At St Bartholomew’s we recognise that developing the spirituality of our pupils and adults is a fundamental aspect of enabling pupils and adults to flourish. Our school’s distinctively Christian vision is theologically-rooted in the Parable of the Lost Sheep (Matthew 18:10-14 and Luke 15:1-7), where everyone is precious and every member of our school community will go to great lengths to ensure every child is loved and cared for as part of our school family; never giving up on individuals regardless of how they look or act, just as God has compassion for every person.  Our vision is at the forefront of all decision-making for every strategy, policy and rationale. Spiritual development for pupils and adults is well planned and of high quality so that the whole school community is engaged on a journey of discovery.  

Spiritual development differs from person to person and is a very personal experience. For this reason, it is difficult to put into words. Spirituality is not the same as having a religion or faith; a person can be spiritual without having a particular faith. For Christians in church, spirituality is about developing a deeper understanding of and connection with God. It is about God’s way of being with us and our way of being with God. Through this we are able to respond to the loving nature of God as revealed through the Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. A school is not a church, but it is a collection of people who come from a variety of backgrounds for the purpose of education. Family backgrounds may be very different and spiritual development must take account of the varied circumstances of staff and pupils.

Therefore, in light of this and in light of our school’s distinctively Christian vision, at St Bartholomew’s we define spirituality as something we feel in ourselves and not something we can see.  It embraces awe and wonder and an enquiring mind, inspiring us to care for nature and all living things and being aware of both ourselves and others, and something bigger outside of ourselves.  Spiritual development enables all of us to grow in mind, body and spirit to live life in all its fullness, learning from ‘marvellous mistakes’ and enjoying and embracing special ‘light bulb’ moments.

Throughout the St Bartholomew’s community, we provide a caring and inclusive learning environment where all children and adults are happy, feel safe and know that they are valued; nurturing hope and aspirations to flourish and develop their God-given potential