A pop-up Prayer Space was recently created at St Michael's Primary School in Winterbourne by members of St Michael's Church. Jo Strange, Pastoral Family Liaison Minister at the church, looks back on how pupils and staff engaged with it:
"This was the first Prayer Space run in St Michael's Primary School. It was designed, created and resourced by St Michael's Church in liaison with the school staff. All students in Reception to Year 5 had the opportunity to visit the space during the two days.
"The variety of prayer activities in the Prayer Space were designed to encourage students to pause, take time to think, reflect and pray for key concepts and to enjoy the quiet, calm space. Topics such as saying sorry, letting go of hurts, thinking of places in the world where the children would like to pray for peace, and the 'Big Questions' they would like to ask God were a few of the activities included in the space.
"All the children had the freedom to visit all the prayer stations in their own time, and in whatever order they chose. Adults were available to support, particularly the younger children, if the children felt they needed some guidance, but the children were encouraged to own and use the calm space as their own."
For more information on Prayer Spaces, including how they can connect with the National Curriculum, SMSC, Citizenship and RE, visit the Prayer Spaces in Schools website.
You can find out more about setting up a prayer space in school with our 'How to...' guide.