PRAYER AND LITURGY
Step into Prayer and Liturgy at Holy Family...
At Holy Family, a diverse array of prayer and liturgy is offered: classroom prayers, meditation sessions, assemblies, devotions, special services throughout the academic year, as well as celebrations of the Mass and the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
In Catholic schools, Religious Education stands as ‘the core of the core curriculum’. Moreover, each member of our community is fortified by the school’s prayer and liturgical practices, particularly through the word of God and the Eucharist, and is encouraged to depart in peace, glorifying the Lord through their actions.
Everyone in the school can engage in this mission through their teaching and learning across all subject areas, alongside their relationships and interactions with others. This signifies that Christ’s presence and our faith in him permeate everything we do; it is not confined merely to Religious Education classes or moments of prayer.
The staff and students who comprise our school communities come from a multitude of cultural backgrounds and religious traditions. Our schools are enriched daily by the diverse experiences and wide-ranging perspectives they contribute. The respectful acknowledgment of the common humanity we all share serves as the foundation for our communal life.
At Holy Family, we love God and worship Him daily. Jesus taught us how to pray, and so we share in prayer and worship as a school family, in different ways and at different times during the week. Our Mission Statement is “We are a caring family, we pray, learn and grow together.” and this encourages us to grow closer to God, and believe that He is with us in everything that we do.
Children celebrating St George's Day
We begin every week with a Monday Morning TenTen assembly and in the afternoon we have our whole school worship singing practice. We are fully aware that not all of our children attend Sunday Mass. Therefore, children have the opportunity to experience and reflect on the Word of God, and start the week by sharing the ethos of our school as a Catholic faith community. Throughout the week, the children will have separate Key Stage Assemblies. The children will follow along with The Mark Ten Mission. They love watching these episodes and get to join in with prayer, scripture and song.
KS1 Worship Table
Each class also gathers throughout the week for a child led Celebration of the Word session. The children plan their own worships, choosing their themes, scriptures, prayer and activities and reflect on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Every classroom also has their own individual worship area where the children are encouraged to reflect and have personal worship opportunities each day. On Friday we gather as a whole school community for our Celebration Assembly where children’s achievements from the week are celebrated with a Golden Child, a Reader of the Week and a Bee Attitude award from each class.
Reception role playing The Ascension
The Sacramental Programme is delivered by our catechists and they lead the children and parent meetings. Baptised children in Year 3 and beyond are welcomed to take part in this amazing journey with God. Children on the Sacramental Programme attend additional Masses and receive the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Communion. First Holy Communion is a precious time for our children and their families which is celebrated by the school, the wider community and the parish.
KS2 Children reading Bible stories in our Prayer Garden
