The trailblazing work of Diocese of Truro education team has caught the eye of other schools now keen to replicate it for their children.

Children looking at a TV screen on the wall.Starting during covid, the education team began bringing schools together online to worship at key times of the year. This has grown and now sees around 4,000 children coming together to worship.

The online sessions which are led by bishops and archdeacons in the diocese include opportunities for young people to lead prayer, readings and sing.

This approach has attracted the attention of Luke Kowalski, a lead teacher with St Barnabas Multi Academy Trust (MAT), who now wants to model this initiative across all 14 schools in the trust.

Luke has a key role in his MAT as the Flourishing Schools Programme lead. This role involves overseeing the distinctively Christian aspects of the trust’s work including collective worship.

“We are thrilled leaders at St Barnabas have taken this approach to worship within their family of schools.” – Lee Moscato, Truro Diocesan Director of Education.

Luke said: “Our online Trust Collective Worships have developed out of the work that the diocese does to connect OUT with all of our St Barnabas MAT schools. We see worship across all of our fourteen schools as an opportunity to collectively look UP and connect with God, while also having moments of reflection to look IN on ourselves.

“Our Trust worships allow us to set the scene of the Christian value for the half term in each and every one of our schools with many of our children being involved. It is a joyous occasion where 2,000 pupils & staff share a moment of worship and connection.”

Lee Moscato, Truro Diocesan Director of Education, said: “One of the commitments of the work of the Diocesan Board of Education is all about Joining the DoTS (Diocese of Truro Schools) and we are thrilled leaders at St Barnabas have taken this approach to worship within their family of schools.”