Prayer is a natural and valued part of the culture of the school. It is not compulsory or forced.

SIAMS Action Plan 2018

Prayer

For people of faith, prayer is an important time to deepen their relationship with God.

At Lyminge CEP School, pupils are invited to experience faith at a level that suits them and prayer is an important part of that journey. Pupils are never forced to pray but invited to pray as a way of encountering God and developing spiritually.

Children who do not wish to pray are taught to show respect for those who do, instead they may use time of prayer for quiet thinking or reflection. Children learn that prayer is not just a time for asking God for something they want or for something they want to happen but a time to show gratitude, a time to explore questions we have about God, a time to reflect and a time to grow through promotion of our Christian Values. Prayer puts our faith and Christian Ethos at the centre of school life.

Opportunities for prayer are regular, children are invited to pray during daily Collective Worship. A phrase like ‘If you would like to make this prayer your prayer too, join me by saying amen.’ Or 'If you would like to join me in prayer, please put your hands together and close your eyes.’ Or, ‘If you don’t want to pray with us this morning, use this time to have a quiet think about the story we heard today and how it made you feel.’ Pupils are given the opportunity to pray aloud in Collective Worship or, routinely at the end of the day or before meals.

Quiet spaces for prayer and reflection are available to pupils of all faiths throughout the school and our prayer tree is a space that pupils can express their hopes, fears, worries and gratitude to God.

As a whole school we learn the Lord’s Prayer and in RE Lessons, we explore the words and how they provide a framework for prayers of our own. 

If you have any questions about Prayer or Collective Worship in our school, please do ask.