This one-day course equips school leaders and collective worship leads with the knowledge, tools, and confidence to plan and lead meaningful collective worship in Church schools. Through practical workshops and expert guidance, participants will explore inclusive planning, pupil leadership, creative approaches, and effective evaluation. Ideal for those seeking to strengthen the spiritual life of their school community.
This one-day training is designed for school leaders and collective worship leads who want to develop confident, creative, and inclusive approaches to collective worship in Church schools.
Aims
- Deepen understanding of the purpose and legal framework of collective worship
- Build confidence in planning and delivering engaging worship
- Explore ways to involve pupils meaningfully in worship leadership
Topics Covered
- The “Gather, Engage, Respond, Send” model
- Planning around school values and the liturgical year
- Creative approaches using music, storytelling, and visual resources
- Monitoring and evaluating worship
Format
The course includes expert input, hands-on workshops, group discussion, and resource sharing.
Outcomes
Participants will leave with practical tools, planning templates, and renewed confidence to lead collective worship that is inclusive, inspiring, and spiritually enriching.
Feedback from the previous course includes:
“A really informative day. I really valued the opportunity to reflect on the practice of my school, where we can improve and make changes or extend what we do. It was really valuable to be able to look at things like policies and resources in more detail. Thank you for a great day!”
“The session was very informative and I learnt lots about Collective Worship that I didn’t know. Especially the statutory information! Was also useful to collaborate with other schools and share good practice. Also, great signposting to resources.”
Location: Diocesan Office
Duration: 9.30am - 3pm
Suitable for: Headteachers & School Leaders, CW Leads, Primary Schools, Secondary Schools
Facilitator: Laura O'Boyle
Dates:
21 May 2026, 9.30am - 3pm
Course facilitator
I am very happy to have joined the Education Team as a Schools Advisor for Christian Distinctiveness. My role will predominantly focus on advising schools on their Collective Worship, Christian Vision and Ethos, as well as Social Justice and Spirituality.
Before joining the Education Team, I worked in schools for over 20 years across the Diocese of Chelmsford, in both mainstream and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) settings. My academic background is theological, having studied Christian Theology at university.
I later pursued postgraduate studies in Chaplaincy, which deepened my understanding of spirituality and pastoral support within education settings. My experience includes leading the Christian Ethos of schools, line managing Chaplaincy, and overseeing areas such as Relationship, Sex and Health Education (RSHE), Personal, Social, Citizenship and Health Education (PSCHE), Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development (SMSC), and Religious Education (RE).
I am passionate about placing Spirituality at the heart of school life, and I look forward to supporting schools in creating inclusive, vision-driven environments where every child feels seen, valued, and supported.
Outside of work, I enjoy reading, walking my dog, spending time with my family and visiting places of cultural and historical interest.
Cost
Partnership Agreement Subscribing Schools – Free of charge
Non-subscribing schools - For 2025-26, schools who do not subscribe to our Partnership Agreement can pay to attend in person courses. Payment is required at the time of booking on Eventbrite. If you are no longer able to attend, a refund can be requested up to 7 days before the course. Your payment, less Eventbrite fees, will be refunded to your original payment method.
Please be adviced that lunch is not included as part of the event. However, there are plenty of options close by for you to grab a meal or snack during the break.
Dates
21 May 2026, 9.30am - 3pm
23 June 2026