Spirituality

 

 Academy Vision:

“Life in all its fullness” (John 10:10)

 What is Spirituality?

Spirituality is a core component to ‘living life in all its fullness’ as the mind, body and soul needs to be nurtured equally. It relates to fundamental questions about the meaning and purpose of life which affect everyone and is not dependant on a religious belief. It is also based on the search for ways to answer questions about life and a search for identity. 

Spiritual development is the development of an awareness that there is “something more to life than meets the eye, something more than the material, something more than the obvious, something to wonder at, and something to respond to.” ( Terence Copley)

To talk about spirituality is, essentially, to talk about something which is beyond words. There is a general consensus that spirituality is linked to fundamental questions about the meaning and purpose of life; it includes ideas around relating to oneself, others, the natural world and the transcendent; it is not dependant on religious belief or affiliation.

 Spirituality Model at St. Aidan’s 

At St Aidan’s Church of England Academy we support children’s spiritual development using the ‘candle, window, mirror, door’ approach.

 

 

 

 Opportunities within the curriculum

• Self-Awareness or Self Knowledge. Pupils will be given a range of opportunities to reflect upon and discuss their beliefs, feelings and responses to personal experiences.
• Forming Relationships. Pupils will be given the opportunity to develop an understanding of both their individual and group identity and to form and maintain worthwhile and satisfying relationships.
• Asking Ultimate Questions. Opportunities will be provided within lessons and also collective worship relating to the meaning and purpose in life. This involves asking questions such as “Why me?” in times of suffering, or “What happens when you die?”
• Uncertainty, Awe and Wonder. Pupils will be given opportunities to reflect on, consider and celebrate the wonders and mysteries of life and to experience moments of stillness and reflection.
• Beliefs and Values. This is the search for, and development of, personal beliefs and values which may or may not be shared with other members of the community. Pupils will be given moment to explore and clarify their own beliefs.
• Creativity. This is the exercising of the imagination or intuition and insight to express one’s innermost thoughts and feelings, especially through the creative arts. Creative work can be an important tool for exploring some of the other areas of spiritual development, including the Creative Curriculum, Music, Art and opportunities beyond the traditional classroom setting. Pupils will be encouraged to be creative and use their imagination. 
• Feelings and Emotions. The sense of being moved by kindness or beauty, or being hurt by hatred and injustice. There should bring a growing awareness of when it is important to control feelings and emotions. Pupils should be able to foster their emotional life and express their feelings in the community of the church school.

Maths

How you approach spiritual development within your curriculum

1. Spiritual development within the maths curriculum might not seem obvious at first glance, but it plays an important role in holistic education.Awe and Wonder at the Universe’s Order - Explore the beauty and patterns in mathematics (e.g., Fibonacci sequence, fractals, symmetry).

2. Encouraging Deep Thinking and Reflection. Promoting problem-solving that requires perseverance, intuition, and insight. Allowing space for students to reflect on how they think and how they learn. Encouraging open-ended investigations that don’t always lead to one answer.

3. Recognising the Contributions of Diverse Cultures. Celebrating the global and historical development of mathematics. Acknowledging contributions from different civilizations

4. Experiencing Joy and Satisfaction.

Highlighting the joy of solving a problem or discovering a pattern.

Creating opportunities for students to feel pride and fulfilment in their mathematical achievements.

5. Exploring Ethical and Existential questions through data. Discussing how maths is used in decision-making: climate change, inequality, resource distribution. Encouraging students to reflect on the moral implications of mathematical applications.

Strengths

• The Spirituality display within the classroom, which provides reflection points for pupils and is referred to by the class teacher.
• Activity, Spiritual Connection - Exploring golden ratio in art/nature, Encourages awe and connection to beauty and nature
• Investigating infinity or zero, Promotes existential and philosophical reflection
• Studying different number systems, Cultivates appreciation for human creativity and diversity
• Data projects on global issues, Encourages empathy, ethical thinking, and global awareness
• Teacher's Role -

         o Model curiosity and reflection.

         o Create a calm, respectful space for exploration.

         o Encourage questions over answers, especially around big ideas.

         o Highlight the interconnectedness of maths and life.

