Prayer and Liturgy
Prayer and liturgy at St Elizabeth’s are fundamental to our Catholic Life and Mission, enriching every part of school life. Through engagement in prayer and liturgy we aim to foster spiritual growth, a sense of belonging and a deeper relationship with God for our pupils, parents and staff.
Prayer in school
Children are encouraged to pray in different ways according to their age and personal development. The most important aspect of prayer for children is that they realise it is their way of communicating with God and is first and foremost a personal occasion.
Children are introduced to a variety of different ways of praying:
- quiet reflection / meditation
- praying together
- writing own prayers
- prayers through music
- learning traditional Christian / Catholic prayers
Children learn the following prayers in school:
| Age Phase | 5-7 (KS1) | 7-9 (Lower KS2) |
9-11 (Upper KS2) |
| Prayers |
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Children pray in class four times during the school day: Morning Offering, Grace before meals, Grace after meals and the Night Prayer.
All these prayers can all be found in our School Prayer Book below.
Collective Prayer and Liturgy
Opportunities for collective prayer and liturgy include: whole school and in-class Celebrations of the Word, and Masses and liturgies which follow the Liturgical Year.
Daily Prayer and Liturgy at St Elizabeth’s
Prayer and liturgy takes place on a daily basis in school.
Monday: Whole school Celebration of the Word led by the Deputy Headteacher/RE Lead
Tuesday: Individual class Celebration of the Word (teacher or pupil led)
Wednesday: Individual class Celebration of the Word (teacher or pupil led)
Thursday: Whole school Hymn Practice and individual class Celebration of the Word (teacher or pupil led)
Friday: Whole School Values assembly led by the Headteacher and individual class Celebration of the Word (pupil led)
Masses and liturgies in school
Our Parish Priests come into school to celebrate Mass each half-term. On Holy Days of Obligation, we attend Mass in our parishes.
Children help to prepare and lead the Mass through choosing hymns, writing prayers of intercession, altar serving, reading and bringing up the Offertory gifts. Our ’Schola’ choir with Year 5 and Year 6 children and our liturgical band lead the music in our Masses.
In addition to our Masses, throughout the year a number of liturgies take place in school which reflect the Liturgical Calendar. These include:
- Service of Ashes on Ash Wednesday
- Reconciliation services in Lent and Advent including the opportunity for individual confession for pupils in Y4 to Y6
- Marian Procession and crowning of Mary in May
- Remembrance Service in November
- Stations of the Cross in Lent
- Whole school daily Rosary in October
Pupil participation and leadership in collective worship
Collective worship at St Elizabeth’s is inclusive for all and we encourage pupils to participate in and lead liturgies and Celebrations of the Word at an age-appropriate level. Children take turns acting as ‘prayer leaders’ for their classes. For our youngest children this begins with making the Sign of the Cross and lighting the candle. As children progress through KS2 they take on more responsibility for planning the structure of a Celebration of the Word using the Gather, Listen, Respond and Mission format. They also increasingly make choices about the scripture and how to enhance meaning through art and music.
Our Y6 Pupil Chaplains lead collective worship for younger classes and the wider school community.
Class-led whole school Celebration of the Word
Each class prepares and leads a whole school Celebration of the Word once a year which links to their learning in Religious Education lessons or the Liturgical season. The children are actively involved in the selection of readings and the writing of prayers. They also use drama, art and music to engage and communicate their message. Parents, carers and governors are invited to attend.
Prayer Spaces in school
Our beautiful school chapel, The Upper Room, is a dedicated space for our school community to use for Celebrations of the Word, quiet prayer and meditation. Pupil-led Celebrations of the Word and Bible Club are held here regularly and parents are invited to use the chapel for daily prayer at times during the year.
We were delighted that, on the invitation of our Pupil Chaplains, Archbishop John Wilson blessed our school chapel.
We encourage the children to pray by providing a prayer area in each classroom. Each area has a liturgical cloth, a Bible, images and religious artefacts which aid collective and personal prayer.
We also have an interactive prayer space in the school hall where all children are encouraged to actively engage in prayer and reflection.
Resources for Parents
Ten:Ten
We use Ten:Ten to support our class Celebrations of the Word. Parents are invited to access the Ten:Ten Parents’ Portal for resources to use at home and the Ten:Ten monthly newsletter. The Parents’ Portal log in details are shared with parents via email and are available from the school office.
Wednesday Word
The Wednesday Word is a weekly newsletter for families that shares Sunday’s Gospel, featuring a simple reflection theme and activities to help parents explore the Gospel meaning with their child at home. Parents can access this week’s Wednesday Word here.