Our History
Regular Christian input into Woking schools started as part of Festival ’94, a mission to the town led by J. John, and our guiding foundations were laid by Churches Together in Woking in 1995. At this time, we were known as Woking School Christian Action Trust (SCAt) and delivery of Christian assemblies was our main activity.
By 2014, our work had evolved and our name needed to better reflect our wider role and our core purpose of taking the Christian message into schools. And so, Engage Woking Schools was born, changing at that time from an Unincorporated Trust to a Charitable Incorporated Organisation.
We are passionate about the services we deliver to our schools locally, which are provided at no cost to the schools, students and staff. As such, we rely on the generous financial support from churches, individuals and organisations; as well as the many volunteers who give their time and talents so freely and willingly on a regular basis. Prayer underpins everything that we do, and we are immensely grateful to all of our supporters who continue to hold our work in their prayers.
Engage is also a long-term mission partner of Scripture Union, who provide us with help and guidance.
Our Work
Over the years, our work has developed considerably, and we are now active in over 30 Primary Schools, alongside several Secondary Schools locally and Woking College. In addition to delivering Primary School assemblies, our work includes the running of lunchtime and after-school clubs, storytelling, small group work focusing on well-being and mental health, delivering RE lessons, organising Christian Unions which support school staff in a pastoral capacity and mentoring.
We actively manage and coordinate all the activities delivered by our team of talented volunteers and church Youth Workers, with growing links to local churches’ Children’s and Families’ Workers.
Our contribution to school life is positively and widely welcomed. It is our hope that we can continue to build on this strong foundation of respect gained over the years across the Woking educational community.
OUR ACTIVITIES INCLUDE:
Performing dramatised school assemblies for Primary Schools.
Initiating group work with Primary School children, supporting areas like anger management, self-esteem and active listening.
Working with our local churches to help build connections with local schools.
Organising Christian Unions at Secondary Schools and College.
Arranging Guest Speaker events, with subject matters appropriate and relevant to school age and wider audience.
Mentoring and wellbeing support, including early intervention.
Offering pastoral support, through active listening to staff.
Coordinating Transition Lessons once a year for Year 6 going up to Year 7.
Working with local churches and supporting them in the delivery of after school clubs.
Supporting local churches with building relationships with their local schools.
Preparing and delivering RE lessons.
Creating Prayer Spaces at schools in partnership with local churches.
Our Aims
To explore fresh ways to convey the Christian message by word and by action in a way that is relevant to our varied audience in the school community and school programmes.
To enable every member of the school community to encounter the Christian message, communicated appropriately by situation and context.
To engage every member of the school community in exploring the Christian message so that they can investigate it, interact with it and see how others deal with it, whatever their level of faith.
To encourage and support staff and students in their lives within their school community.
To energise local Churches by partnering with them to develop their own sustainable links with schools.
To work within existing school activities and the curriculum, remaining respectful of the aims and values of each school community to ensure that the Christian message is taught accurately and imaginatively.
To be pioneers and a leading example of schools work (as an associate trust of Scripture Union) in the wider SU network and beyond.