As Chaplain, it is my joy and delight to welcome all our students, staff and families to Abbey Grange. As a Church of England academy, we are excited to journey with you to explore what faith means for you and to encourage you to explore your spirituality, wherever you find yourself on the journey. We look to make our common life one where everyone is invited, all are included and you are inspired to find out more about what it means to relate toGod, the planet and one another.
I have been at Abbey Grange for over 30 years in a variety of roles but the role of Chaplain has been the most valued part of my time here. There are many different things a Chaplain can do but the most important is to be there to support and encourage you, whether you have faith of your own or not. I might talk and perhaps pray with you if you are facing a bereavement, help you to find the right support if you need help with your mental health or encourage you to find a place to connect if friendships are a bit tricky. There are lots of ways to connect so please do come and say hello.
In school we have a chaplaincy space which lots of students visit for drop in at break, where you can chat or play games and take time out of the school day. At lunchtime there are different clubs that meet so you can get to know others in your year group and take the time to explore your faith together.The room is sometimes turned into a chapel so you might visit with your form tutor for a service of Morning Prayer or it is used for mentoring by our LeedsFaith in Schools workers. It would be great to see you there and talk about what you would like to see happen in school. If you want to talk privately, I also have an office on the DT corridor so you can always knock on the door! I may even see you in the Science department where I still teach Chemistry so I am always around.
Abbey Grange is a wonderful school to be at but, as with everything in life, we have to get involved to get the most out of it. That is why we have Jesus’s words about ‘living life in all its fullness’ (John 10:10)at the start of our Christian vision, as we want all our students to experience this while here with us at Abbey Grange.