Collective Worship

Collective Worship and Prayer Life

Growing Together in Faith, Prayer and Worship

At SS John and Monica Catholic Primary School, prayer and worship are at the heart of our Catholic life and mission. Inspired by the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, we strive to be a living, loving and prayerful community, rooted in Gospel values and guided by the teachings of the Catholic Church.

Collective Worship is an integral part of our school day and provides opportunities for children and staff to come together in faith, deepen their relationship with God and reflect on how they can live out the teachings of Jesus in their everyday lives.

Our approach to prayer and worship reflects our school mission:

“At SS John and Monica's, we learn through the example of Jesus to love, respect, understand and value each other.”

We believe that prayer and worship should be meaningful, inclusive, engaging and accessible to all children, allowing them to experience the richness of our Catholic faith while developing their own spirituality.

Prayer and Worship at SS John and Monica's

Prayer is woven into the daily life of our school. Children are encouraged to develop a personal relationship with God through a variety of prayerful experiences, including traditional prayers, scripture, music, reflection, silence and liturgical celebrations.

Throughout the school week, children participate in a range of opportunities for prayer and worship, including:

School Mass: Celebrated fortnightly, providing opportunities for children and staff to come together to celebrate the Eucharist and deepen their understanding of the Catholic faith.
Whole-School Gospel Assemblies: Bringing our school community together to reflect on the Sunday Gospel and consider how its message can guide our words and actions.
Key Stage Assemblies: Providing age-appropriate opportunities for prayer, reflection and spiritual development.
Class Prayer and Liturgy: Enabling children to participate in meaningful acts of worship within their classroom communities.
Daily Prayer: Children are encouraged to pray at the beginning and end of the school day and at other appropriate moments, developing familiarity with traditional Catholic prayers and opportunities for personal reflection.
Seasonal Liturgical Celebrations: Marking important occasions throughout the Church's year, including Advent, Christmas, Lent, Holy Week, Easter, Pentecost and significant feast days.

These experiences provide children with opportunities to pause, reflect, give thanks, express their hopes and concerns, and recognise God's presence in their lives.

Our Aims for Collective Worship

Through our provision for prayer and worship, we aim to:

Develop children's awareness of God's presence in their lives and encourage a personal response to His love.
Nurture a sense of awe, wonder, gratitude and reverence for God and His creation.
Deepen children's understanding of Jesus Christ and inspire them to follow His example.
Provide meaningful opportunities for prayer, reflection, contemplation and spiritual growth.
Help children develop their conscience and make thoughtful moral choices rooted in Gospel values.
Encourage compassion, kindness, forgiveness, justice and respect for others.
Develop children's understanding and appreciation of the Church's liturgical year, traditions, solemnities and feast days.
Foster an understanding of the importance of the sacraments in Catholic life.
Strengthen the partnership between home, school and parish.
Enable children to participate confidently and reverently in prayer and liturgical celebrations.
Develop children's knowledge and understanding of traditional Catholic prayers, scripture, symbols and religious traditions.
Encourage children to reflect on their own faith journeys and grow in spiritual maturity.

Pupil Participation and Leadership in Prayer

We believe that children should play an active and meaningful role in the prayer and worship life of our school.

As they progress through the school, pupils are encouraged to take increasing responsibility for preparing, leading and evaluating age-appropriate opportunities for prayer and liturgy.

Children are supported to:

Select appropriate scripture readings and prayer intentions.
Prepare prayerful environments using religious symbols, candles, artwork and other appropriate resources.
Choose suitable hymns, music and opportunities for reflection.
Lead prayers and contribute to liturgical celebrations.
Read confidently and reverently during Mass and other acts of worship.
Reflect on the meaning of scripture and consider how it relates to their own lives.
Evaluate prayer experiences and suggest ways to make them increasingly meaningful.

Through these opportunities, children develop confidence, independence, leadership and oracy skills while deepening their understanding of the Catholic faith.

Our aim is for children to move beyond simply participating in prayer to becoming confident, thoughtful and reflective leaders of worship.

Prayer and Liturgy Throughout the Liturgical Year

The liturgical year provides a rich framework for our school prayer life.

We celebrate the seasons and important events of the Church's calendar, helping children understand the significance of these occasions and their relevance to Christian life.

During Advent, we prepare for the coming of Jesus through prayer, reflection and acts of kindness.

At Christmas, we celebrate the birth of Christ and the message of God's love for the world.

