Prayer and Liturgy is the time we take each day giving praise and thanks to God. This is at the heart of everything we do at All Saints'. The  Prayer and Liturgy Directory guides prayer life in the school and informs our policy for Prayer and Liturgy. 

The Sunday Gospel reading is shared during our weekly Monday 'Celebration of the Word' assembly. During this time the children hear and respond to the message from the readings. The children are set a mission each week, where they think about what Jesus is teaching us and how they can act out these teachings in our everyday life. The children are taught traditional prayers and the parts of the Mass are taught during prayerful singing.

Each day children say traditional and  school prayers and there are also opportunities for the children to reflect quietly and pray for their own personal intentions. Each week the whole school joins together for prayerful singing This is to rejoice in prayer through song and to prepare the children for singing at Mass. 

It is always very special to be able to gather in Church to worship and celebrate Mass. We are very blessed to have our Parish church so close to us. Parents and parishioners are regularly invited to join us in the celebration of Mass.

We are very proud of our children who regularly read at Mass and lead our Celebration of the Word. 

Throughout the liturgical calendar, the children participate in prayerful activities such as:

• Harvest Festival
• Remembrance Day 
• Daily devotions to Our Lady during the month of October and May 
• Crowning of Our Lady
• Lent Prayer Trails 
• Holy Week Activities
• Stations of the Cross 
• Spirited Art 

We acknowledge the legal requirement that there must be a daily act of worship for all pupils. (This can take place at any time during the school day and can be either a single act of worship for all pupils, or separate acts of worship in school groups.) The act of worship is not designated curriculum time under regulations and will not be subsumed under any part of the curriculum, including Religious Education. 

At the bottom of this page you can view our progression in prayer document. This sets out the skills and expectation required for each year group. The progression document has been created following the Prayer and Liturgy Directory 'To Love You More Dearly'. A copy of the progression document can be found in our policy for Prayer and Liturgy. 

Prayer is promoted at home. We believe that parents are the first educators and play an essential role in supporting their child's faith journey.  Prayer boxes are sent home during Advent and Lent throughout the school. A Travelling Nativity is sent home during Advent in EYFS and Prayer Bear is sent home in Ordinary Time.

The Prayer and Liturgy Directory 'To love you more dearly' defines prayer and liturgy.  Below are the definitions from the Directory. 

Prayer

Prayer has been traditionally described as ‘lifting up of the hearts and minds to God’, which means it involves our whole person – our head as well as our heart. This definition expresses a fundamental understanding that God is concerned and interested about what goes on in our lives; is due our expression of thanksgiving and gratitude; and responds to us when we express our needs. This basic dynamic of recognition, thanksgiving, and intercession forms the core of all prayer and liturgy.

Celebration of the Word

As the time allotted to prayer lengthens and the number of people involved grows, there is a corresponding need for more formal structures. The
term ‘celebration of the word’ is used in the Directory for celebrations which are created for the school community and not directly taken from the liturgical books of the Church. These celebrations will take many forms, but the common element is the proclamation of scripture. These include assemblies, carol services, and other gatherings of all or part of the school community for special times and occasions. They may draw upon elements of the liturgy, such as its texts, symbols, and gestures, which help to reinforce their Catholic nature, but the various
elements may be used with greater creative freedom than in the liturgy itself. 

Our Beautiful Thursday Prayer Service for all of our School Community 

Liturgy

The most familiar forms of the liturgy celebrated in school are the Mass and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The liturgical books, such as the Roman Missal and the Lectionary, set out the structure to be followed, the words to be spoken, the gestures to be performed, and the symbols to be used when celebrating a liturgy.