Prayer and Liturgy
“Together we live and learn; we play and pray”
At Sacred Heart, prayer and liturgy are at the heart of who we are. Prayer is not something added to the school day; it is woven through the life of our community and helps us to grow in our relationship with God, encounter Jesus Christ and respond to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Our prayer and liturgical life is rooted in Scripture, shaped by the Church's liturgical year and enriched by the prayer, traditions and sacramental life of the Catholic Church.
Throughout their time at Sacred Heart, children encounter many different ways of praying. They experience traditional Catholic prayers, Scripture, music, silence, meditation, intercession, symbol and gesture, alongside Celebrations of the Word, Mass, Reconciliation, devotions and other opportunities for prayer. We want children not simply to say prayers, but gradually to understand why, when and how we pray.
Growing in Prayer
Just as children's knowledge and understanding develop across the curriculum, we believe that their participation in prayer and liturgy should develop progressively from Reception to Year Six.
Our Progression in Prayer and Liturgy sets out how children are progressively formed to participate in, understand, plan, lead and evaluate prayer and liturgy. Progression is based on children's age and capacity, with appropriate adaptations enabling pupils with SEN to participate meaningfully and develop increasing agency.
The journey begins in Reception, where children experience, imitate, notice and make simple choices. In Key Stage One, they participate confidently in familiar forms of prayer and begin to make supported choices. In Lower Key Stage Two, children increasingly explain their choices and share responsibility for planning and leading. By Upper Key Stage Two, pupils are developing the ability to discern, justify, lead and evaluate with growing independence and theological understanding.
Importantly, pupil leadership is not simply about giving older children more jobs to do. At Sacred Heart, formation comes before independence. Adults model and explicitly teach the meaning of Scripture, silence, symbol, gesture, liturgical seasons and different ministries so that, as children mature, their choices become increasingly thoughtful and purposeful.
Gather → Word → Response → Mission
Children across Sacred Heart become familiar with our child-friendly structure for planning and understanding a Celebration of the Word:
GATHER → WORD → RESPONSE → MISSION
This reflects a simple but important movement:
God calls us together → God speaks → we listen and respond → God sends us.
Gather – we prepare ourselves and our sacred space to encounter God.
Word – we listen attentively to God speaking to us through Scripture.
Response – we respond to God's Word through prayer, silence, music, reflection, intercession or another appropriate form of prayer.
Mission – we consider how what we have heard and prayed calls us to live differently.
Scripture is at the heart of our Celebrations of the Word. As children grow, they move from listening and responding to short passages to increasingly being able to select suitable Scripture and explain why it is appropriate to the season, purpose and community gathered.
Prayer Leads to Mission
At Sacred Heart, prayer does not finish when the candle is extinguished or when a Celebration of the Word ends. Prayer sends us out to live what we have heard.
Our youngest children might identify one simple way in which they can show love, kindness or forgiveness. As they grow, children increasingly connect Scripture and prayer with action in their family, school, parish and wider community. By Upper Key Stage Two, pupils are encouraged to recognise how prayer calls Christians to service, justice and the common good, making meaningful connections with Catholic Social Teaching.
This progression reflects something fundamental to our mission: we want our children to understand that faith is lived. What we encounter in Scripture and bring before God in prayer should shape our relationships, our choices, how we care for Creation, how we respond to injustice and how we serve others.
Pupil Leadership in Prayer
As children develop, they are given increasing responsibility for the prayer life of the school. Our progression moves from Reception children leading a simple response or helping to prepare a sacred space, through to older pupils confidently and sensitively leading Celebrations of the Word, coordinating their peers and supporting younger children.
This is closely connected to the work of our G.I.F.T. Team – Growing in Faith Together. Pupil leadership is understood as service to the praying community, rather than simply performing a role. Our aim is for children to leave Sacred Heart able to participate confidently and reverently
in Catholic prayer and liturgy, understand its meaning and recognise how prayer calls them to mission.
Documents
Sacred Heart Prayer and Liturgy Policy 2026–2028 This sets out the theology, principles and provision which underpin prayer and liturgy across our school, including our daily and weekly pattern of prayer, Celebrations of the Word, Mass, the liturgical year, pupil leadership, parish partnership and staff formation.
Sacred Heart Progression in Prayer and Liturgy 2026–2028 This shows how children's participation, understanding and leadership develop progressively from EYFS through to Upper Key Stage Two, including Scripture, the liturgical year, common Catholic prayer, planning, leadership, mission and evaluation.
