As a Church of England Academy, our Christian ethos is at the heart of who we are. Within the academy, we seek to offer many opportunities which allow students and staff alike to engage with spirituality on a personal level and collectively, as we consider how faith is part of our lives and the way we live them. Growing Faith means working in partnership with parents and faith communities to help our students grow spiritually.
Collective Worship is one of the key ways in which our distinctive Christian vision is expressed. The chance to engage with ideas about who we are and how we relate to God, other people and the planet is pivotal in our young people developing the Abbey Character we aspire to. We invite all to be part of the worship, recognising that we have students on very different positions in their faith journey but seeking to include all in a way that reflects the invitation God offers to us.
Our Collective Worship explores and deepens our understanding of our Christian Vision by taking a different strand each half term as our theme. This is supported and underpinned by our continued exploration of the fifteen Christian Values for schools: Reverence, Wisdom, Thankfulness, Humility, Endurance, Service, Compassion, Trust, Peace, Forgiveness, Friendship, Justice, Hope, Creation, and Koinonia. One of the Abbey Character strands is also explored as part of this each half term.
Collective worship includes assemblies and form time, where there is a daily chance to stop and reflect. Once a week there is an extended worship time in form to explore a Biblical passage and consider how it applies to our lives today. A programme of services and events throughout the year mark key events in the school year, with communion services in September and July, as well as at key times in the Christian calendar. Christmas and Easter are celebrated with services but we also take time at Advent and Lent to consider our journeys afresh with activities such as Prayer Spaces.
Drop ins are informal and a great place to meet and make friends.
Rock Solid or Horizon, lunchtime groups led by youth workers from Leeds Faith in Schools, where you can chat and play games
Cell groups for each year group, led by older students who plan activities that explore faith and develop friendship
Youth Alpha meet after school for longer discussions about the Big Questions of life and faith
Global Justice campaign on issues such as Fairtrade and Climate Change
Welcoming and hospitality: be part of the group that welcomes new students and helps everyone to find their place in the Academy
Fundraising is organised through chaplaincy so you can join in with big fundraisers or come up with your own idea
Prayer for Muslim students is in a separate classroom, supervised by staff. This is on a drop in basis most days but on Fridays Muslim students can gather together to pray at a set time during lunchtime.
There is always an open door to new ideas so this list changes through the year. It is great to have student leadership in many of these activities so do get involved!
