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

                                                                                                                                                (Matt.18:20)

Prayer is central to the life of St. Michael’s. 

Children at St Michael’s experience and explore a variety of methods of prayer, such as:

• Traditional learned prayer in a group setting
• Formal/informal prayer appropriate to the Liturgical cycle
• Prayer from scripture
• Individual, quiet prayer
• Spontaneous group prayer
• Prayer using images, music, art, nature, technology
• Silent group meditation
• Prayer in song
• Prayer for other (petitionary prayer)
• Imaginative prayer
• Prayer using movement/gestures

We believe that prayer and liturgy in our school aims to provide opportunity for all pupils and staff:

• To contemplate something of the mystery of God
• To reflect on spiritual and moral issues
• To explore their own beliefs
• To respond to and celebrate life
• To experience a sense of belonging and develop community spirit
• To develop a common ethos and shared values
• To develop the skills of reverence, contemplation, reflection, interpretation, empathy and meditation
• To enrich religious experience
• To grow in liturgical understanding.
• To reinforce prayers which are part of the Catholic tradition
• To reinforce positive attitudes
• To develop a sense of awe, wonder and inspiration in the person of Christ.

Principles of prayer and liturgy

All liturgies at Saint Michael's will:

• Give glory and honour to God
• Be a quality experience, fundamental to the life of the school and its Catholic character
• Give children positive liturgical experiences, appropriate to their age, aptitude and family backgrounds in order to prepare them for the liturgical life of the Church.

At St Michael's all children are welcomed to participate in daily worship. We gather together at Masses, liturgies, and through whole-school and in-class worship.

Our Celebrations of the Word are based on the 4-part structure:

· Gather

· Listening

· Responding

· Going Forth

Traditional prayers should be taught to all pupils, however, below is a list of prayers related to developmental stages:

Reception-

• Sign of the Cross (independently)

• Morning Offering

• Hail Mary

• Grace Before Meals (full version)

• Grace After Meals

• End of Day Prayer

• Begin learning:

  • Our Father

  • Glory Be

Year 1-

• Our Father (confident recitation)

• Glory Be

• Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ

• Thanksgiving Prayer

• Eternal Rest

Year 2-

• Consolidate all KS1 prayers

• Add:

  • Act of Sorrow

  • Act of Contrition (child-friendly version)

  • Simple Creed statements (not full Nicene Creed)

Year 3-

• Act of Contrition (standard version)

• Prayer to the Holy Spirit

• Responses for Mass (full set appropriate for First Holy Communion)

• Begin learning:

  • Angelus

Year 4-

• Angelus (full, confident)

• Memorare

• Eternal Rest (mastery)

• Simple Psalms (refrains)

Year 5-

• Nicene Creed (spoken confidently)

• Regina Caeli (Eastertide)

• Stations of the Cross responses

• Bidding prayer structures (writing + leading)

Year 6-

• Consolidation of all KS2 prayers

• Hail Holy Queen

• Benedictus (selected verses)

• Magnificat (selected verses)