Prayer and Liturgy

Prayer and Liturgy are central to the daily life of our school. We aim to provide opportunities for children's spiritual growth and development through participation in a variety of forms of worship and through experiencing all forms of prayer: formal, informal, spontaneous, private, shared, petitionary and meditative.

Pupils are actively involved in planning and leading worship, both in class groups and whole school settings. Shared acts of worship take place in an atmosphere of reflection and stillness, where we encourage each other to listen to God speaking to us and to respond. Children are encouraged to write prayers and this is a skill which we explicitly teach, just as we teach other genres in literacy.

We hold a daily act of prayer and liturgy at Sacred Heart. This could be in the form of: Whole School,  Key-Stage Assembly, Class Liturgy, Mass or Hymn Practice.

• We conduct assemblies in a dignified and respectful way and encourage the children to participate in a thoughtful and reverent manner.
• The headteacher, other members of staff or the GIFT team normally conduct assemblies, but sometimes local clergy or other representatives of local religious groups prepare and deliver assemblies. Children are also encouraged to take an active role in prayer and liturgy within the class under guidance of the Class Teacher.
• We take the themes of our assemblies from the traditions of the Christian faith and we often reflect the festivals and events of the Christian calendar. Sometimes the themes of our assemblies reflect and build on topics that we teach as part of the school curriculum.
• Our assemblies reflect the achievements and learning of the children. Our weekly Celebration Assembly acknowledges and rewards children for their achievements both in and around school. They are awarded Gospel Value Certificates for acts in which the children have displayed gospel values in one form or another.
• We invite parents to class assemblies and performances and liturgical celebrations on a regular basis. This promotes the community spirit of the school and is a practical demonstration of the way the home and the school work together to support the achievements of our children.
• We welcome governors’ attendance at our assemblies at any time.

At Sacred Heart RC Primary School, we are fully committed to providing opportunities for all children to know, love and serve God, in such a way that will enrich their own lives and help them to understand their Catholic faith traditions, in an ever changing world and within the multicultural society they live in.

Each classroom at Sacred Heart has a special and visible Prayer and Worship area which supports the children in their communication with God. Throughout the school, each class Reflection Area has a planned focus for each half-term which is linked to the Liturgical year.