Collective Worship & Prayer
‘The celebration of Catholic liturgies and prayers as an integral part of the learning and teaching should enable our school community to become reflective, experience the presence of God and should develop a mature spiritual life.’
Collective Worship in a Catholic school acknowledges and celebrates the life-giving presence of the Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) in our lives. It is how we, as a community of faith, come together to give glory, honour, praise and thanks to God. It is through acts of shared Worship, prayer and liturgy, that the Catholic identity of our schools are shaped and sustained.
At SS Peter and Paul, Jesus Christ remains central to every aspect of school life. We aim to be a living, loving and sacramental community which is inspired by the life of Christ and the teachings of the Church, rooted in Gospel values. We hope that from the minute you enter our school you clearly see and feel that we are a Catholic community.
Acts of worship may take place at any time during the day. It may take the form of a single act of worship with the whole school community or separate acts of worship in school/class groups. In our school there is no confusion between Collective Worship and Assemblies. When we gather for Collective Worship we focus on the Word of God, we use symbols and rituals and we are open to God’s presence among us.
Collective Worship in our school is an integral part of our ethos, aims and relationships, as Christian values permeate all aspects of school life and all relationships. It is a way of deepening our relationship with God together and individually. Through the many forms this worship takes we grow in spiritual, moral and liturgical understanding. We allow ourselves to grow in understanding of our living faith tradition and then develop a sense of wonder and inspiration in the person of Christ. It is through Collective Worship that we share each other’s faith experiences and learn the skills of prayer and reflection. This is a very important aspect of life at SS Peter & Paul.
We aim to:
- To develop an awareness and understanding of the presence of God in each individual child’s life and to encourage a personal response to that presence
- To allow each child to develop their conscience and make sound moral judgements based on commitment to following Christ
- To offer opportunities to deepen their faith and foster attitudes of care and respect for each other
- To live, experience and understand the Liturgical life of the Church through the Liturgical Year together with Solemnities and Feast days
- To promote sacramental life of Christian families and to encourage parents to take an active part in the preparation of their children for the sacraments of Reconciliation, Holy Communion and Confirmation
- To foster school-parish links to ensure that our children remain exposed and committed to the Catholic faith experiencing liturgy and worship beyond and realms of the school curriculum
- To enable each child to participate and respond to liturgy and worship in an appropriate way to their age and maturity
Collective Worship in our School
The RE Coordinator and Head Teacher work collaboratively to ensure a cohesive response to the development of child and staff spirituality.
Collective worship takes place in school daily, staff and pupils are encouraged to pray with thoughtfulness and with respect through a variety of prayer experiences - whole school Masses and liturgies, assemblies and prayer services together with formal classroom and individual reflective prayer. This worship will follow the liturgical year and include appropriate feast days, it will also encompass Gospel Virtues, British values, world events and world faiths to enable pupils to appreciate their place in society and respect those around them. Nursery experiences classroom prayer and assemblies and when ready to do so, the whole School Mass.
Timetable for Collective Worship
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Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
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EYFS Phase |
Little Liturgies |
Class Collective Worship |
Class Collective Worship |
Class Collective Worship |
9.05 – 9.20am Whole School Celebration Assembly |
|
KS1 Phase |
9.05 – 9.20am Whole School collective worship Led by Headteacher (AHT/RE Leader in their absence) |
Class Collective Worship |
9.05 – 9.30am
Whole School class liturgy/ Hymn Practice/ phase assembly |
9.05am – 9.20am
Class Collective Worship |
|
|
KS2 Phase |
Class Collective Worship |
9.05 – 9.20am Class Collective Worship |
Sacramental aspects of the Church’s liturgical life, especially the Eucharist and the sacrament of reconciliation, are intrinsically woven into the fabric of SS Peter and Paul’s Catholic identity. We prepare a yearly calendar for participation in Mass and other Eucharistic liturgies such as Adoration, and the opportunity for pupils and staff to participate in the sacrament of reconciliation during the seasons of Advent and Lent.
We also hold special RE days, centring around various themes as well as fundraising events to ensure that children understand the role that our faith plays in the wider world and how we seek to care for others, through acts of charity, kindness, self-giving and love.
Understanding of the Liturgical Calendar
We ensure that pupils are aware of the Liturgical Calendar and key events in the Church. The symbolism of colours is made clear from the earliest days in our school: purple for penance (seen during advent and Lent), red for Holy Spirit and martyrdom (seen at Pentecost), white, gold for important feasts, green for the ordinary times of the year, blue is associated with Mary.
