Spirituality

At St Barnabas, we are proud to be an open, inclusive and diverse Church of England school, where every child is encouraged to shine brightly and grow in confidence, character and love. We nurture and celebrate each person within our school family; individuals are respected and valued equally, regardless of ability, gender, faith, heritage or race. For us, spirituality is about “growing the soul”. It is woven through the life of our school, enriching who we are and how we live together.

We believe that spiritual development is not limited to Religious Education or Collective Worship, but can be experienced across the whole curriculum and school day. By creating meaningful moments, we encourage pupils to pause, reflect and ask deep questions about themselves, others, the wider world and beyond. Through an engaging and thought-provoking curriculum, we help children to explore, reflect and grow as unique individuals, preparing them to make a positive difference in their communities.

At St Barnabas, we use the Church of England’s Windows, Mirrors and Doors model:

• Windows – offering opportunities to look out at the world with awe, curiosity and questioning.

• Mirrors – creating space to reflect on their own thoughts, beliefs and values.

• Doors – encouraging children to put into action what they have discovered, shaping how they live and respond to others.

We have developed our own working definition of spirituality to support the whole school community in understanding how our vision, values and curriculum nurture children spiritually, helping them to flourish and shine.

In our children's words:

At St Barnabas we believe spirituality is about growing on the inside as well as on the outside. It’s about thinking big thoughts, asking questions, noticing the world around us, and learning how to live with kindness and love.

We say spirituality is about:

• Ourselves – knowing who we are and what makes us special.

• Others – caring for friends, family and everyone in our community.

• The World – looking after the wonderful world God has given us.

• Beyond – wondering about life’s big questions and where God is at work.

We use Windows, Mirrors and Doors to help us think about spirituality:

• Windows – looking out and noticing amazing things in the world.

• Mirrors – looking inside and reflecting on our thoughts and feelings.

• Doors – stepping out and putting our ideas and values into action.

At St Barnabas we want everyone to shine brightly – to be curious, caring and confident, ready to make a difference in the world.