At St Peter's, Catholic Life is the heartbeat of our school. Guided by our mission,"Loved by Jesus, we love, we learn, we live and grow together for Him," we place Christ at the centre of all we do.

We believe every person is created in the image and likeness of God and has unique gifts to share. Through prayer, worship, learning and service, we nurture children to grow in faith, develop strong values and become compassionate citizens who make a positive difference in the world.

Our Catholic Life is not something we simply teach; it is something we live each day through our relationships, our actions and our commitment to serving others.

2025 Jubilee Year

Pope Francis has given the 2025 Jubilee Year the theme of Pilgrims of Hope. A Jubilee or Holy Year is a special year of forgiveness and reconciliation, in which people are invited to come back into right relationship with God, with one another, and with all of creation. A Jubilee Year is celebrated by the Church every 25 years.

The theme is Pilgrims of Hope. Pope Francis has invited Catholics to renew our hope and discover a vision that can "restore access to the fruits of the earth to everyone". We are also invited to rediscover a spirituality of God's creation in which we understand ourselves as "pilgrims on the earth" rather than masters of the world.

To celebrate this special Jubilee Year, every class has decorated their classroom doors with a chosen focus. 

Parent Prayer Sessions
 

At St. Peter's, we understand the significance of fostering a strong spiritual connection not only with our children but also with their families. As part of our commitment to nurturing a supportive and inclusive community, we provide parents with the opportunity to participate in dedicated parent prayer sessions.

Led by our Foundation Governor, these parent prayer sessions offer a sacred space for parents to engage in their own personal and reflective prayer. The sessions take place in our school chapel, which serves as a tranquil and prayerful environment conducive to silent contemplation. By offering parent prayer sessions, we aim to support parents in their own spiritual journey and provide a space for them to seek solace, guidance, and renewal.

St. Peter's Prayer Padlet

We had lots of positive feedback about our new prayer bags from parents and children but many expressed that they would like to bring the prayer bag home more frequently. As a result, we have made a Padlet with lots of prayer and liturgy resources for families to use at home. This way, children and parents have access to resources for worship all year around! Scan the QR code below to access the Padlet. Alternatively, it can be found here: https://padlet.com/lmcdonagh8/st-peter-s-home-prayer-padlet-lg749b0fvhpgpen5 
 

Bible Buddies

Each week, two different classes buddy up to share in faith by reading from the Bible together. Each week there is a different theme for the children to focus on. It's a wonderful opportunity for older children and younger children to work together and discuss lessons we can learn from the Bible.

"A" from Year 6 said: "I love meeting with my buddy. I especially like reading to them and answering their questions."

"N" from Year 2 said: "Bible Buddies is fun because we get to work with older children to talk about God."

Our parish priest, Father Gary, helps the children to appreciate and participate in the liturgy of the Church.  During the school term, the children take part in the celebration of the Mass either in church or school.  The major Catholic festivals are celebrated with special services in which pupils participate.  Parents are very welcome to join us on these occasions.

Sacraments

The sacraments of Reconciliation and First Holy Communion are received by baptised Catholic children at the end of Year 3. All children in Year 3 are included in the celebration of the sacrament and our inclusive ethos ensures that those children who are not baptised Catholics are enabled to participate as fully as possible in supporting their classmates during the programme. We welcome the support of parents at this very important time.

In Year 6, the children prepare for the Sacrament of Confirmation. As in Year 3, all children are included in the preparation and celebration of the sacrament. The children learn to grow in faith whilst considering the role of the Disciple. The Bishop confirms the children, during a moving service. Again, we welcome the support of parents during this important stage in the children’s lives.

Parents have a statutory right to withdraw their children from Religious Education and worship.  It is not expected that parents seeking a place in a Catholic School would wish to exercise this option.  In many instances, it would be very difficult to identify a specifically “religious” element in a topic or theme as Catholic philosophy underpins so much of our everyday work.  Any parents considering withdrawing their children from this area of the curriculum should put their request in writing to the Head Teacher.  They are strongly urged to discuss the matter with the Head Teacher in advance of any such decision.