I’d like to offer four observations as a priest having a church primary school in my parish. I’ve always felt that I have had a responsibility to promote good working relationships between school and church in such a way that isn’t domineering or presumptuous. St Francis of Assisi CofE VA Primary in Ingleby Barwick is my primary school, but it isn’t my primary school. It’s theirs. I hope I’ve modelled sensitivity in those relationships and good humour when in school! I offer the following four quotations to accompany four observations.
“The Glory of God is a Human Being Fully Alive” -St Irenaeus
A Church School is a practical outworking of God’s Mission
Church schools can be places where pupils, staff, and parents can experience God’s glory, and God wants us all to flourish. Many of us will understand the depth of this quotation by our own personal involvement with Church schools near us. Human flourishing and a desire for God are bound together – human flourishing isn’t simply about gaining freedom to do whatever I want but freedom for excellence. Taking up a worthy practice and then to continue practising until I can freely express myself through that practice, whether it be through the discipline of English grammar and writing (and as an American I’m still on a journey, let the reader understand), mathematics, music, art, or prayer itself. God’s glory is bound up in this pursuit of excellence every step of the way. Young people at St Francis School have a thirst for the things of God, and this is encouraged by clergy, staff, and governors. I see staff gaining confidence in exploring with children through RE and worship the question of who is God, which is really exciting to see. I was invited earlier in the year to spend the day with staff on one of their PD days, and they wanted a whole hour in the day to grill the vicar! They asked those difficult questions that always come up with children. This was brilliant because I could see that they were comfortable enough with me to ask questions that might on the surface appear to be disrespectful of the Church, the faith or the Bible. So am really pleased that there is within the school/church relationship enough trust between us to let those difficult questions fly – and I think they know that those questions will be taken seriously.
“Wonder is the basis of Worship.” – Thomas Carlyle
Beyond collective worship, all of life can be offered as worship
This quotation helps me remember that beyond striving for ‘outstanding’ collective worship in our schools there can be room for an understanding of life itself being an act of worship. The constant turning towards God through our daily lives can be presented in our church schools as something wholesome, healthy, life giving and wonderful. Outstanding collective worship is important, with a lot of flexibility built into it, and one model doesn’t have to be replicated slavishly elsewhere. Collective worship in one sense is an end in itself; it helps us practise day by day God’s desire for us, which is to know that we are loved. Through worship we also learn where the source of love originates. I’ve told members of staff that God doesn’t need our worship, he is complete in himself. However, through worshipping God, his glory is reflected back on us. Collective worship is also a means, and worship has a way of shaping what we think life is about and the quality of our worship exposes what we really value most, what we think is most worthy of praise in our lives. Through the exploration of Christian Values within St Francis School, I have seen how children have made that link between life and worship and how these shouldn’t be cordoned off from each other. That connection has been made for pupils and staff in part by holding collective worship in the classroom, in the school hall, outside and in church. Worshipping in a variety of places and styles help children understand that all of life can be an offering to God, linking together Christian Values and real life situations in and out of school.
“Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.” – Luke 2:19
Pondering the big questions offers something essential to children
Church Schools take big questions seriously. Theological and doctrinal questions always come up. The temptation is to answer the question straightaway; a temptation especially for clergy who might be viewed by staff as experts rather than practitioners and we don’t want to not have an answer for the God questions! The better way is to encourage others to inhabit a question. By doing this we’re building up in children a capacity to think and ponder. Pondering is really important, it’s the activity of the theologian. It’s been said that Mary was the first Christian theologian and is an excellent model of the Christian life. Christians have a call to be theologians too, to be people who can inhabit the big questions without necessarily rushing to the answers. This is especially important today in a world where all of us have computers in our pockets and access to the right answer is fairly immediate… Except, of course, in the sphere of faith and belief. Faith operates differently and the answers aren’t so immediate: and if they are, the answers given might not be that helpful. We have a foundation governor who reads Bible stories to children each week in school and she always gets the difficult questions asked of her, which she enjoys. We’ve recently discussed the difference between being able to give an account of your faith, your story, and being mindful that our faith can’t be defined easily. Simplicity and complexity are somehow woven together when we step out into the deep with the big questions. Not all of our questions can be answered easily and yet, in the search, we can grow in our capacity to understand the world around us and grow in wisdom.
“There is nothing more worthwhile than becoming God’s friend.” – St Gregory of Nyssa
Church schools are places to explore vocation with adults and children
A commitment to gospel values, to Christian values, will ultimately lead to a sense of being called. If those values are well established in us, the desire to respond quickly to that calling will grow. After all, faith and theology don’t just contain interesting concepts for us to play around with, they involve the living God who calls us. Children will also experience this too, in the process of discovering for themselves who they are and what gifts they have, in relation to these values we uphold. A Church school is an environment sensitive to vocation developing in people. We will witness in the lives of young people those light bulb moments of discovery about themselves! A student at St Francis is preparing for confirmation with me and said that being a missionary was what she wanted to be… And possibly a priest! Vocation to a way of life is what all of this seems to be about in a Christian learning community. Being distinctive, being people who can grow in their ability to care about others growing, too. The quotation from St Gregory of Nyssa means a lot to me because of its simplicity and directness. Becoming God’s friend is truly worthwhile, and is a pursuit that offers tremendous blessing for the children. Our current version of secularism may wish to forget God, privatise God, or dismiss God, but church schools are places where we are free to explore faith and put it to the test. Ultimately faith will test us as well. Finally, I am very aware in the school environment that staff, clergy, and governors are all partners in the gospel, and I am so very glad that the school doesn’t simply wheel in the vicar when a God slot is required! The staff have grown in confidence to model Christian character and values themselves, and I think that is largely down to how our school has been led by our Headteacher, Paul Bramley, over the last 14 years.
--The Revd Clay Roundtree, Vicar of Ingleby Barwick