Prayer and Worship 

 

‘Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there with them.’

 

Matthew. 18:20

Prayer and Liturgy Directory 

‘All who share responsibility for Catholic education are encouraged to nurture and strengthen their school as a community that exemplifies, in word and deed, the Good News of Jesus Christ, which begins with prayer and radiates out to all aspects of school life.’ (Prayer and Liturgy Directory, Section 4.3: p19)

At St. Mary of the Angels we are committed to ensuring our pupils become familiar with a rich and impactful range of prayer and liturgy including classroom prayer, meditation, assemblies, devotions, prayer services …

We use the new Prayer and Liturgy Directory 'To Love You more Dearly', published by the Bishops’ Conference and the Catholic Education Service (CES) in October 2023, to enhance the excellent practices that already exists for Prayer and Liturgy within our school. Please click here to access the Prayer and Liturgy Directory. 

To read our school's Prayer and Liturgy Policy please click on the link below.  

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Click to Download Prayer & Liturgy Policy [pdf 300KB] Click to Download
Daily Prayers 

Prayers taught to children at St. Mary of the Angels Catholic Primary School. 

Age phase

 

EYFS

 

KS1

7–9 (Lower KS2)

9–11 (Upper KS2)

Prayers

  • The Sign of the Cross
  • Morning Prayer
  • The Lord’s Prayer
  • Hail Mary
  • Grace before meals (EYFS version)
  • Grace after meals  (EYFS version)
  • Evening Prayers (EYFS version)
  • The Sign of the Cross
  • The Morning Prayer (KS1 version)
  • The Lord’s Prayer
  • Hail Mary
  • Glory be
  • Grace before meals (KS1 version)
  • Grace after meals (KS1 Version) 
  • Evening Prayer (KS1 version)
  • Angel of God
  • The Apostles’ Creed
  • An Act of Contrition
  • Angel of God
  • Come, Holy Spirit
  • The Prayer of St Richard of Chichester
  • Morning Offering
  • The Rosary
  • The Magnificat
  • Act of Faith
  • Act of Hope
  • Act of Love
Click to Download Our School Prayers SMA EYFS 2023-2024 [pdf 75KB] Click to Download
Click to Download Our School Prayers SMA KS1 2023-2024 [pdf 97KB] Click to Download
Click to Download Our School Prayers SMA LKS2 2023-2024 [pdf 103KB] Click to Download
Click to Download Our School Prayers SMA UKS2 2023-2024 [pdf 125KB] Click to Download
Prayer and Worship at St. Mary of the Angels 

At our school we recognise the central role that prayer and worship plays in an active faith community and in all members of that community bearing witness to the Good News of the Gospels; none more so than for our pupils embarking on their own journeys in faith. Our parish priest, Monsignor Keith Barltrop, is a member of our school's governing body and plays a vital role in the sacramental and prayer life of the school.

 

At St. Mary of the Angels Catholic Primary School, we provide times for Collective Worship in the following way: 

 

Day Type Timings 
Monday  Classroom Acts of Worship (Ten Ten Daily prayers) 

9:00am -9:10am

Tuesday  Gospel Assembly (whole school) 9:10am-9:30am 
Wednesday  Music Led Worship (Hymn Practice) 9:10am-9:40am  
Thursday  Classroom Acts of Worship (Ten Ten Daily prayers)  9:00am -9:10am
Friday  Celebration Assembly/Merit Assembly (whole school) 2:30pm-3:00pm 

 

Through prayer and worship we give glory, honour, praise and thanks to God.  It is important that our children understand that there is a purpose to prayer. We pray four times a day – at the beginning of the day, before lunch, after lunch and at the end of the school day. We have KS1 and KS2 prayers and each year group has their own book of prayers to learn and say together. 

Pupils at St. Mary of the Angels experience and explore a variety of methods of prayer, such as:

  • Traditional learned prayer in a group setting
  • Prayer appropriate to the Liturgical cycle
  • Prayer from scripture
  • Individual, quiet prayer and reflection
  • Prayer using different stimulus e.g. images, music, art and nature 
  • Silent group meditation
  • Prayer in song
  • Prayer for other (petitionary prayer)
  • Imaginative prayer
Click to Download Mission Statement & School Prayer 2023 [pdf 93KB] Click to Download
Prayer Services 2024-2025

The chidlren and staff are delighted to invite parents and carers to join us in prayer and worship at our forthcoming Prayers Services the dates of which are as follows:

Swifts 

Friday 8th November 3pm

Swans 

Friday  24th January 3pm

Swallows 

Friday 7th March 3pm

Robins 

Friday 21st March 3pm

Herons

Friday 28th March 3pm

Ducklings 

Thursday 8th May 9:10am 

Goldfinches 

Friday 6th June 3pm 

Kingfishers

Friday 27th June 3pm

   
   
Class Assemblies 2024-2025

The children and staff are delighted to invite parents and carers to join us in prayer, worship and celecration at our forthcoming class assemblies. 

The dates of which are as follows:

Swans 

Friday 18th October 9:10am

Goldfinches

Thursday 14th November 9:10am 

Swallows

Friday 22nd November  9:10am

Herons 

Friday 29th November 9:10am

Kingfishers

Friday 31st January 9:10am 

Robins

Friday 14th February 9:10am

Swifts 

Friday 28th March 9:10am 

Goldfinches 

Wednesday 2nd April 9:10am

(Palm Sunday Assembly) 

Swans 

Thursday 3rd April 9:10am 

 (Holy Thursday Assembly) 

Kingfishers 

Friday 9th May 9:10am 

Swallows

Friday 23rd May 9:10am 

Herons

Friday 13th June 9:10am 

Robins

Friday 20th June 9:10am 

Swifts

Friday 27th June 9:10am 

Ducklings 

Friday 11th July 9:10am 

Year 6 Production  TBC 

 

 
Collective Acts of Worship

Pupils are fully involved in planning and preparing class assemblies, liturgies, prayer services and school masses which are well attended by parents, carers and family members.

Year group Masses in KS2 and liturgies in KS1 provide an opportunity for our pupils and staff to come together to worship. The confident and thoughtful way in which our pupils lead each other and the school community in prayer during our class assemblies in particular, is a strength of our school’s Catholic life.

Other opportunities for prayer and worship include guided meditations and our wonderful classroom prayer areas, themed in line with the liturgical year, and our outside prayer areas each playground provide a focal point for planned and spontaneous prayer. Our Upper Key Stage 2 pupils come together twice a year at Westminster Cathedral, our Mother Church, with schools from all over the diocese for the Advent Service early in December and the Good Shepherd Mass in the summer term where our call to serve others is answered through our offering of money raised in school for The Catholic Children’s Society.

The school community join the parish community at Masses at key times of the liturgical year in our parish church including feast days and Holy Days of Obligation.

Fr. Keith continues to support our older pupils in developing their knowledge and understanding of the Sacrament of Reconciliation through his visits to our Year 5 and 6 classes during Lent.

Nothing is impossible if we turn to God in prayer

Following His Holiness Pope Francis’ message on January 1st 2017 for the celebration of the fiftieth World Day of Peace, the pupils and staff have been reflecting on his message of peace and this has been the focus for our new RE displays around the school’s communal areas. 

Pope Francis concluded his message by saying,

“All of us want peace. Many people build it day by day through small gestures and acts; many of them are suffering, yet patiently persevere in their efforts to be peacemakers. In 2017, may we dedicate ourselves prayerfully and actively to banishing violence from our hearts, words and deeds, and to becoming nonviolent people and to building nonviolent communities that care for our common home. Nothing is impossible if we turn to God in prayer. Everyone can be an artisan of peace.”