Spirituality and the Whole Curriculum

The new OFSTED handbook states that judgements in respect of spiritual development should be based on the extent to which the school "provides its pupils with knowledge and insight into values and beliefs and enables them to reflect on their experiences in a way which develops their spiritual awareness and self-knowledge." Pupils will also have opportunities "to gain understanding through reflection on their own and other people's lives and beliefs, and their environment." Spiritual development is not the sole preserve of RE: "It relies on teachers receiving and valuing pupils' ideas across the whole curriculum... religious education and spiritual development are not synonymous."

A spiritual quality may be found in the sense of curiosity and wonderment that drives scientific enquiry; the balance and intricacy of mathematical patterns and the concept of infinity; the harmonious union of mind and body achieved through PE; and the timeless beauty of works of art: painting, music, poetry and literature.

A spiritual dimension may be discovered in human relationships: in our relationships with each other, and our relationships with the natural world. Spirituality may be perceived in anything that suggests there is something more to life than mere outward appearances would indicate: something more than the ordinary, the mundane, the day-to-day, the commonplace. In other words, spirituality may be discerned in anything that suggests the possibility of transcendence.