Some months of the year have special foci. October is the month of the Rosary, November is the month of Remembrance when the Holy Souls (the deceased) are prayed for, May is the month when Mary is especially remembered and June is the month of the Sacred Heart when we remember especially the great love Jesus has for us.
Visit our Liturgical Calendar here.
Masses
The whole school celebrates Mass together with our parents and parish community for key religious observances. Children play an active part in each Mass, through reading, praying, singing, playing musical instruments, altar serving and taking part in entrance and offertory processions. Each class takes it in turn to lead and prepare the celebration based on the liturgical year, focusing on solemnities, feast days and memorials of saints important to the children.
Pupils and their families are also invited to participate in Sacramental Masses at the parish 11 am Sunday Mass which supports their journey of faith as members of our wider Church Community.
Assemblies and Liturgies
Each week there are two liturgies- The Monday Gospel Liturgy led by our headteacher and focuses upon the liturgical year with the relevant liturgy of the word which is supported by the help of our pupil Chaplaincy Team. The Wednesday Pupil Liturgy is led by pupils or phase leaders. There is one weekly whole-school assembly led by our headteacher or different members of staff, on Friday. This ‘Celebration’ assembly celebrates the achievements and successes of our children’s God-given talents and is supported by the help of our Prefect team. Class assemblies are also used as a way of reflecting on important Church and RE curriculum themes.
All children are given the opportunity to plan and lead their own class liturgies, as well as year group celebrations each term in which they share their learning and to which parents will be invited. Each year group partakes in religious celebrations e.g. nativity performances, the Christmas Carol concert, our annual Passion Production of the Easter Story and remembering Jesus’ sacrifice at the Stations of the Cross service, in whatever form these might take this year. We seek to give our children the opportunity to visit various religious places, in addition to inviting people and companies into school to enhance children’s knowledge and spiritual growth.
Hymn Practice
The children participate in weekly hymn practices, where they learn Mass responses and sing both traditional and modern hymns. Music is a central part of worship in our school and hymns are used in all areas of worship from supporting themes within Masses and assemblies to providing atmosphere through chants and reflective music in meditation. Our children enjoy singing and many of them participate in the school choir, which has a very important part to play in Mass and liturgical celebrations.
Retreats and Visits
Pupils also have the opportunity to visit places of religious and spiritual significance such as Morden Mosque, these visits help pupils understand their faith history and experience how others worship.
Celebrations
Liturgies and celebrations and events related to the Catholic Life of our school are shared in school newsletters and on twitter and are published on the school website. Parents and families are regularly invited to join the school community in Masses class lead assemblies, Inspire Workshops and fundraising activities.
Parents of children in Sacramental year groups are also invited to Sacramental Meetings and Commitment Masses as part of the Sacramental Preparation Programme. Parents and families also support the school in being able to offer an extensive range of educational visits to various places of worship.
Children in each class also have the opportunity to take home a Prayer Bag, promoting opportunities for children and their families to talk and pray together.
Sacramental preparation
Parents and catechists are involved in preparing the children in Year 3 for the sacrament of Reconciliation and their First Holy Communion. There are meetings throughout the year and these are followed by Masses, specifically for these children and they participate fully.
In preparation for Confirmation, parents and sponsors are actively involved. There is a series of meetings and liturgies which the children attend. There is also an inscription Mass which involves the children, parents, sponsors, teachers and the parish, where the children commit themselves to the process of making their Confirmation, in due course.
The school supports this sacramental preparation through retreats and visits and pupils share their experiences with the school community through prayer and assemblies.
Differentiation
Collective worship enables each child to participate and respond to liturgy and worship in an appropriate way to their age and maturity but also using a formal and reflective prayer in a variety to suit the needs of our children and allow them to worship in ways in which they feel comfortable. Collective worship is accessible to all children in our school.
Equal Opportunities
The fair and equal treatment of all individuals irrelevant of race, creed, disability or gender, are integral to the Gospels’ Revelations and the Church’s message and is central to our school mission statement. All children are given equal access to the Religious Education curriculum, promoting their understanding to their full potential.
A variety of prayer and worship activities are used to try to meet all children’s different needs e.g. whole School, whole class, group, pair and individual prayer, also different styles of prayer from formal liturgies to private reflective prayer.
Governing Body
RE together with Collective worship is always a key part of the School Development Plan, and is reported upon termly as part of the Head Teacher’s Report to Governors. Governors are also invited to join with other members of the whole school community in the celebration of Mass and attend INSET Days relating to the Catholic Life of the School.
