St Mary's Catholic Primary School

Spiritual Life

"Pupils benefit from a well-developed curriculum for religious education" - Ofsted, December 2017

At St Mary's we follow the RE scheme 'The Way the Truth and the Life," which is implemented from Nursery through to Year 6. We try to live out our faith as well as teach it. We believe that this can be seen clearly in our Collective Act of Worship, Assemblies, Class and Whole School Masses, our general participation in the Church's Liturgy and our behaviour in class, playground and staffroom. We pride ourselves on the relationships you will see, not only between pupils but also between staff. Children not only respect adults but adults respect children too.

Fundraising

Each year we sell the baskets after our Harvest Mass and the proceeds go to the Kanyike Project. This is a charity that the school have supported for many years. The money we have raised has helped to build a new Nursery and gardening equipment for the children in Uganda.

Our Years 5 and 6 classes lead a whole school assembly at 11am on Remembrance Day. The children help us remember through prayer, music, pictures, videos and their own poems, those who have and are currently serving our country in all our armed forces.

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" John 15:13

Advent

This is special time of year, a time when we prepare ourselves for the birth of the baby Jesus. We discuss the advent wreath and its meaning in our assemblies and look forward to lighting the candles each week as we prepare for Christmas.

Our Nursery and Reception Classes join together in performing a Nativity Play - this is always a very special is production with parents and grandparents enjoying the celebration with pride.

Lent - Outward Looking, Putting Others First

Lent begins with an Ash Wednesday Mass in school. The children recognise the symbolism of the cross placed upon their forehead. This is an occasion when all children take a special part in the Mass.

During Lent we encourage all our pupils to place the needs of others first - making their own Lenten promises, they think about the needs of others.

During Lent each class has their own Lenten activities which they use to raise money for our Lenten charity.

Year 6 help serve the Lent Lunches run in St Thomas of Canterbury Church Hall which raise money for both Christian Aid and Cafod.

On Fridays during Lent Stations of the Cross are celebrated by KS2 and led by a different class each week. We also have a whole school a Compline on Wednesday afternoons for Reception to Year 6.

Chaplaincy Team

We have a Year 5 Chaplaincy team who teach the younger children about the Bible readings and the Wednesday Word. They also organise and lead Rosary groups for the Key Stage 2 children.

Letter from Jane Goring, Chief Inspector of Schools, Diocese of WestminsterSection 48 (RE Inspection)