During Lent, we encourage children to reflect on prayer, fasting and almsgiving, recognising the importance of making positive choices and helping others.

Throughout Holy Week and Easter, children explore the significance of Jesus' suffering, death and Resurrection, deepening their understanding of sacrifice, forgiveness, hope and new life.

We also celebrate significant feast days and solemnities, including those associated with Our Lady, the saints and our school and parish patrons.

These celebrations help children develop an understanding of the Church's traditions and experience the joy of belonging to a Catholic community.

Traditional Catholic Prayers

At SS John and Monica's, children are introduced progressively to traditional Catholic prayers throughout their primary education.

As they move through the school, they develop their knowledge, understanding and confidence in using these prayers.

These include prayers such as:

The Sign of the Cross
The Our Father
The Hail Mary
The Glory Be
The Morning Offering
The Act of Contrition
The Eternal Rest
The Apostles' Creed
Other prayers appropriate to children's age, understanding and sacramental preparation

We believe it is important that children not only learn the words of these prayers but also develop an understanding of their meaning and significance in Catholic life.

Parents and carers are encouraged to support their children's prayer development at home, helping to strengthen the important connection between faith, family and school.

Our Parish Partnership

St John the Evangelist and St Martin de Porres Parish

We are extremely fortunate to enjoy a close and valued relationship with our parish, St John the Evangelist and St Martin de Porres, situated on George Street in Balsall Heath, Birmingham.

Our parish is a vibrant, welcoming and multicultural Catholic community, reflecting the rich diversity of the families and neighbourhoods we serve.

Our Parish Priest, Fr Babu, plays an important role in the spiritual life of our school.

We greatly value his pastoral guidance, encouragement and commitment to supporting our children, staff and families in their faith journeys.

Fr Babu celebrates Mass with our school community and supports children as they grow in their understanding of the Catholic faith and prepare for the sacraments.

Our strong partnership with the parish enables children to experience the wider worshipping community and understand that their faith extends beyond the classroom and school environment.

Families are warmly encouraged to participate in parish life and attend Sunday Mass and other parish celebrations.

Further information about our parish can be found on the Archdiocese of Birmingham website:

St John and St Martin's Parish – Archdiocese of Birmingham

Sacramental Preparation

Sacramental preparation is an important part of the faith journey for our Catholic pupils.

Working in partnership with parents, carers and the parish, we support children as they prepare to receive the Sacraments of Reconciliation and First Holy Communion.

Through Religious Education, prayer, liturgical experiences and parish involvement, children are helped to develop an age-appropriate understanding of the meaning and significance of these sacraments.

We recognise that parents are the first educators of their children in faith, and we encourage their active participation throughout the preparation process.

As children continue their faith journey, we also seek to nurture the foundations for their future participation in the sacramental life of the Church, including Confirmation.

Respecting and Celebrating Our Diverse Community

Our school serves families from a rich variety of cultural and religious backgrounds across Balsall Heath, Moseley and the surrounding areas.

We are proud of this diversity and recognise the importance of creating an environment in which every child and family feels welcomed, respected and valued.

While our prayer and worship are firmly rooted in the Catholic tradition, we are sensitive to the different faith backgrounds and beliefs represented within our school community.

We encourage mutual understanding, respect and positive relationships, recognising that our shared values of love, compassion, peace and justice help unite us as one school family.

Working Together in Faith

Our partnership between home, school and parish is fundamental to our Catholic identity.

We warmly welcome parents and carers to join us for school Masses, prayer services and special liturgical celebrations throughout the year.

These occasions provide valuable opportunities for our school community to come together in prayer, celebrate our faith and strengthen our sense of belonging.

If you have any questions about Collective Worship, prayer or the Catholic life of our school, please contact Mrs M. Elliott, Head Teacher, through the School Office.

A Living and Prayerful Community

At SS John and Monica Catholic Primary School, Collective Worship is much more than a series of planned activities. It is a living expression of our faith and an essential part of who we are as a Catholic school.

Through prayer, scripture, liturgy and the celebration of the Eucharist, we seek to help every child encounter God's love, grow in faith and recognise their responsibility to love and serve others.

Our hope is that every child leaves SS John and Monica's with a strong spiritual foundation, a compassionate heart and the confidence to live out the Gospel values in their everyday life.

Growing in faith. Praying together. Living out the love of Jesus.

Please click on the Powerpoint below to see which prayers are learned in each year's band. Take time to talk about the prayers and share them as often as you can.