Spirituality with Our Curriculum

Spirituality in the UK primary curriculum is not a standalone subject but is woven throughout all areas of learning. It involves nurturing a child’s inner life, sense of wonder, self-awareness, and understanding of deeper meanings and values. Spiritual development encourages children to reflect on their experiences, beliefs, relationships, and the world around them.
Key features of spirituality in the curriculum include:

• Awe and Wonder – Encouraging curiosity and appreciation, especially in nature, art, science, and music.
• Self and Others – Developing self-awareness, empathy, and respect for different viewpoints and cultures.
• Reflection and Meaning – Providing time and space for children to reflect on life's big questions, emotions, and values.
• Creativity and Expression – Valuing imagination, storytelling, the arts, and opportunities for personal expression. 
• Connection and Belonging – Fostering a sense of identity, community, and interconnectedness with the wider world.

Marston Thorold's CE Primary School's

Definition of Spirituality

Spiritual awareness means noticing that there's something very big and special in the world like faith, love or nature, that we can’t always see. It’s about paying attention to how we feel, being kind to others, and feeling amazed by the world around us.

Mirrors

• Opportunities to reflect on our experiences.
• Looking inside yourself.
• Consider life's big questions and reach for some possible answers.
• Learning from life by exploring our own insights and those of others.

Windows

• Opportunities for us to be aware of the world in new ways, looking out into the world.
• To wonder about life's 'WOWS. Things that are amazing.
• To think about life's 'OWS' that take us by surprise!
• Learning about life in all its fullness.

Doors

• Opportunities for us to respond
• Moving onto a new path or situation.
• To do something creative to develop and apply our ideas.
• Learning to live out our beliefs and values.

Spiritualiy Day

Our children spent an afternoon experiencing a range of activities before reflecting on them.  These ranged from blowing bubbles and walking through paint to toasting marshmallows and creating artwork from nature.   

'I was overjoyed when I did the giant bubble, the bikes to me back to when I was 5 years old.  The sun-catcher was bright and beautiful and filled me with joy.'

'I enjoyed the parachute because I liked the games that we played and I felt a sense of togetherness.'

'I enjoyed watching the bubbles pop and making art with them.  The patterns were out of this world.'

'I loved walking in the paint because it brought back memeories of the residential when we walked through the mud barefoot.'

Reflecting On Our Spiritual Moments 

We asked our children and staff to reflect on a spiritual moment that they had during the summer break.  Below are some of the responses.  

'Looking up at the stars on a dark night - magical!'

'When I went to Scotalnd and saw a red squirrel and an otter.'

'I felt spiritual when I went swimming in the cold crystal-clear sea.'

'The feeling that I got as I went around a small island in a boat - it was amazing.'

'Going on a plane and seeing lots of towns and it looked like Legoland.'

'Going on a steam train and watching the lush green land through the window.'