Chaplaincy at St. Mary’s Catholic Primary School

Every Child Called to Serve, Lead and Grow in Faith

At St. Mary’s Catholic Primary School, chaplaincy is at the heart of our Catholic Life and Mission. We believe that every child is called to be a chaplain, with opportunities to live out their faith through prayer, service, leadership and witness. Rather than chaplaincy being the responsibility of a small group of pupils, we recognise that every child has unique gifts and talents to share in strengthening the Catholic life of our school.

Through their words, actions and example, all pupils are encouraged to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, placing Christ at the centre of all that we do. Our inclusive approach to chaplaincy ensures that every child has a voice, can take an active role in the spiritual life of the school and can contribute to our shared mission.

Working alongside staff, our parish and the wider school community, children are encouraged to develop their faith, support others and create opportunities for prayer, reflection, worship and spiritual growth.

What Does Chaplaincy Look Like at St. Mary’s?

At St. Mary’s, every child has the opportunity to take an active role in chaplaincy. Throughout their time in school, pupils are encouraged and supported to develop their confidence as young faith leaders, recognising that chaplaincy is not simply a role or title, but a way of living out the Gospel each day.

Our children contribute to the Catholic life of our school by:

Planning, preparing and leading prayer and liturgy.
Taking an active role in child-led Celebrations of the Word.
Participating in and helping to organise school Masses and liturgical celebrations.
Sharing scripture and helping others to understand and reflect upon God's Word.
Promoting our school mission and Gospel values through their everyday actions.
Contributing their ideas and pupil voice to the development and evaluation of Catholic Life and Mission.
Creating and caring for prayer spaces within classrooms and around the school.
Encouraging others to participate in prayer, worship and spiritual reflection.
Demonstrating kindness, compassion, forgiveness and service towards others.
Supporting charitable initiatives and putting Catholic Social Teaching into action.
Recognising opportunities to share God's love within our school, parish and wider community.

Through these experiences, children learn that they do not need a special title to be a leader of faith. Every child can make a difference and help others grow closer to God.

Prayer and Liturgy

Prayer is at the heart of life at St. Mary’s. We believe that all children should have meaningful opportunities to encounter God, deepen their relationship with Him and grow in confidence when expressing and sharing their faith.

Our approach to chaplaincy ensures that pupils are not simply participants in prayer and liturgy, but are actively involved in planning, preparing, leading and evaluating these experiences.

Throughout the liturgical year, children have opportunities to contribute to:

Child-led Celebrations of the Word.
Whole-school and class Masses.
Daily classroom prayer and reflection.
Rosary day and Mary day.
Advent, Christmas, Lent and Easter liturgies.
Writing and sharing their own prayers.
Creating and maintaining prayer areas and reflective spaces.
Exploring scripture and responding to the Word of God.
Evaluating prayer and worship experiences and suggesting ways to develop them further.

As children progress through school, they are encouraged to take increasing responsibility for leading prayer and liturgy, developing the skills, confidence and understanding needed to support the spiritual life of our community.

By ensuring that every child can contribute, we nurture a school community where prayer and worship are shared responsibilities and where all pupils recognise the importance of their own faith journey.

Living Our Mission

At St. Mary’s, we believe that chaplaincy extends far beyond leading prayers or participating in liturgical celebrations. It is about living our faith through our everyday choices, relationships and actions.

Every child is encouraged to be a witness to Christ by showing kindness, compassion, respect, forgiveness and love towards others. Through these actions, our pupils learn that they can make a positive difference to the lives of those around them.

Our children are supported to recognise that being a chaplain means:

Being a witness – showing God's love through our words and actions.
Being a servant – helping others and responding to those in need.
Being a leader – encouraging others to follow Jesus and live out Gospel values.
Being a person of prayer – developing our own relationship with God and helping others to pray.
Being a voice for others – listening, showing compassion and speaking up for those who need support.

Through charitable work, acts of service, care for God's creation and opportunities to support others, pupils come to understand that faith is not simply something we learn about, but something we are called to live.

We encourage all children to recognise themselves as active members of our Catholic community, each with a valuable contribution to make.

Pupil Voice and Leadership in Catholic Life

At St. Mary’s, we recognise that every child has an important voice in shaping the Catholic life and mission of our school.

Our approach to chaplaincy provides opportunities for all pupils to share their thoughts, ideas and reflections about prayer, worship, faith and the ways in which we live out our mission.

Children are encouraged to:

Reflect upon and evaluate their experiences of prayer and liturgy.
Suggest new ways to develop prayer and worship across the school.
Share ideas for charitable activities and opportunities to serve others.
Contribute to the development of prayer spaces and spiritual experiences.
Reflect upon how our school lives out its Catholic mission.
Take responsibility for leading and supporting aspects of Catholic Life and Mission.

By valuing the contributions of every pupil, we help children develop a sense of belonging, responsibility and ownership of the Catholic life of St. Mary’s.

We believe that leadership in faith is not reserved for a few, but is a calling that every child can respond to in their own unique way.

Our Approach to Chaplaincy

At St. Mary’s Catholic Primary School, our approach to chaplaincy is rooted in the belief that every child is created in the image and likeness of God and has gifts that can enrich the life of our school community.

Chaplaincy is therefore not confined to a designated pupil group or occasional religious events. Instead, it is embedded throughout the daily life of our school, providing meaningful and age-appropriate opportunities for every pupil to participate in our spiritual, pastoral and evangelising mission.

Our approach focuses on:

Ensuring that every child has opportunities to participate in chaplaincy.
Developing pupil confidence and leadership in prayer, liturgy and worship.
Encouraging children to recognise their responsibility to live out the Gospel.
Providing opportunities for spiritual formation and personal reflection.
Strengthening links between school, home and parish.
Promoting Catholic Social Teaching through service, charity and care for others.
Valuing pupil voice in the ongoing development of Catholic Life and Mission.
Helping all children recognise their role in the mission of the Church.

Our understanding of chaplaincy is also informed by the Five National Standards for Chaplains, recognising the importance of:

Witness – living and sharing the Gospel through faith and example.
Pastor – caring for others and supporting their spiritual and emotional wellbeing.
Leader – encouraging and guiding others in prayer, worship and faith.
Educator – helping others to deepen their understanding of faith and the teachings of Jesus.
Professional – reflecting upon and continually developing the effectiveness of chaplaincy within our school community.

These principles help us nurture a culture in which all children understand that they have an important part to play in the Catholic life and mission of St. Mary’s.

Every Child a Chaplain

At St. Mary’s, we want every child to leave our school knowing that they have the ability to share God's love, serve others and make a difference in the world.

By providing opportunities for all pupils to lead, pray, reflect, serve and inspire, we empower our children to become confident and compassionate witnesses to Christ.

Together, as one school family, we strive to ensure that Christ remains at the centre of everything we do.