Central to Our Mission
At S Mary’s Catholic Primary School, prayer and liturgy are central to school life and to our mission of Learning and Loving, Caring and Sharing Through the Message of Christ. Prayer and liturgy provide opportunities for our whole community to encounter Christ, deepen their relationship with God and live out the Gospel in daily life.
In accordance with the Prayer and Liturgy Directory for Catholic Schools in England and Wales, prayer and liturgy are carefully planned and form the heartbeat of our Catholic community. Through Scripture, reflection, silence, music, symbol and prayer, pupils are invited to listen to God’s Word and respond through faith-filled action.
Inspirational, Invitational and Inclusive
Our prayer and liturgy are designed to be:
- Inspirational – drawing pupils into an encounter with Christ and His Gospel.
- Invitational – offering opportunities for participation while respecting each individual’s faith journey.
- Inclusive – enabling every member of our community to take part with confidence and dignity.
Through these experiences, children develop spiritually, grow in faith and learn to recognise God’s presence in their lives and in the world around them.
Encountering Christ Through the Word
Through prayer and liturgy, pupils are offered opportunities to:
- Hear and reflect upon Sacred Scripture.
- Engage with the Church’s liturgical seasons and feasts.
- Experience silence, music, prayer, symbol and ritual.
- Participate in and lead prayer appropriate to their age and stage of development.
- Develop the confidence to respond to God’s call through words and actions.
- Recognise the connection between prayer, daily life and service to others
Celebration of the Word
A key part of our prayer life is the regular celebraion of Celebration of the Word.
Following the pattern of Gather, Listen, Respond and Mission, pupils are increasingly supported to plan, prepare, lead and evaluate these celebrations. Through this progressive approach, children develop the knowledge, skills and confidence to lead prayer and liturgy independently and meaningfully.
Examples of our pupil-led Celebrations of the Word include:
- Liturgical season celerations during Advent, Lent and Easter.
- Franciscan Virtue celebrations linked to our annual prayer focus.
- Eco Council celebrations focusing on our responsibility to care for creation.
- School Council celebrations exploring themes such as hope, leadership and community.
- Messengers of Christ celebrations encouraging Gospel action.
- Class and phase celebrations responding to significant events in the life of the Church, school and wider world.
Each celebration encourages pupils to reflect on Scripture and consider how they are called to live as disciples of Jesus within their families, school and community.
Formation for Life
Prayer and liturgy at St Mary’s help our pupils to:
- Grow in their relationship with God.
- Develop habits of prayer and reflection.
- Reflect on the beauty, joy and challenges of the world.
- Deepen their understanding of Catholic Social Teaching.
- Recognise their responsibilities towards others.
- Respond to the Gospel through acts of love, service and justice.
- Develop as confident leaders of prayer and liturg
Community and Partnership
Prayer and liturgy unite our school, parish and families in faith.
We value the strong partnership between home, school and parish and warmly welcome families to join us for liturgies, Masses and celebrations throughout the year.
“Collective Worship is central to the life of the school and staff are highly skilled in helping pupils to plan and lead Collective Worship. The school endeavours to include parents and carers in many aspects of school life and every effort is taken to promote parental attendance at the wide variety of liturgies and celebrations on offer.”
Section 50 Inspection
As we continue to develop our prayer and liturgy provision, pupils increasingly take ownership of planning, leading and evaluating prayer experiences across the school.
The Liturgical Year at St Mary’s
Throughout the year pupils participate in a rich variety of prayer and liturgical experiences, including:
Pupil-led liturgies linked to school leadership groups and Catholic Social Teaching themes
Daily prayer in classrooms and throughout the school day
Weekly Celebration of the Word
Whole-school and class Masses
Reconciliation services
Adoration and reflective prayer experiences
The Rosary
Advent and Christmas liturgies
Ash Wednesday liturgy
Stations of the Cross
Marian devotions in May and October
Feast days and Holy Days of Obligation
