Christian Ethos Group

The Christian Ethos group is an example of one of the many vocal points the school provides for students from all year groups to come together, share their beliefs and support one another. The group allows students to share their opinions and promote the values that they believe best align with the school’s own core values of dignity, respect and kindness.  

The group holds a meeting at least once a term, in which students of all faiths and none are invited to engage in discussions about faith, and their opinions on relevant topics. I have personally been attending these meetings for almost 5 years now and have found that they are a great way to connect with other like-minded students and help each other navigate student life.   

Topics discussed in meetings allow teachers and students to work together to make the schools ethos and culture inclusive by making adaptations as a result of students using their voices to express their needs. 

For example, a recent topic that the group has focused on is ‘spiritual nourishment’. Conversations around this topic allow students to ask questions such as “What is spiritual nourishment?”, and “Can a teenager experience spiritual nourishment?” Questions like these invite students from all backgrounds to share their beliefs on these matters. 

With Easter having just passed, the Ethos group along with the Christian art group worked on installing art pieces around the school site to represent the stations of the cross. After discussion in Christian ethos group, the idea was put forward as a way for some students to possibly engage with the installations as Easter progressed. Events such as this are a great example of how the group acts on its discussions, as previous conversations about spiritual nourishment were explored during this project. It therefore gave students the opportunity to potentially connect with the art pieces.  

Examples such as this shows how continuous growth of the ethos in this school is what makes it so unique.