Areas for development

• Spirituality to be signposted within pupil books.
• Due to lesson timings spirituality is sometimes missed or not spoken about.
• Opportunities to discuss spirituality in given units is sometimes missed

English

How you approach spiritual development within your curriculum

Spiritual development is a vital part of our English curriculum, woven through the study of diverse texts and themes that encourage pupils to reflect on identity, belief, morality, and the human condition.

Across Years 7 to 9, students are given opportunities to explore big questions about life, purpose, suffering, and resilience through literature from a range of historical and cultural contexts.

Strengths

In Year 7, students begin their journey with Boy by Roald Dahl, a text that encourages reflection on childhood experiences, family, and personal growth. A Midsummer Night’s Dream allows pupils to consider themes of love, transformation, and the unseen forces that shape our lives, fostering imagination and philosophical enquiry. When studying the Victorian poor through extracts from Jane Eyre and Charles Dickens, pupils engage with issues of inequality, compassion, and human dignity. The Tragic voices anthology deepens this exploration by confronting real-world tragedies—from 9/11 to the Irish Troubles and life in Afghanistan—prompting moral reflection, empathy, and an awareness of the complexities of global suffering and hope.

In Year 8, texts such as The Woman in Black and Shakespeare’s histories explore fear, memory, justice, and the supernatural, allowing pupils to grapple with life’s mysteries and moral ambiguities. The Around the World travel writing unit invites students to consider different cultures and worldviews, encouraging openness and curiosity about how people find meaning in their lives across the globe. The Ferocious Females and Villainous Voices unit challenges pupils to think critically about power, morality, and personal integrity, exploring the spiritual dimensions of inner strength and ethical decision-making.

In Year 9, pupils study Noughts and Crosses, a powerful novel that tackles prejudice, injustice, and the human capacity for love and resistance in the face of systemic oppression. Animal Farm offers a platform to question authority, truth, and freedom—key components of spiritual development. Finally, in Romeo and Juliet, students are asked to reflect on love, fate, conflict, and sacrifice, exploring how personal beliefs and values can shape our choices and destinies.

Areas for development

• Spirituality is not signposted in books or the curriculum consistently.

• There are sometimes lost opportunities for spirituality due to curriculum content taking priority – particularly in KS4.

Science

How you approach spiritual development within your curriculum

In the science curriculum, medium-term plans incorporate the integration of spirituality within each topic. Spirituality is reviewed once per topic, across all year groups, allowing for consistent opportunities to support pupils' spiritual development alongside their scientific understanding. Each lesson is designed to encourage students to explore the connections between scientific concepts and spiritual or ethical questions. Throughout lessons, the spirituality symbol is prominently displayed on PowerPoint presentations, reinforcing this focus. Lessons are also structured to allow for unplanned, spontaneous moments, providing opportunities for pupils to engage in meaningful reflection and exploration as they arise naturally. This approach ensures that spirituality is thoughtfully woven into the learning experience, promoting both intellectual and personal growth.

Strengths

• Spirituality is embedded into the science curriculum for all teachers, including non-specialists, through a clear and accessible scheme of work.

• Teachers are provided with easy-to-use resources, such as videos with reflective questions, to guide students in exploring spiritual themes in science.

• The curriculum also highlights notable scientists from diverse backgrounds, recognising their spiritual or philosophical influences and celebrating a range of perspectives.

• Spirituality encourages students to consider the ethical, moral, and philosophical dimensions of scientific discoveries and their real-world implications. By connecting scientific learning with personal beliefs, the curriculum fosters deeper engagement and social responsibility among students.
• Additionally, spirituality links science with philosophy, ethics, and religion, helping students appreciate the broader human context of scientific knowledge.

