Prayer is a valued part of the rhythm of our school day.  It brings us together as a community and helps us to grow closer to God.  We create opportunities for personal as well as for communal prayer. Each classroom has a prayer space which can be a focus for individual or group prayer.

Daily, we pray in collective worship, in thanks for the food we eat, and at the start and end of the day.  All have the opportunity to pray; no one is made to pray but all are expected to be respectful during times of prayer.

Children are taught some of the rich heritage of traditional Catholic prayers, but are also encouraged to recognise that prayer is about a personal relationship with God. When sharing traditional prayers with children, we reflect upon the words used and explore the meaning of them in a variety of ways.

Prayer comes in many forms, for example it can be contemplative; can be sung; can come through movement or using our hands (such as the Five-Finger prayer promoted by Pope Francis); can be a prayer walk or an artistic response.

Prayer reflects the essence of our lives: joy or sorrow; a sense of belonging or feelings of loneliness; celebration and peace or anger and upset.  It can emerge from our personal lives, the world around us, the life of the community, the seasons of the Church’s year or the wide range of learning contexts in school.  It may appropriately draw together with the children’s reflections during RE, Relationships Education, or be include in learning about Our Common Home, for example.