Sisters of Mercy were the founders of our school, over 125 years ago and ever since, we have enjoyed a special link with the sisters. We have a very special St. Mary’s Prayer, written especially for our school by the Sisters of Mercy, and in particular by Sisters Margarita and Angela. We were thrilled and grateful to receive this special prayer and adopt it as our school prayer. This prayer is at the centre of our school and key stage worship.

St Mary’s School Prayer

O Holy Mary,

Mother and Patron of our school,

Turn your eyes of mercy towards us,

that we may love God

With all our hearts!

May we imitate the tenderness

of your Son, Jesus,

showing love and respect

For each person

and ourselves as children of God.

Guided by the Holy Spirit,

May we create the school,

where Mercy and Compassion

Is the centre of our lives.

Amen

Prayer time at St Mary’s provide opportunities for spiritual growth and development through participation in a variety of forms of worship and all forms of prayer – formal, informal, spontaneous, private, shared, petitionary and meditative.

We aim to help the children value and respect the power of prayer and to use it to help strengthen the children’s relationship with God.
We want to be a praying community.  It is important for children to know the ‘formal’ prayers of the church which we may all pray together and which we all hear and say with the parish / family communities outside school.

We also value ‘formal’ prayers which have been written especially for children and which hold meaning for them. With these two aspects in mind, we aim to teach particular prayers to the children.

Children are encouraged to develop their individual prayer life through daily participation in collective worship, grace before meals and afternoon prayer.

Prayer does not only mean ‘formal’ prayers.  We do hope to help each other to listen to God speaking to us and to respond in our hearts and minds during moments or stillness, reflection and silence.

We also encourage prayer writing by the children themselves.

Each class has a prayer area, which provides a focus for prayer in the classroom.  Opportunities for prayer arise often from the current RE scheme, ‘The Way, the Truth and the Life’.

At St Mary’s, the children are taught to know by heart the following prayers:

  • The Sign of The Cross
  • The Lord’s Prayer
  • The Hail Mary
  • Glory Be
  • Grace Before Meals
  • Afternoon Prayer
  • Praying of the Rosary
  • Responses to the Mass

Progression in Prayer 2022-2023

EYFS

Sign of the cross

Our Father

Year 1

Our Father

Glory Be

Guardian Angel

Year 2

Our Father

Glory Be

Hail Mary

Year 3

As KS1 &

The Rosary

Act of Contrition

Year 4

As KS1 &

The Rosary

The Angelus

Year 5

As KS1 &

Hail Holy Queen

Eternal rest

Year 6

As KS1 &

Eternal rest

Nicene  Creed

All pupils learn the school prayer.

At St Mary’s we have the programme of regular worship, including:

  • Regular class prayer times
  • Regular Child led class worship
  • Weekly school worship
  • Whole school Masses
  • Recognising and celebrating Catholic Feast days in the Liturgical calendar
  • Class Masses
  • Class Assemblies
  • Key Stage assemblies and worship
  • KS2 Advent Reconciliation Service

We have a music specialist, Mrs Beloventseva who has continued to use church music creatively to enrich the prayer life of the school through whole school and key stage Hymn practice sessions as well as through the school choir.