Prayer and Liturgy are central to the life of Sacred Heart School.  It is woven throughout the school day and follows the Liturgical Life of the Church.  It gives the children meaningful opportunities to engage in positive liturgical experiences and also supports pupils to develop the skills so that they can prepare, lead and organise prayer and liturgy themselves.

'The celebration of Catholic liturgies and prayers as an integral part of the learning and teaching should enable the school community to become reflective, experience the presence of God and should develop a mature spiritual life.'

(Marcus Stock, Christ at the Centre 2012)

The Sacred Heart School Mission Statement is at the heart of all that we do and is known through our Mission Prayer, which is prayed daily. 

Heavenly Father
as we begin this new day
we ask you to send your Holy Spirit into our lives.

Open our ears
to hear what you are saying to us,
In the things that happen to us,
and the people that we meet. 

Open our eyes
to see the needs of those
around us.

Open our hands
to do our work well,
and to help when help is needed.    

Open our lips
to tell others the good news of Jesus,
to bring comfort, happiness and laughter to other people. 

Open our minds
to discover new things about
you and the world.

Open our hearts
to love you and everyone we meet today
as Jesus loves us.

There is daily planned prayer for all pupils, appropriate to age and ability.

Pupils are supported in their liturgical formation to take an active role in the planning, preparation, and delivery of prayer and liturgy according to their age and capacity, and in a manner which facilitates their progressive participation.  Class prayers and a class liturgy happen every week. 

All children attend a weekly liturgy on a Monday.  This is led by the Headteacher and the Deputy Headteacher and is based on the Gospel reading from Sunday.  Everyone present is given the opportunity to reflect on the message of the Gospel and to consider how the message can be lived out within and outside of our school community.  The prayers are written and read by the children and there is also an opportunity for reflection and spontaneous prayer.  

All children also attend a liturgy once a week which includes the weekly Gospel and the learning and practising of hymns.  These are known as 'Singing to God' (Years 1, 2 and 3) and 'Worship Through Song' (Years 4, 5 and 6).  These are held on a Wednesday.

All children attend a celebration liturgy on a Friday, when they pray together and also recognise achievements (linked to the 5 Sacred Heart Goals).  

Each week, a group of children in each class take turns to lead a liturgy with their peers. Children reflect on gospel stories as well as lead prayers, songs and other chosen activities. The children select the Bible reading that they want their session to be focused upon. They may choose a text related to the liturgical calendar or a theme they would like their class to reflect upon, for example friendship, honesty or forgiveness.  These are held on a Tuesday.  

Every Thursday, the Faith Friends lead their class in prayer and reflection, based on the Wednesday Word.  

Mass is celebrated weekly for one class.  Each class in KS1 and KS2 attend and lead a Mass at both Duchesne House (retirement home for the sisters of The Society of the Sacred Heart) or in Digby Chapel in Roehampton University, on a rota basis.  Parents are invited to attend those Masses.

Mass is celebrated on all Holy Days of Obligation when we are in school and also at the start and end of each term.  These Masses are usually held at St Joseph's Church, Roehampton, but sometimes are held in school.  We also have other services together in school, such as an Ash Wednesday service and the Harvest liturgy.

Classes also prepare a special liturgy once a year,  which they share with their peers in their key stage and then the following day to their parents/carers.  

Every June, we celebrate Sacred Heart Feast Day.  This is a special day that begins with a whole school outdoor Mass.  Religious sisters from The Society of the Sacred Heart and other members of The Sacred Heart Network, often attend to celebrate with us.  

Every classroom has a special prayer area,  with a table and display area reflecting the current RE themes and The Liturgical Year. 

All liturgies use the following structure: 

Many children don’t know how to pray beyond just asking God for the things they want. And while that’s certainly a big part of prayer (we see those kinds of prayers throughout Psalms, the epistles, and even the Lord’s prayer), there’s so much more to it than that. We therefore introduce children to four types of prayer that will help the children to communicate with God and to build a greater relationship with him. We teach children that silence and stillness are as important as spoken prayer.

Stations are places where people often wait at while they are going from one place to another, for example train stations or bus stations. Have you ever been on a special journey that took you around a very special place that told a story? 

The Stations of the Cross is a form of prayer used traditionally in Lent. Each of the 14 Stations retells part of Jesus’ Passion (his suffering and death) through images and words, breaking it down into stages that people can reflect upon and remember. The Stations are more than the retelling of a story: they are a prayerful participation in the event that lies at the heart of Christianity – Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection.

In the grounds of  our school, we have a trail of the 14 Stations of the Cross as pictures.  During Lent, there are daily opportunities before the school day begins, for the children to voluntarily join staff and children to pray The Stations of the Cross as a group together.  Children also pray The Stations with their classes during Lent as part of their RE lessons.