Spiritual development at Hugo Meynell
 

At Hugo Meynell, we recognise that, there is no universal definition of ‘spirituality’, because it is a very personal experience. It differs from person to person, and often spirituality changes within people during their lifetime.

Luke 2:52 states that Jesus, the example and inspiration for Christians, ‘grew in wisdom and in stature and in favour with God and all the people’, as he developed as a young man. This verse suggests he developed the academic wisdom of his mind, his physical body and also as a social and spiritual being. At Hugo Meynell we strive to develop the body, mind and spirit of our school community, to enable them to become fully rounded individuals. Within spirituality lies the heart of all religious expression and belief.

Developing opportunities for spiritual development at school:

WINDOWS: giving children opportunities to become aware of the world in new ways; to wonder about life’s ‘Wow's’ (things that are amazing) and ‘Ohs’ (when things are not going well). In this, children are learning about life in all its fullness.

MIRRORS: giving children opportunities to reflect on their experiences; to meditate on life’s big questions and to consider some possible answers. In this they are learning from life by exploring their own insights and perspectives and those of others.

DOORS: giving children opportunities to respond to all of this; to do something creative as a means of expressing, applying and further developing their thoughts and convictions. In this they are learning to live by putting into action what they are coming to believe and value

We provide WINDOWS throughout our curriculum. We will be having specific lessons with an awe and wonder focus with a variety of stimuli, including photos, videos, music current events and real life stories.

MIRRORS: Through high-quality RE lessons, children are consistently challenged to reflect on their learning about religion to help them learn from religion, regardless of whether they have a specific faith.

Children at our school often identify DOORS for themselves. They may hear of a local issue or an international event and request to take action, through fund raising and raising awareness such as the work for local horse sanctuaries,, Ukraine and local food bank.