Faith Life at Christ the King
Word
At Christ the King, the Word of God is placed at the heart of all we do and is at the core of our curriculum for life.
Welcome
At Christ the King, we welcome one another as the Lord welcomes us.
Welfare
At Christ the King, we reach out near and far to our brothers and sisters.
Worship
At Christ the King, our worship of God in celebration, prayer and action is at the heart of the school.
Witness
At Christ the King, we live and love to show the face of Christ.
5Ws Framework in Christ the King
The purpose of the 5Ws framework is to reflect the new RE Framework from the Diocese of Salford, which focuses on the 5Ws, rooted in the roots of the early church. They are as follows:
Welcome - Word - Witness - Welfare - Worship
In pupil speak, these translate as
Come - Talk - Work - Walk - Pray
Welcome (Come) – We come together in welcome.
Word (Talk) – We talk together as a 'word of God’ community.
Witness (Work) – We look at our school mission statement and work together as a witness community.
Welfare (Walk) – We walk together as a welfare community.
Worship (Pray) – We pray together as a worship community.
Welcome – Come
We are all welcome in God’s name, as God’s children.
We actively reach out as a witness to the God of Welcome, promoting partnerships and trust between each other and access the celebration of diverse communities.
We strive for inclusion – the diversity of pupils and staff is celebrated and this promotes mutual respect, builds self-esteem, and builds a sense of community with the Kingdom of God at the forefront. The values, policies and processes we share are inherent in the pastoral care of our pupils and staff and provide clear evidence of the quality of the school’s welcome to everyone.
The quality of relationships leads our pupils and staff to have a feeling of belonging, community and acceptance – which is confirmed by the spirit of service given and received by each person within the school.
We promote the spirituality of our pupils through the shared experience of all.
Our parents and families are drawn to be in partnership with the school and our parish. Our school is a sign of Good News that speaks of and listens to the Word of God in our local community (evangelisation).
Word - Talk
Religion is the foundation of our school and its principles maintained across the curriculum and life of the school; inspired by the Word of God, our school community live in the service of each other in their daily lives. Leaders share commitment and enthusiasm for Religion within the curriculum.
The teaching and learning in Religion is a main focus for the school and appropriately resourced. The Word of God is in action in the daily lives of each member of our community – the values of scripture guiding its relationships and behaviour, all receive their entitlement to be spiritually, morally, socially and culturally educated across the entire curriculum and lived experience of the school community. The achievement and standards of learning of pupils in Religion is the main focus for leadership. Encouragement of all students to engage with the ‘Big Questions’ in life through higher order questioning and thinking which works alongside celebrating the Word of God in worship and liturgy.
Teaching and enabling our pupils to appreciate the witness of the living traditions and history of the Church and in particular of our parish community, but also
expressing the word of God beyond our School community. The religious needs of our students from disadvantaged backgrounds, varied faith experiences and diversity of beliefs are served.
Witness - Work
We give witness to a loving God who is the centre and way of life for all and recognise that God is with us in every aspect of school life. Adults see and express their roles in school as co-creators with God and as part of the redemptive activity of Christ in all aspects of school life along with adults and pupils witnessing to the Mission Statement of Christ the King informs everything which is explicit in policies and the lived experience of the whole community. Adults play an important part as role models of the school’s mission and values and as key promoters of the ethos of the school for the pupils and the school community’s witness to the wider community. We are all witness to the values of the Gospel such as reconciliation, compassion, justice, liberation, service, stewardship in every aspect of school life and in policies at all levels.
Placing the pupils at the centre of the school’s Mission rooted in the life, story, teaching, vision and living tradition of Jesus Christ and his Church as the foundation of everything only enhances the school further. Involving the pupils in the regular reflection upon our school’s Mission Statement gives ownership to all. Nurturing, supporting and challenging the pupils to live out and to give witness to the Mission Statement in their everyday experience of school life and by developing their sense of responsibility to play their part in caring activities for good causes in the wider community.
We prepare the pupils to be agents of change and of social transformation at the service of the common good and embed a creative, relevant and innovate opportunities throughout the school to promote a culture of confidence in witnessing to Christian beliefs and values. By building a community within school as central to everything whilst reaching out to the wider community, locally, nationally and globally at the service of the common good ensures the children are good witnesses of the world around us to care for all God’s creation by becoming good stewards of Creation.
Welfare - Walk
We pay service to and reverence for the dignity of the individual as a child of God, enabling every student and adult to ‘have life to the full.’ This cultivates an attitude of respect for each other among the whole community.
Promoting a sense of responsibility within the school community (witness to their developing faith) promotes consideration for others within and beyond the community. A good service is afforded by all for the well-being of each member of that community to grow holistically by demonstrating a spirit of service, justice and charity based on the Beatitudes. The stewardship shown towards the local, national and international communities and that of creation supports parents in the demands of their vocation to bring up their children so that they can experience life to the full.
Worship – Pray
Worship opportunities for pupils throughout the school (prayer, reflection, liturgies) including small groups, year groups and the whole school – which are appropriate to their backgrounds and faith experiences develop opportunities for pupils to worship according to their intellectual and life experience needs and stages of faith development. Worshipping opportunities promote a strong community sense of service for each other and inclusive worship helps pupils to grow in confidence in prayer and develop a relationship with God.
Using the Word of God as a resource for nurturing the spirituality of the child e.g. mediation, imaginative prayer and reflection on the Word of God develops pupils’ understanding of belief and attitudes. Prayer enables pupils to learn reverence and respect and aids their development in ‘talking and listening to God’ and in nurturing their relationship with God.
The pupils’ faith development is deepened by appropriate prayer and worship opportunities.
Opportunities for the whole school to celebrate together with Priests from our parish demonstrate the glory and activity of God in their lives.
Through worship, all are led to reflect, mediate and pray in a way that nurtures the spirituality of the whole community. In worship the Word of God is celebrated and given reverence; collective worship is planned, which stimulates reflection on spiritual, moral, social and cultural issues. Pupils participate in para-liturgies in a meaningful manner, both in larger settings and also in the classroom. The purpose and value of collective worship is reinforced by consistent celebrations of the liturgical year which also recognises the faiths and beliefs of other people from minority groups within the school.