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1. Objectives
- To introduce students appropriately
to traditional forms of worship
- To share experiences as
a group
- To celebrate the shared
values of the school as a
community
- To develop the practice
of reflection and focus on
the special moment.
2. Year Assemblies
will take place each week on
a regular pattern, between 8.45
and 9.00 am. Years 7-11 will
attend two assemblies each week.
Registers will be marked at
the assembly venue; and Form
Tutors should remain with their
group during the assembly.
House meetings for all students
will take place when necessary
to organise competitive events.
Form Assemblies will be held
on days when students do not
assemble in the Hall; these
will last for approximately
three minutes following registration
and prior to administrative
matters.
3. Guidelines for contents
and procedures for form assembly
i) Students should not he encouraged
to accept or reject Christianity;
this should not be the aim of
assembly time.
ii) The material used should
be without offence to students
of any faith. Religious principles,
which cross faith boundaries,
will be focused on; but most
examples will be Christian in
origin.
iii) The aim is to promote
understanding of Christianity
in its many forms, and religion
in its diverse manifestations.
iv) The principle of religious
assemblies assumes that religious
sensibility is an essential
dimension in human development.
Assembly materials will, therefore,
concentrate on the awakening
and educating of the sensibility,
which is fundamental to the
understanding of religion.
v) Students will, it is hoped,
discover that religious beliefs
and practices have meaning
and relevance for their lives,
therefore the main focus will
be on community and
school issues.
vi) Students will he allowed
the freedom to ask questions
and draw conclusions about the
observations made. The opportunity
should he taken to encourage
student response through open
ended questions to promote thought.
vii) Tutors are provided with
weekly themes and appropriate
prayers for use in form assemblies.
4. Right of withdrawal
The Education Act (1988) of
parental right to withdraw their
children from attending collective
worship is totally respected.
Parents are not obliged to state
their reasons for seeking withdrawal,
but are however, obliged to
provide alternative and suitable
materials for study during times
allocated for collective worship.
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