Spirituality is not easy to explain and it can mean different things to different people as we are all spiritual beings. Spirituality is not necessarily linked to religion because people of any faith and of no faith can be spiritual.

In essence, for us, spirituality is ‘who we are’. It is also an awareness that there is something greater than who we are.

At Eastnor C of E Primary, spirituality is the heartbeat of our school. It is how we understand ourselves and our place in the world: recognising strengths, weaknesses and having confidence to challenge ourselves.

Spirituality is not something we can see or touch – we feel it inside all of us. It might be a sense of awe and wonder. It might be a sense of empathy and compassion. It might be a sense there are important questions to be asked which might not have obvious answers. It might want us to laugh, cry, sing, be creative or be still. We might have spiritual experiences with others or we might have them on our own. Spirituality is a sense of something greater than we are.

Spirituality enhances and enriches worship and children's spiritual development. For us, this is through the way that we think and feel, how we relate to and reflect on life’s events as we grow. It is the way we are aware of, and choose to spend time with, others. It is how we see the world and reflect upon the things which are much bigger than us and our time on earth.

How do we nurture spirituality at Eatnor CE Primary?

• Our school Christian values are taught, lived out and celebrated.
• We make sure there are times of peace and for reflection in the school day.
• We spend time in special places such as with The Church of St John The Baptist Eastnor and St Michael & All Angels Church Ledbury.
• We share art, music, stories and poems together.
• We share moments of awe and wonder.
• We encourage respectful debate and questioning and make sure children feel secure enough to ask those 'big' questions.
• We foster a love of creation through our school grounds including our Forest School area, our spiritual garden and through school visits.
• We encourage the spirit of 'courageous advocacy' and standing up for what we believe in.
• We share different ways of exploring spirituality in worship e.g. looking at different religious art and icons, using candles, holding worship outside.
• We practice gratitude - we take time to give thanks and show thanks for the things, the actions and the people that bring us joy.
• We learn about our feelings, how to recognise them and live with them.
• We foster reflective thinking linked to our Christian values, encouraging us to look inward at our own behaviour and thoughts, outward at the wonderful world around us and considering actions of ourselves and others which make a difference moving forward.
• Through our school vision of ‘Do everything in love', we foster kindness, appreciation and love for others, supporting all children and adults in our school.

What are ‘spiritual skills’?                                                            

1. Honesty and acceptance of oneself
2. The ability to be still and focused
3. The ability to relax and be calm
4. A sense of empathy for others – to be able to show consideration for their feelings
5. The capacity for forgiveness
6. Being able to find hope when things are difficult
7. Being able to let go of things that are causing hurt
8. The ability to know when you need to stop and ‘recharge’
9. The ability to know and name your feelings

What will a spiritual learner be like?

1. Be comfortable with who I am  and be happy being me
2. Be happy being silent sometimes
3. Appreciate what is good
4. Respect people, places and things
5. Use my senses to reflect and learn
6. See rather than look, listen rather than hear, feel rather than touch
7. Take joy in simple things
8. Be at peace
9. Show an understanding and appreciation  towards others
10. Recognise when I am stressed and calm myself
11. Reflect and wonder about the bigger picture and God