Areas for development

• Spirituality should be embedded consistently across all science topics and year groups to ensure every student has equal opportunities for reflection and engagement.
• Non-specialist teachers may benefit from additional training and resources to confidently and effectively integrate spirituality into their lessons.
• There is room to strengthen the connection between spiritual themes and core scientific concepts, helping students make clearer links between scientific knowledge and ethical or philosophical questions.

Religious Education

How you approach spiritual development within your curriculum

Medium-term plans include information on the integration of spirituality within each unit. The "windows, mirrors, doors, and candle" approach is embedded in every RE lesson, providing consistent opportunities to support pupils' spiritual development. All PowerPoint presentations include the spirituality symbol, which is referenced throughout the lesson to reinforce this focus. Lessons allow for unplanned and spontaneous moments, providing opportunities for pupils to engage in meaningful reflection and exploration as they arise naturally.

Strengths

• Spirituality model of the ‘windows, mirrors, doors and candle’ is fully embedded within all RE lessons.

• Pupils are given an abundance of opportunities to develop a sense of wonder and awe about the world, to reflect on their own beliefs and experiences and to consider how their learning might influence future actions and choices.

• When pupils were asked which subjects provide opportunities for spiritual development, they identified Religious Education and Science as key areas where this is actively supported. 

• Spirituality is signposted within pupil books. 

Areas for development

• Whilst pupils demonstrate an understanding of aspects of the spirituality model, it is necessary to revisit the framework to ensure they develop a secure understanding of all its components.

• Incorporate more moments associated with the candle aspect of the model to provide pupils with opportunities for stillness, reflection, and deeper spiritual awareness.
• Consistency within lessons (large number of staff teaching PD this academic year).  Opportunities for spirituality to be signposted in books 

Personal Development

How you approach spiritual development within your curriculum

Students are given opportunities to explore their beliefs, values, and sense of purpose. Spirituality it is encouraged through discussions on identity, morality, empathy, and emotional wellbeing. In RSE, students reflect on the deeper meaning of relationships, respect, and commitment, promoting self-awareness and ethical understanding.  The PD curriculum supports students in developing a thoughtful and reflective outlook on themselves and others.

Strengths

• Using the academy spirituality model, there are regular opportunities built into lessons

• Regular discussions allowing students to develop a deeper understanding of themselves and their place in the world

• Lessons develop self-awareness, empathy and respect for others 

Areas for development

• Consistency within lessons (large number of staff teaching PD this academic year).  Opportunities for spirituality to be signposted in books

History

How you approach spiritual development within your curriculum

Medium-term plans include information pupil questions/prompts to use within lessons relating to spirituality within each project.

History offers students the opportunity to understand the world from different perspectives, broaden their understanding of different times and contexts.

The curriculum enables students to better understand the past and how it has shaped the present and to study lived realities.

Lessons allow for moments of reflection and discussion, providing opportunities for pupils to engage in meaningful dialogue.

At both KS3 and KS4 pupils to engage with themes such as equality, diversity, conflict, power, oppression and change.

Strengths

• Exploring a range of perspective and understand an abundance of experiences.

• Students are given the opportunity to better understand the past and how it has shaped the present and to study lived realities.

• Pupils continually ask questions prompted by their curiosities, enabling deeper discussion.

• The key stage 4 curriculum encourages students to self-reflect and consider their own beliefs, actions and morals.

• History is ultimately the study of human behaviour and allows us to think about and judge the reasons for people’s actions in the context they lived.

 

Areas for development

• Incorporate more moments associated with the candle aspect of the model to provide pupils with opportunities for stillness, reflection, and deeper spiritual awareness.

• Due to lesson timings spirituality is sometimes missed or not spoken about.

• Windows is primarily focused on.

Geography

 

French

 

Spanish

 

Art

 

Photography

 

Food Technology

 

Design Technology

 

Physical Education

 

Computer Science