Throughout our school week, we have opportunities as a whole school, as key stages and as classes, to take part in Liturgical Prayer. During these times staff and children participate fully, reading Scripture, saying a variety of prayers and praising God through song. Like our Religious Education lessons, we use mindfulness and stillness to ensure that our minds and hearts are ready to hear God’s Word.

Our whole school Liturgical Prayer at the start of every week focuses on the Gospel read at Mass on Sunday. Led by the Headteacher and members of The Chaplaincy Team, we explore the meaning behind the Gospel, what we can learn from it and how we can apply Jesus’ message to our lives today.  We also investigate how the Gospel reading links to the principles of Catholic Social Teaching and the actions we can take to directly follow Jesus’ example.

Based on feedback from our children, drama, art and music are used to help build on children’s understanding of Scripture. We also explore where we are in the liturgical calendar and the significance of knowing this to help prepare ourselves for important times in the Church’s year.

Each week, our children in their respective key stages, focus on our termly value as part of their Liturgical Prayer- Values and Vision. Led by our staff, each key stage explores the meaning behind the chosen value, how it links to Scripture from the Old and New Testaments and its significance in the children’s choices and behaviour. 

Our child-led Liturgical Prayer takes place once a week and relies on the children’s involvement. The children are expected to prepare and plan either all or parts of this Liturgical Prayer, depending on their age. They often take elements of the weekly Sunday Gospel as the theme and expand on the teaching, looking at linked passages in Scripture, asking questions to prompt reflection and creating prayers that ask for help, give praise, say thank you or request God’s blessing. Our children understand the importance of being respectful and reverent at these times and so will also ensure the classroom and the prayer area are inductive to this.

Through the different forms of Liturgical Prayer, we aim to enrich the spiritual experiences of our children and staff, by providing times when they can meet God in prayer and develop their relationship with their faith.