As I reclined on the sofa on Sunday evening watching the television, I saw a trailer for a programme that genuinely got me enthused.

It was not one of the autumn meaty dramas that caught my eye, nor the wonder of ‘Strictly’, but rather it was an advert for the new series of Sir David Attenborough’s Blue Planet.

The programme is a sensational one in every way. Not just well crafted but also one that really immerses you and makes you feel alive - even as the camera went under water I found myself unconsciously holding my breath.

At this time of the year in many schools, there is a focus on the wonder of the world. It is good for children to wonder and there is no better way than to ponder on the majesty, magnificence, grandeur and complexity of the world in which we live.

Spending a little time looking at some of the amazing sights there are to be seen broadens the mind and encourages deeper research and understanding.

In the national curriculum, there is little time given to wonder and awe and yet it is in allowing the mind to explore and delve that the brain can make sense of what it sees and can be truly innovative and creative.

How far would any of our great inventors and thinkers have got without time to reflect and wonder? And yet when children are lost in thought adults so often tell them to stop day-dreaming!

In our church schools, children are actively encouraged to ponder and reflect. The assembly times are times of worship that challenge children to think differently and consider how they respond to the concrete and the abstract.

They often share words found in the book of Psalms in the Bible where the psalmist asks questions of God or ponders on the wonder of creation and consider how his makes the children feel.

Undoubtedly, when the new series of Blue Planet hits the screens many of the images will be used by schools to challenge the thinking of children as part of worship or RE and, as you watch, I would encourage you to let your minds wonder too and consider the place of God in this amazing world.

Stephen Whittaker

Director of Education

Blackburn Diocesan Board of Education