Our School Vision
At St Laurence-in-Thanet CE Junior Academy, our vision is rooted in the parable of The Lost Sheep. We are a supportive and inclusive community where every person is known, found and loved.

We believe that every child is uniquely gifted, valued and created with purpose. Through an inspiring and aspirational curriculum, we enable children to grow in knowledge, skills and character, becoming hopeful, joyful and resilient learners who flourish now and in the future.

With forgiveness, fresh starts and strong relationships, we foster a community where all are valued. Together, we notice one another, trust that we will be found when we feel lost, and celebrate every person as deeply loved.

Spiritual development is at the heart of our curriculum and school life. It helps children to notice the world around them, reflect on their own thoughts and feelings, ask big questions, appreciate beauty and wonder, and think about how they can respond to others, to God and to the wider world.

‘Spirituality is the deep human longing to experience the transcendent in our ordinary life; it’s the expectation to experience the extraordinary in the ordinary, the miraculous in the mundane, and the sacred camouflaged in the profane.’
Pittman McGhee taken from Dare to Lead by Brené Brown.


What is spirituality?
Spirituality helps children to notice the world around them, reflect on their own thoughts and feelings, ask big questions, appreciate beauty and wonder and think about how they can respond to others and the wider world. It is not taught as a separate subject, but is woven through daily school life, including collective worship, RE, PSHE, the wider curriculum, outdoor learning, creativity, relationships and play.

We nurture spirituality by giving children opportunities to develop:

A sense of awe and wonder

A sense of self and others

A sense of reflection and stillness

A sense of curiosity and big questions

A sense of joy, hope and resilience

Windows, Mirrors and Doors

To help children understand spirituality, we use the language of windows, mirrors and doors.

Doors help us think about what we do next. They encourage us to respond through kindness, courage, creativity, prayer, forgiveness, care for the world or action that helps others.

Mirrors help us look inside ourselves. They help us think about our feelings, thoughts, beliefs and actions.

Windows help us look out at the world. They help us notice things that make us say “wow”, things that make us wonder and things that make us ask questions.

How do we see spiritual development?

We see spirituality growing when children:

Try to make a difference in their school, community and wider world

Make positive choices

Show resilience when things are difficult

Express themselves through art, music, drama, writing and discussion

Take part in worship, prayer or quiet reflection

Care for others and the natural world

Show empathy and compassion

Reflect on their feelings and actions

Show awe and wonder

At St Laurence, spiritual development helps children to flourish as hopeful, joyful and resilient learners who know they are valued, loved and able to make a difference.

To find out more about how we nurture spirituality at St Laurence, please see our full spirituality document here: Spirituality statement

The reflections below capture the children’s own thoughts and responses, showing how they understand spirituality and what it means to them at St Laurence.