At Cowbit St Mary’s, we say we are “Growing together in learning, love and faith.”

Spirituality helps us to do this every day.  Spirituality helps us remember that God is beside us every day, guiding us, supporting us and helping us become the very best that we can be.  Spirituality helps us understand who we are, how we feel and how we belong in God’s world.

At Cowbit St Mary’s Church of England Academy, Spirituality means:

• Learning about ourselves (Loving Learning)
  This helps us grow, just like the little mustard seed in our school vision.
• Feeling connected to others (Loving each other)
  We belong to God’s family, and we care for each other in our school community.
• Seeing the awe and wonder in life (Loving life itself)
  We notice the amazing world God has made and enjoy all the opportunities and possibilities we are given.

So when we talk about spirituality in our school, we mean:

✨ Loving learning
✨ Loving each other
✨ Loving life itself

These help every child at Cowbit St Mary’s to flourish, spread their wings, and grow into something wonderful—just like the mustard seed in our vision.

Spiritual development is an important element of a child's education and underpins all other areas of learning.

Opportunities for spiritual development are woven throughout the curriculum and all aspects of school life. Through our enquiry-based curriculum, children are encouraged to question, reflect, explore and respond to the world around them. They are given opportunities to consider their own beliefs, values and feelings, while developing understanding and respect for those of others. By learning and working together, children build relationships, deepen their understanding of themselves and others, and develop a sense of belonging within God's family and the wider world.

At Cowbit St Mary's, we believe that spirituality helps us grow and flourish, just like the mustard seed in our school vision. Spiritual development enables children to learn more about themselves, feel connected to others, and recognise the awe and wonder of God's world. It encourages them to develop a sense of purpose, appreciate life's gifts and embrace the opportunities and possibilities they are given.

ROOTS: Our Approach to Spirituality

At Cowbit St Mary's, we nurture spiritual development through our ROOTS approach. We believe that, just as strong roots help a tree grow and flourish, our ROOTS help children develop spiritually and become the very best version of themselves.

ROOTS stands for:

R - Reflect
Learning about ourselves, our feelings, beliefs and questions.

O - Others
Building relationships, showing kindness and developing a sense of belonging within our school and wider community.

O - Open Our Eyes
Recognising God's presence in our lives, noticing the needs of others and appreciating the world around us.

T - Thankfulness
Appreciating life, God's gifts and the everyday blessings we receive.

S - Seek Wonder
Exploring awe, mystery, beauty and life's big questions.

Through ROOTS, children are encouraged to pause, reflect and notice the extraordinary in the ordinary. They learn to value themselves and others, develop curiosity about the world, and grow in faith, love and understanding. We regularly ask, "Which ROOTS have we used today?" to help children recognise and celebrate their own spiritual growth.

​Further information about our approach can be found in our Spirituality Policy.