Monitoring Collective Worship

Guidance for Foundation Governors and Worship Coordinators

The monitoring of collective worship is more than a paper exercise; in fact, care must be taken that the physical recording does not assume greater importance than the process.

Best practice sees the monitoring of collective worship as part of a cycle. Planning, monitoring, evaluation and development are the responsibility of the worship coordinator, foundation governors and head teacher; as far as possible they should all be involved at every stage.

Those with responsibility for CW should be involved in;

· setting themes for the year

· observing acts of worship led by different people and recording own thoughts on appropriateness & quality

· developing a pupil led monitoring process

· facilitating pupil feedback

· regular evaluation of monitoring outcomes

· reporting on CW to the governing body

· implementing CW development points with regard to training and resources

· Annual review feeding into planning

The aim is to develop an effective monitoring and evaluation process which informs the development of collective worship through consultation on impact and quality. The system should not be overly time-consuming and should focus on the integrity of the content and the quality of the delivery. The views of the pupils are of prime importance and best practice puts them at the centre of as much of the process as possible.


How this might work in practice

Small steering group meets to plan outline themes for the year and a range of leaders.

· themes should reflect the Christian values of the school and also festivals in the church year

· themes running over several weeks or half a term allow pupils to reflect on different aspects and approaches and can also relieve the planning burden on teachers.

· best practice includes a wide range of worship leaders, including pupils

· appropriate support should be given to those leading worship, including resources and training

Group of pupils take on role of recording notes on daily act of worship

· usually part of a wider CW responsibility

· simple sheet to be completed after worship

Classes have age-appropriate opportunity to discuss CW half termly

· main points recorded in class and collated by CW group

· CW group review notes and discuss outcomes

Foundation governor, CW coordinator and head teacher each observe and review at least one act of worship every half term

· simple evaluation sheet to be completed

· variety of worship leaders to be observed

Foundation governor convenes and chairs termly feedback meeting with CW group

· views of all age groups given equal weight

· short report drawn up with comments and recommendations

Steering group meets to discuss all feedback

· report from CW group analysed

· CW evaluation sheets considered

· development points discussed and agreed

Foundation governor reports annually on CW to full governing body

· précis of steering group findings

· recommendations for improvement and development


Collective worship and the Section 48 inspection

Every three years, usually immediately after an Ofsted inspection, a Church of England school is inspected on its Christian distinctiveness. There are four distinct areas under scrutiny, one of which is collective worship.

· each area is given a grade, ranging from outstanding (1) to inadequate (4)

· the inspector will consider what is happening in worship and also how it is evaluated

· there is an expectation that the governor responsible for monitoring will be available for interview during the inspection

· pupil views will be sought

The grade awarded by the inspector will be in response to the key question ‘What is the impact of collective worship on the school community?’

with the emphasis on impact.

· this is about more than individual acts of worship; it refers to the role of collective worship in the wider life of the school

· the school community includes adults too

The best prepared schools will include collective worship in their regular discussions on school improvement. Governors, staff and pupils should be engaged in dialogue.

· what do we mean by worship and what is it for?

· how important is worship in the wider context of school life?

· what is the role of worship in the lives of different members of the community?

· how is impact gauged?

Inspectors are likely to consider the following points;

· how important is worship in the life of the school community and how is this demonstrated?

· how positive are learners’ attitudes to collective worship?

· to what extent do learners and staff of all faiths derive inspiration, spiritual growth and affirmation from collective worship?

· how well does collective worship develop learners’ understanding of Anglican faith and practice?


Managing the paperwork

It is essential that the school has an up to date collective worship policy.

· a model policy is attached

· the policy should have the yearly plan, including as much detail as is available, as an appendix

Careful thought should go into the description of collective worship in the school prospectus.

· there should be some sense of the role that worship plays in the ethos of the school

· parents must be made aware of their legal right to withdraw a child on religious grounds

The yearly themes should be determined well in advance to facilitate staff long term planning but other planning may be shorter term.

· weekly planning sheets will not necessarily contain all details for every act of worship

· sample planning sheets attached

Any governor attending an act of collective worship should be encouraged to complete an evaluation sheet.

· in addition to the regular monitoring undertaken by the steering group

· the focus of the evaluation should be clear

· sample evaluation sheet attached

Pupils responsible for monitoring collective worship should have access to the weekly planning sheet.

· they will fill in gaps where information was not available in advance

· there should be room for evaluative comment

Class feedback should focus on agreed questions or criteria.

· these may change throughout the year

· written notes are essential and may be taken by pupils or staff as appropriate