"We at Oxford Spires Academy, were delighted to host a Prayer Space here. 

The academy is a non-faith based school, with a high percentage of Muslim students, the next group of students would fall between having no belief, Christian or another religion. As part of our 'Faith Awareness Week' invitations to all religious leaders in our local community, Oxford Youth Works in collaboration with Emmanuel Church offered to host a Prayer Space in our academy for a week.

This has been a most liberating experience for our whole school community. Many students visited the space during their breaks and lunchtimes and enjoyed thoroughly engaging activities to make them more aware of Christian prayer. During the actual lesson times, we arranged for half classes of students, from either RE or PSHE lessons to visit the space, this was particularly useful as some students are actually studying GCSE RE and Christianity.

We had all ages visiting the prayer space and this also proved very popular with all of our students whether they were Muslims, Christians or considered themselves to be of no faith. Students spoke very positively about the space and even the apparently negative feelings actually turned into something positive, in the awareness that it brought. For example, a year 7 student thought it was not a good experience because it made him think and cry about the death of his grandparent, however when this was talked through with him, by one of the fantastic volunteers he realised that it was ok to cry and reflect/miss his grandparent and that it actually helped him. We shared some real special moments with the students, for example one student learnt that it is ok if forgiveness takes a a bit of time!

Quite a few staff members visited the Prayer Space during the week, some as helpers and some just keen to find out more. I think many staff and students were gently surprised at what a positive initiative this was to have in our academy, and the need, for it clearly to be something we work to establish as a more permanent feature in the life and work of the academy. Indeed, to that end, the Principal of the academy would like us to look into how we can achieve a space like this , that would be available to all on a more regular basis-so watch this space for a Prayer Space at Oxford Spires academy!"

Daphne James
Assistant Principal.

Posted by Phil

Phil Togwell lives in a large community house in Romford (UK) with his family (three daughters - Megan, Poppy and Angel, and one wife - Emma) and various visitors and pilgrims... exploring and experimenting with rhythms of prayer, mission, hospitality, life together. Phil is learning to cook, slowly. He likes curries, mountains, lengthy late-night conversations and reading books. He dislikes cats. Phil leads 24-7 Prayer's UK team and the Prayer Spaces in Schools team.