Assemblies, Collective Worship and MSSC Days

Assemblies are a cornerstone of our school life, where students, teachers, and staff come together to celebrate achievements, share important messages, and reinforce our core values. On this website, you'll find a dedicated section that highlights the themes, topics, and impactful moments from our assemblies. We believe that these gatherings instill a sense of unity, purpose, and shared learning experiences among our students. Our website ensures that parents and families can stay connected with the school's assembly activities, allowing them to be part of these memorable moments in their child's education

COLLECTIVE WORSHIP & ASSEMBLIES 2023/2024:

Day	Classes Involved	Type of Assembly	Focus of assembly	Staff leading assembly	Staff support during assembly
Monday	R* – Y6	Whole school Assembly in the hall	Cultural capital Assembly	Headteacher	All staff
Tuesday	R* – Y6	Singing	EYFS & KS1 / KS2	Assistant Headteacher
Wednesday	R* – Y6	Whole School Assembly in the hall	OAll staff to follow whole school weekly themes (see below) Opportunity to share theme/focus/topic/learn about our school values etc. as a whole school	Headteacher/ Teaching Staff (Excluding Opal Lead and ECTs)	All Staff
Thursday	R* - Y6	Class Assembly British Values/Protected Characteristics/ Safeguarding/MSSC Held in individual classrooms	All staff to follow whole school weekly themes Opportunity to share theme/focus/topic/learn about our school values etc. at an age appropriate level across the school.	Class teachers	Classroom Staff
Friday	R* – Y6	Celebration Assembly in the hall	Celebrating: Star of the week award house points, OPAL Play Golden Welly award plus any other group or individual achievements from the previous week.	Class Headteacher (or Deputy Headteacher in his absence)	Classroom Staff
Friday	R* – Y6	Whole School Assembly in the hall	First Friday of every month OPAL assembly	OPAL Lead	All staff

*Reception to join assembly after the October half term

COLLECTIVE WORSHIP – As a maintained school, we are required under the School Standards & Framework Act 1998 to provide daily collective worship for registered pupils (apart from those withdrawn by parent's consent).

Legislative requirements:

a) Over a term, the majority of acts of collective worship must be of a ‘broadly Christian character’. This requirement relates to the character of collective worship rather than its content and there is no requirement that acts of collective worship should be narrowly or exclusively Christian.

At Cumwhinton, a broad Christian character is achieved in the majority of acts of collective worship by:

Making reference to God or Jesus when appropriate, always being sensitive to the school community
Encouraging a positive and responsible attitude to the environment
Encouraging a quest for personal honesty and integrity, truth and justice
Encouraging pupils to look beyond the immediate and material to consideration of life’s mysteries
Encouraging love and respect for self and other people
Encouraging service to others and the community
Celebrating major Christian festivals as they occur, (this does not preclude marking major festivals from other religious traditions as they occur)

b) acts of collective worship must be appropriate for the ages, aptitudes and family backgrounds of pupils at the school. At Cumwhinton, we make sure that acts of collective worship are educational, relevant and meaningful by ensuring that collective worship is as inclusive as possible by:

Recognising the diverse nature of commitment of people in the school
Recognising that there are many forms of religious commitment
Choosing songs and prayers to be used carefully so that they are appropriate to the school context
Regarding variety in religion, belief and culture as something to be acknowledged, explored and celebrated rather than avoided, feared and denied
Building festivals from a variety of religious and cultural traditions into the yearly programme

During our school assemblies, links will also be made to British values plus our core school values and vision wherever possible.

ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR CELEBRATION AND CURRICULUM ENRICHMENT:

MSSC Days (Moral Social Spiritual and Cultural days):

At Cumwhinton School we celebrate a MSSC Day once every half term, each one linked to one of our key curriculum drivers. The takes shape in the form of a whole school assembly on the theme and an afternoon of classroom activities linked to the MSSC Day theme. MSSC Days for the academic year 2023-2024 are as follows:

DATE	TITLE	THEME	LINK TO CURRICULUM DRIVER
04.10.2023	Celebrating Black History Month	A day to celebrate the outstanding contributions that Black people have made to British society, whether that be today or historically. It provides great opportunities to highlight key moments in Black British history. It is important to celebrate the contributions they have made to our society and support the multiculturalism and diversity that helps shape our communities. This year’s theme is: ‘Celebrating our Sisters, Saluting our Sisters, and Honouring Matriarchs of Movements’	HUMANITY ~ Having A Voice ~ Diversity, Fairness, Individuality
15.11.2023	Anti-Bullying Week	To engage in Anti-bullying activities e.g. Roleplay, stories, discussions, circle time, activities produced for Anti-bullying week 2023. This year’s theme is: ‘Make a noise about bullying’	HUMANITY ~ Having A Voice ~ Diversity, Fairness, Individuality
06.02.2023	Safer Internet Day	Safer Internet Day is an event organised by the UK Safer Internet Centre, which aims to promote safe, responsible and positive use of internet technology. For Safer Internet Day 2024, the theme is “Want to talk about it? Making space for conversations about life online”.	INNOVATION ~Seizing The Chance~ Truth, Change, Resilience
21.03.2023	Holi	~What is Holi and how is it celebrated? Holi celebrates the arrival of spring, the end of winter, the blossoming of love, and for many it's a festive day to meet others, play and laugh, forget and forgive, and repair broken relationships. Links to British values of Mutual Respect and Tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.	INNOVATION ~Seizing The Chance~ Truth, Change, Resilience
22.05.2023	World Day for Cultural Diversity Also known as ‘Diversity Day’	The celebration of World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development highlighting not only the richness of the world’s cultures, but also the essential role of intercultural dialogue for achieving peace and sustainable development. Focusing on engaging in continuous dialogue to ensure that all members of society benefit from sustainable development. Celebrated on 21^st May every year.	THE WORLD ~Being The Change~ Responsibility, Equality, Sustainability
05.06.2023	World Environment Day	World Environment Day is the United Nations day for encouraging worldwide awareness and action to protect our environment.	THE WORLD ~Being The Change~ Responsibility, Equality, Sustainability