In all Church of England Schools an inspection is undertaken by SIAMS (Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools). The purpose of a SIAMS inspection is to assess the school’s Christian Distinctiveness and how it's Christian vision is lived and breathed in everyday life at that Church of England School.

"SIAMS inspection focuses on the impact of the Church school's Christian vision on pupils and adults. This involves looking at the school’s Christian vision, the provision the school makes because of this vision and how effective this provision is in enabling all pupils to flourish. Church schools will employ a variety of strategies and styles appropriate to, and reflective of, their particular context in order to be distinctively and effectively Christian in their character and ethos. SIAMS inspectors therefore do not look for a set template of what a Church school should be like, but rather take the particular context of the school into account and base their evaluation on the outcomes rather than the process." (SIAMS website)

Our most recent SIAMS inspection was in 2016. The overall judgement for the inspection was Good in all categories and relates to our distinctiveness and effectiveness as a Church school.

Spirituality Policy 2023-2024

At Henley, we believe that spirituality is not something that we can see; it is something we feel inside ourselves.  It is about awe and wonder, asking questions and inspiration. It is being aware of something 'bigger' outside ourselves and our connectedness with others, the world and beyond.

If the spiritual ‘is properly and fully addressed, the moral, social and cultural will fall into place more easily’

Alan Brown formally of The National Society

SMSC: Spiritual Moral Social and Cultural. 

Section 78 of the Education Act 2002.29 states: 

The curriculum for a school satisfies the requirements of this section if it is a balanced and broadly based curriculum which:

(a) promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school and of society, and

(b) prepares pupils at the school for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life. 

The definitions of Moral, Social and Cultural development are fairly well understood in most schools, but the definition of Spirituality is much more open to debate. In its subsidiary guidance (January 2012) OFSTED attempt to define what they are looking for:- 

Pupils’ spiritual development is shown by their: 

• beliefs, religious or otherwise, which inform their perspective on life and their interest in and respect for different people’s feelings and values
• sense of enjoyment and fascination in learning about themselves, others and the world around them, including the intangible
• use of imagination and creativity in their learning
• willingness to reflect on their experiences.
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What is spirituality?

At Henley C of E Primary School we believe that it is very important to provide all children with a range of opportunities to help them develop spiritually. We believe that spiritual development may not be synonymous with Religious Education and Collective Worship and can be explored through many different curriculum areas.

As a school we focus on the idea of 4 concepts of spirituality: self, others, world and beauty and beyond.

Our starting point is our pupils’ own ‘Big’ questions about life and from this we plan a series of encounters (Windows) that open up the possibility of reflection (Mirrors). Finally, the children are given an opportunity to put into action what they believe and value. (Doors)

Why is it important?

Christians believe that God became human and therefore always strive to be the best human they can possibly be. As educators and in accordance with the Equalities Act 2010, we want to help every child to be the best that they can be and have a duty to support the children to achieve this; part of this responsibility is to help children develop spiritually. At Henley, all aspects of school life reflect a Christian ethos and all policies are based on Christian principles.

What do we aim to achieve for the children?

• The children become increasingly aware of the concept of self- the inner person and the way that this shapes an individual’s perception of themselves as a unique human being. The children reflect on the relationship they have with their sense of being a unique person.

• The children become increasingly aware of the concept of others – a growing empathy, concern & compassion of how to treat others. The children reflect on how their values & principles affect their relationships with others.

• The children become increasingly aware of the concept of a physical and creative world – a growing relationship with beauty through the ability to respond emotionally to experiences of the wonder of the natural world and the results of human creativity. The children explore their understanding beauty and the affect this has on their perception of and relationship with the world.

• The children become increasingly aware of the concept of the beyond – a growing relationship with the transcendental and the ability to explore experiences beyond the everyday. The children search for meaning in their very existence and their place in the greater scheme of things.

• The children develop an understanding of the beliefs and values of Christianity and other world religions. The children are respectful of the beliefs and values of others.

• The children develop an understanding of the ethos of a Church school and the content, language and symbolism of the Christian faith as a way of understanding our meaning and purpose in life.

• The children develop the ability to question.

• The children develop their ability to express their thoughts, ideas, feelings and their beliefs.

How do we do it?

Effective learning in itself is a spiritual experience. This is because learning involves engagement with and exploration of a new concept (windows), thinking deeply about it, trying to connect it to what we already know (mirrors). If we can successfully fit this new concept to our pre-existing web of understanding, this evokes a positive emotional response (we often describe this as: the penny drops!) With each new concept acquired, we transform ourselves (doors), moving forward in life a little altered, intrinsically motivated, fulfilled and inspired by the experience. 

