By Margaret Cooling
Stapleford Project Books (ACT), 1995
390 pages. £11.95
ISBN 0 9516537 3
Having occasionally wondered whether the Book of Proverbs could be used as a source for collective worship in school, I was delighted to find that someone else had had the same idea and acted upon it.
As Margaret Cooling writes in her introduction: 'Many of the proverbs are universal in their application, which makes them very suitable for schools.' She has taken some of the proverbs associated with home life (giving advice for parents and children), and the village (giving advice for living in the wider community) and used them as a basis for 70 lively assemblies which enhance the spiritual and moral development of pupils and the opportunity for the 'broadly Christian worship' required by the 1988 Education Act.
Each assembly follows a set structure outlining the biblical material, the resources required, the introduction and core material and a prayer or reflection. They are easy to follow and to resource - with photo-copiable illustrations provided where applicable - and are suitable for use with children throughout the primary age range, both in school and at Sunday school.
Equally useful for teachers is the guidance given in the introduction to the book. This summarises the legal requirements for school worship in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and religious observance in Scottish schools and then briefly considers four key issues: the importance of atmosphere, the promotion of spiritual and moral development, respecting pupil integrity and the importance of planning. This guidance could be invaluable to all who are responsible for organising and leading collective worship in primary schools and should steady the nerves of those organising worship for children for the first time.
