Good Shepherd Primary School

 

Good Shepherd is a Catholic School, which makes this a very special place to be, but we also welcome children from other faiths. We are very proud to be a Catholic school. Our faith permeates every aspect of our school life and in the way the whole community treats and respects one another. The Catholic life of the school is rich in opportunities for children to encounter God and to deepen their relationship with Him as a loving, compassionate Father. We enable children to come to know and love God through prayer, liturgies, Religious Education lessons and through the relationships and support for each other that children, staff and parents enjoy within the school community, Religious icons can be found throughout the school. Displays of work in RE are of very high quality and can be seen in classrooms and all around the school, including the school's main reception area. Each class has a prayer focus area, with a liturgical cloth in the appropriate colour. The Christian values at the heart of our Catholic faith incorporate the British values and in everything we do, we aim to further each child's sense of commitment and responsibility to themselves, to others and in the wider world. 

 

Prayer and worship

 

Prayer and worship are central to the daily life of our school. We aim to provide opportunities for children's spiritual growth and development through participation in a variety of forms of worship and through experiencing all forms of prayer: formal, informal, spontaneous, private, shared, petitionary and meditative. Pupils are actively involved in planning and leading worship, both in class groups and whole school settings. Shared acts of worship take place in an atmosphere of reflection and stillness, where we encourage each other to listen to God speaking to us and to respond. Children are encouraged to write prayers and this is a skill which we explicitly teach, just as we teach other genres in English. 

 

The school as a Catholic Community

 

All staff, led by the Headteacher, Deputy Headteacher, R.E Leader and Governors are aware that the school's foundations are built on the Catholic faith and beliefs and that it is our shared responsibility to transmit the Catholic faith to the children in our care. All staff receive regular in-service training as part of their continuous professional development. Staff pray and work together to support each other in providing the very best Religious Education possible for the pupils. Learning in RE is at the core of the curriculum and we ensure that the Bishop's directive is followed in allocating 10% of curriculum time to RE lessons. The Governing Body, led by the Chair and the Governor responsible for RE, provide outstanding support and commitment to the central place of RE in the school. We hold the belief that we share the role of educators of the faith with the parents of our pupils. Parents are welcomed to assemblies, Masses and other liturgies throughout the year.