Children participate in collective worship every day. This may be part of a whole school assembly, an assembly in their own key stage or through class worship. These assemblies relate to the liturgical year, class RE topics and can be linked to the Wednesday Word, a publication which each family takes home every week. Pupils also love organising their own class worship.
We work very closely with Our Lady of Walsingham Parish. Children attend mass at the church numerous times throughout the school year, as well as hosting mass at school. Parents are always warmly invited to attend as well as local parishioners. As well as a mass at the start of each term, a second mass each term reflects the church liturgical year, including All Saints, Ash Wednesday and Ss. Peter and Paul.
Additional whole school celebrations or liturgies include assemblies relating to Harvest, Advent and Mothering Sunday as well as a very reflective Holy Week.
During the Harvest Festival, we celebrate with mass, donate food to local food banks and invite the elderly community into school for the children to perform to. The children present a display all about the harvest and then serve them tea and cakes.
At different points during the year, pupils are able to visit Westminster Cathedral for special services with other schools across the diocese.
Each year group has additional prayers to learn throughout the year, beginning with the Our Father in Reception. As children grow older, they also learn the Hail Mary and a number of other important prayers.
Throughout all of the RE topics, there are also a number of opportunities for the children to write and say their own prayers.
The Prayer Garden, which is positioned outside, next door to the dining room, is a wonderful place for the children to go to at lunchtime if they need to spend some time in prayer. Classes also make use of this space as part of their RE learning or class worship.
Our morning prayer
O my God, you love me.
You're with me night and day.
I want to love you always,
in all I do and say.
I'll try to please you Father.
Bless me through the day.
Amen
Our lunchtime prayer
Bless us O God
as we sit together.
Bless the food we eat today.
Bless the hands that made the food.
Bless us O God.
Amen
Our end of day prayer
God our Father, I come to say,
thank you for your love today.
Thank you for my family
and all the friends you give to me.
Guard me in the dark of night
and in the morning send your light.
Amen
