To mark our 10 year anniversary here are 10 steps on how you can facilitate a successful multi faith prayer space for all in your school:

*We hope the doors of places of worship open once again. Albeit, how we congregate will inevitably change - please note due to the pandemic we must review these to ensure safety*

1. Find a suitable location – Spacious sizable quiet room, walls free from imagery. Essentially a room near toilet facilities so students can perform ablution and prepare for prayer.

2. Storage cabinet, pegs and shoe rack shelf – Storage is essential for storing; prayer mats (donated by students), books of all faiths, religious idols, prayer beads, headscarves and hats of faith. An empty shelf is needed to place shoes on entry and pegs for school bags/ coats.

3. Issue Prayer Room Passes for attendees – should your school follow a one way system, an access pass is necessary for students to enter via the quickest route to save time. Charge £1 donation (set up with finance department) stating clear instructions on the back with regards to location, time and etiquette- so staff on duty are aware and well informed of the operating times of the prayer room and students know what is expected of them.

4. Find the direction of prayer – Arrow to indicate; Muslims face the Holy Ka’bah in Mecca and Jewish students face East towards Jerusalem.

5. Keep a register of attendance on excel – This will help with SMSC reporting and generate a list for certificates.

6. Nominate a Head Brother and Head Sister /deputies to reinforce rules and procedures in line with the prayer room decorum. Print out role cards and assign roles on entry for; registration, time keeper, volume control, equipment monitor, discussion leader, shoes & bags monitor.

7. Put up an interfaith calendar and local prayer times for Muslim students.

8. Activity calendar – Provide educational worksheets/ activities around festivals, moral values and current affairs for those who wish to participate - card making, puzzles, poems, share a quote, discussion table, design a prayer mat competition, decorate an Easter egg or students can have quiet time to reflect/ complete their homework.

9. Give a certificate of attendance to acknowledge your members’ contribution to the Multi Faith Prayer Room and certificate of appreciation to the team of volunteers.

10. Should you require any resources mentioned above I will happily provide templates for; prayer passes, excel register, activities of all faiths, worksheets, signage, posters, role cards, head brother/sister application forms and certificates