The article is concerned with values education in schools in the light of the requirement for schools to provide for the spiritual, moral, cultural and social development of children and in the light of wider discussions regarding 'spirituality' in (post) modern society. The authors focus on Living Values, a programme developed as a way of introducing values based education to schools as well as to the wider community. They examine both the contents of the programme and the way it reaches schools and is utilized. The authors report on their recent field research carried out in schools and evaluate textual sources. Emerging issues and perspectives, among them the provenance and sponsorship of the programme, are raised.