CATHOLIC LIFE
DIOCESAN INSPECTION REPORT 2018
Summary of Key Findings for Parents and Pupils
-
Catholic ethos and faith are central to the school with a shared commitment to celebrating the achievement of all. High expectations, dedicated staff, effective teamwork and a strong sense of community underpin all aspects of the school’s work.
-
Collective Worship is good and is centred on clear themes and messages. Pupils act with reverence and respect.
-
The headteacher is highly motivated and aspirational for all of the pupils and staff. She has a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school and works tirelessly to improve provision at all levels.
-
Religious Education is good. The pupils make good progress and make thoughtful contributions in lessons.
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
Religious Education is central to the educative mission of the Church.
‘At the heart of Catholic education lies the Christian vision of the human person. This vision is expressed and explored in Religious Education.’
Religious Education is ‘the core of the core curriculum.’
‘Therefore Religious Education is never simply one subject among many, but the foundation of the entire educational process. The beliefs and values studied in Catholic religious education inspire and draw together every aspect of the life of a Catholic school….. All pupils have the right to receive an overall education which will enable them, in the light of the faith of the Church, to engage with the deepest questions of life and find reasons for the hope which is within them. Religious Education is, then, the core subject in a Catholic school.’
CATHOLIC LIFE & MISSION
SPIRITUAL AMBASSADORS
We have Spiritual Ambassadors who work closely with Mrs Potts to promote opportunities for prayer within school. We take responsibility for helping to set up prayer stations in our prayer room and invite children in at break times to spend time getting closer to God. We give our time to prepare prayer bags for home including the Rosary, Travelling Cribs and Easter Mystery.
We wear our badges with pride and are keen to evaluate our success against the action plan we write each year.
MINI VINNIES
Our Mini Vinnies meet once a week with Mrs Potts. Their motto is 'Turning Concern into Action'. The Mini Vinnies turn concern into action by
-
tidying up the local community
-
serving at the parish Macmillan Coffee morning
-
visiting residents in a local care home
-
taking part in community events such as St Michael's Tree Festival and St Paul's Crib Celebration
-
Supporting other children in school
Please check our Class Dojo school page and see our Catholic Life floor books to see how we contribute to our community.
PRAYING AT HOME
Children across all age groups including Little Lambs and Nursery enjoy opportunities to engage in family prayer time using resources shared at school. During the months of May and October children in Key Stage Two are invited to pray a decade of the Rosary at home. A retired teacher and parishioner kindly knitted us these special statues of Mary for our prayer bags.
During Advent our younger children enjoy sharing the Travelling Crib prayer resources with their families and during Lent and Easter children have an opportunity to pray using The Easter Mystery bags.
Little Lambs and Nursery children are keen to take Prayer Bear home and share with their older siblings.
SPIRITUALITY DAYS
We begin each year with a whole school day of prayer focusing on our Mission to grow in God's love to be the best we can be and how we can do this by following St. Paul's path to live out our RESPECT values. We enjoy exploring how scripture shows us how we can let our lights shine as children of God in the way we behave towards others.
CELEBRATION OF THE WORD
PRAYER SPACES
We develop prayer spaces around school to enable us to pray in different ways. During Advent we used areas throughout school to create an Advent Prayer Walk, requiring a long walk to symbolise the journey to Bethlehem.
We have a prayer room, a chapel, and a prayer garden in school which are used for quiet prayer and reflection. Fr Stephen led us in a decade of the Rosary during October in our school chapel.
YEAR OF JUBILEE
The children were invited to begin the Year of Jubiliee through prayer activities. Each month they will take part in further spiritual activities as they walk as pilgrims of hope.
OPEN THE BOOK
Members of the Open the Book team lead whole school worship once a month. The children are very keen to retell messages from the Bible through drama.
EXPLORING FAITH AT LIFEPATH
Lifepath is an exciting interactive and spiritual day for Year 4 pupils that is run on an annual basis at Brinkburn Priory. During the day, pupils are offered a variety of activities to help them learn about the Christian faith that has been practised across these islands for the last 1500 years. They are encouraged to reflect on their own ‘Lifepath’ as they make their way through school and out into the wider world. In 2024 the children were gifted a copy of 'Diary of a Disciple' to continue their faith journey on return to school and home. Ignite visited school in November to lead the children in reflection and prayer.
EXPERIENCE HARVEST
Children in Year 3 were invited to participate in a day of reflection focusing on the fruits of harvest through various art, craft and prayer activities. Members of the Christian churches in Alnwick shared Bible stories and helped the children write prayers of thanks for our local farmers and the crops they grow and harvest.
THE CROWNING OF MARY
Fr Stephen invites school to join with the parish in planning a celebration of Our Lady during the month of May. The children participate each year and enjoy processing into church behind Our Lady's statue, learning new hymns, leading a decade of the rosary, signing the Hail Mary and sharing liturgical dance with the visiting congregation.
PRAYER STATIONS
We invite all children, governors, parents and parishioners to join us in a day of spirituality each year based around a chosen theme. Themes have included Love and Hope for the World.
The Youth Worker from Ignite and the Alnwick Baptist church leads small groups of children in prayer on a regular basis. Children enjoy craft, singing and drama opportunities to enhance the prayer life of school.
CLASS CELEBRATION OF THE WORD
Each class have the opportunity to be involved in planning a Mass or collective worship. Parents and parishioners are invited to join in these prayerful experiences.
CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING
Catholic Social Teaching is rooted in Scripture, formed by the wisdom of Church leaders, and influenced by grassroots movement. It is our moral compass, guiding us on how to live out our faith in the world.
For full information, click the link below: