Our Christian identity, as expressed in the 10:10 ethic, is at the heart of all we do as a school community. In addition, the chaplaincy at Twyford operates to make faith a living reality across the breadth of school interests, providing opportunities for students to enjoy and celebrate God’s presence, work, and creativity.
School assemblies use music, images, liturgy, and engaging examples to create a reflective space for students to explore their own beliefs, interests, and aspirations. Daily tutor time meditations similarly provide opportunity for students to reflect before they begin the busy school day.
In addition the Twyford Trust has a Gospel choir, Chamber Choir and Communion Bands for each year group which participate in school worship, Communions and Assemblies.
Students participate in a year group service of Holy Communion each term, allowing for an extended time of celebration and reflection as a student body. Music within assemblies and Communion services is provided by student bands and the school choirs and there is a close relationship between the chaplaincy and music departments, ensuring that sung worship is invitational, inclusive, and inspiring.
The chaplaincy wider learning offer provides a space for students to explore the Christian faith more actively, with an additional Twyford Trust Christian Union weekend away for more in-depth Bible study and worship for those who desire it.
There are many opportunities for students to lead and support worship in school, with each House taking turns to provide representatives to lead readings, responses and prayers in assemblies, and to lead reflections during year group services. The chaplaincy encourages an enriching, harmonious relationship between students of different faith within the school.
The Chaplaincy also provides for students' pastoral needs, with the option for students to meet with the Trust Chaplain and by providing a quiet space for private prayer in the chapel.
The Twyford Academies Trust has a full time Anglican Chaplain, The Revd David Brammer.
Collective Worship at Twyford
Collective Worship at Twyford is at the heart of our community. We gather daily in either assemblies or tutor groups and re-collect ourselves before God each day. Our worship is invitational, engaging students by making them think about the richness and opportunities in the relationships around them, as well as in our globalised world in all its dimensions: physical, social, intellectual and spiritual. These times of reflection offer the opportunity to see the world as one which has been lovingly and purposefully made and to reflect on our capacity to be agents for good.
Collecting students together is key to forming our school community. Our worship is inclusive, drawing on the whole school community. We believe that all students have spiritual gifts to contribute and every student’s participation is expected: students enter to music played by their peers; the opening and closing parts of the assembly are led by fellow students, emphasising that they are collected together as one body to be still, listen and reflect. Recollection and silence are central signatures in our worship. These help students to become self-aware and calm and support their learning. Most of all we cultivate a communal way of being which is about being open-minded and fully engaged, with a focus on doing and being good. Our acts of worship help us understand and acknowledge our human weaknesses and be open to improvement.
With this attitude of respect for difference, students at Twyford are offered the opportunity to think about some of the great stories that are part of a common Western Heritage. Stories like the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son, the life of Abraham and the Promise of the Rainbow have meanings of universal importance. Our programme is firmly rooted in the Christian tradition and students coming to the school have this as a foundation of learning which enables them to relate more actively to the stories and traditions of other faiths. The expertise we bring as a Church of England school provides a clear moral framework and simple liturgies, drawn from Christian tradition, which keep our community firmly rooted in Christianity whilst honouring each individual’s tradition and conviction.
Our Collective Worship provides an opportunity for students to engage intelligently with the wider world. Our worship draws on examples of inspirational people from a range of faiths and from around the world, encouraging students to see the link between religious texts and teachings and the world in which we live. Our worship aims to be inspirational, encouraging students to have high aspirations, to be aware of the opportunities and challenges in the wider world, and to be bold and courageous in actively responding to these.
