Collective Worship
Collective Worship at St Elizabeth’s is at the heart of what we do. We are proud to offer pupils, staff and our wider community the opportunity to grow spiritually, through experiences of prayer, worship and reflection. Our collective worship is inclusive, creative and inspirational.
Collective worship can be experienced through:
- Holy Mass – The Holy Eucharist is the sacrament, in which Jesus gives himself to us. In the Eucharist, we receive His body and blood. By eating His body and drinking His precious blood, we become the Body of Christ – the Church. At St Elizabeth’s, the children are involved in the planning of Masses and we endeavour to schedule Masses for Holy Days of Obligation. When this is not possible, we plan for appropriate non-eucharistic celebrations to mark the events. School Masses are wonderful celebrations to which the whole school community and parish are invited.
- Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament: During Adoration, Jesus’s body is displayed in a sacred vessel called the monstrance on the altar. Through prayer, singing and contemplative silence, we make ourselves aware of Jesus’s presence in Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity, under the appearance of the consecrated host.
- Whole School Celebration of the Word: The children take part in weekly Celebrations of the Word, which are based on witness to Christ’s life as seen in the Gospels and incorporate our Franciscan values of joy, forgiveness, faith, respect, service, peace and stewardship. These celebrations may be led by pupils or staff. They sometimes take place in class, sometimes in Key Stages and – most commonly – as a whole-school community. Within these Celebrations of the Word, pupils are encouraged to play an active role by reading, singing, acting, praying and reflecting.
- Class Celebration of the Word: When we do not have a whole-school gathering, pupils will experience prayer in their classes. Teachers offer opportunities to worship in different ways using music, silence, story, circle time, prayer, reflection and meditation. The children are supported plan their own Celebrations of the Word, as appropriate to their age and stage of development. Please see our progression document to see how we aim to develop children’s skills in planning and leading times of prayer.
- Class Retreats: On Tuesdays, our lay-chaplain will lead a class in retreat. This is an opportunity to nurture their spiritual and moral development and put aside the demands of daily life. Themes for retreats are set out in our termly liturgical planner. These may be based on Franciscan values, Catholic Social Teaching, places of pilgrimage, the saints etc. Each class has the opportunity to take part in a retreat each term.
- Achievement Celebration of the Word: Every Friday, we are delighted to invite parents in to join us in celebrating the good news of each class. It is during this that pupils will be encouraged to recall the Gospel reading from Monday’s Celebration of the Word and their mission. The children’s achievements, learning and general good news will then be shared.
- Staff Prayer: We also endeavour to nurture our staff’s wellbeing – including their spiritual wellbeing. All staff briefings, meetings and INSETs begin with a time of prayer. Staff are also invited to join staff prayer with our lay-chaplain after school on Thursdays.
Prayer and Liturgy Documents
On a weekly basis, our schedule of collective worship is as follows:
Monday | 15:00 | Head’s Celebration of the Word | The whole school gather together to listen and respond to Sunday’s Gospel. The children are given a mission for the week. The preparation of this Celebration of the Word is supported by pupils. |
Tuesday | 14:00 | Class Celebration of the Word (Child-Led) | A small group of children are chosen each week to plan, prepare and lead Celebration of the Word for their classmates. |
Wednesday | 15:00 | Sing and Praise Celebration of the Word | Each week we gather to sing our praises. The children learn traditional and contemporary hymns that help build their awareness of the Church’s liturgical cycle. Opportunities are also made for the children to request hymns. We remember the words of St Augustine of Hippo, who said, "Whoever sings, prays twice." |
Thursday | 15:00 | Class Celebration of the Word/Class Assembly | With the support of our lay-chaplain and their class teachers, the children plan, prepare and lead a Celebration of the Word for the whole school community. Families are invited to attend and join the celebrations too. |
Friday | 15:00 | Achievement Celebration of the Word | The whole school gather together at the end of the week to recall the Gospel teaching and their mission. Together, we recognise the achievements of our school community. |