/or philosophical convictions.  

Interactive: Children, their families and other adults can expect the reflection areas they encounter to be interactive.   Worship, prayer and reflection are interactive in that they involve meeting, exploring, questioning, and responding to others and, for some, to God.  Reflection areas include big questions to consider and activities are provided for children and adults to record some of their ideas, if they wish to do so.  Tasks, games and books may be provided in reflection areas to deepen understanding of a particular theme, story or belief.