• We provide and plan for a wide range of opportunities for children to develop spiritually in all areas of the curriculum. In particular, through Religious Education, English, Maths, P.S.H.E., Science, Humanities, Art and Music.

• We provide and plan for a wide range of opportunities for children to develop spiritually through Worship including: whole school, whole site and class services.

• We also promote spiritual development opportunities through our wider curriculum, for example: during our ‘International Day’, ‘Black History Month’, ‘Sports Day’ and through other extra-curricular activities.

• We provide areas for quiet reflection in school and in the outdoor environment.

• We provide opportunities for prayer, including silence and stillness.

• When planning for spiritual development we focus on 3 areas: Windows, Mirrors and Doors.

Windows, Mirrors, Doors

Windows: Giving opportunities to look out on the world to gaze and wonder - the Wow and Ow moments - the things we find amazing and bring us up short. 

Encounter: The learning about life

Mirrors: Giving opportunities for children to reflect and look inward to consider some of the big questions of life - to explore their own insights and those of others. Reflection: The learning from life

Doors: Giving opportunities to children to respond, to do something to go through the door of a creative expression of their own thoughts and convictions. 

Transformation: The learning to live by putting into action what they believe

With these reflection questions identified, the school can than plan a series of encounters or openings for spiritual development, Windows if you prefer, that open up the possibility of reflection on the students big questions.  This may be done at individual subject level or at a whole school level. 

The transformation line may be left open to record some of the expressions of spiritual development that the students come up with.  This may be art work, written work or it may be actions such as supporting charities etc. that students may take. This approach not only gives provision mapped but is thoughtful and wide ranging in its promotion of opportunities of spiritual development. It also builds in an element of progression in spiritual development.

The four windows of Spiritual development

It is suggested that there are four windows into spiritual development:-

• Spiritual Capacities: recognition that all human beings are capable of spiritual growth through capacities such as self-awareness, reflection, empathy, imagination and creativity. 
• Spiritual Experiences:  ways in which pupils can encounter the spiritual dimension of

life 

• Spiritual Understanding: the need to have developed an understanding to make sense of the spiritual experiences encountered and capacities exercised 
• Spiritual Responses: how this experience and understanding impacts on our lives and shapes the way in which we live our lives. 

The concept of the Spiritual Ring Doughnut, by Liz Mills shows that:

The Doughnut represents the Whole Child. The outer ring is the tangible (Mind and Body), the hole represents the intangible (Spirit) but if there was no hole it wouldn’t be a doughnut. This remains perhaps the best definition of spiritual development; it is the exploration and development of that hole in our centre that makes us whole. 

Spirituality in Collective Worship

Collective Worship is at the heart of our school. It provides an opportunity for our school community to come together and share experiences, ideas and understanding. It is the context in which the language of spirituality, which we use as a school, is regularly and explicitly shared. It starts every day reminding us of our Christian Values and how we can make the day the best it can be.

Collective Worship provides the opportunity for pupils to become aware of the importance of reflection and how our positive and negative experiences can be formative. It also provides a real sense of being present which are often linked to invitations to pray. Through daily Collective Worship, pupils are offered a space and a place for hearing the Christian story. They are offered an understanding of worship by being invited to participate in, or observe, Christian spiritual practices such as: prayer, reading and reflection on the Bible and liturgy. Opportunities to reflect on the values of life such as courage and honesty in the world are given.

Pupils are given time to consider their responsibilities to others and to grow in love and service. Time is given for celebration, both for the accomplishments of school members and to mark seasonal Christian festivals. In this way pupils are offered time to be able to contemplate and develop spiritually. Collective Worship at Henley is invitational, inspirational and inclusive.

Spirituality in Religious Education

 The Church of England’s Statement of Entitlement outlines the aims and expectations for Religious Education in Church of England Schools and guides this school’s approach to RE and spirituality. Learning activities in RE provide for the needs of all pupils, offering a safe space to explore their own religious, spiritual and/or philosophical ways of seeing, living and thinking, believing and belonging. They provide opportunities to engage in meaningful and informed dialogue with those of all religions and worldviews, linking these to pupils’ ideas of spirituality. For further details, please refer to Henley Religious Education Policy, The Church of England’s Statement of Entitlement and our Collective Worship policy.