Catholic school

“Prayer is an intrinsic part of daily life at Sacred Heart. Students are deeply devoted to offering themselves to God through individual prayer, periods of reflection and community worship.”

Catholic Schools Inspection 2024

Worship and prayer are central to the life of the school and we seek to provide engaging, innovative and creative experiences of the richness of the Catholic tradition.

The academic year commences with a Start of Year Mass for all students. In addition, there is a special Welcome Mass for the new Year 7 pupils and their families. Mass is celebrated on alternative Tuesday and Friday mornings for a year group, in addition to the Holy Week and Advent liturgies in Sacred Heart Church. Mass is celebrated for the whole school on Holy Days of Obligation and our School Feast day. There are special Leaver’s Liturgies for Year 11 and Year 13 students. Students are offered the opportunity to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation

Daily Form Prayer takes place during Form registration time and is usually led by a student using our Daily Prayer Booklet or their own resources. Each tutor room has a religious focal point and prayer resources. Students are actively encouraged to contribute to prayer by requesting to lead the prayers, writing their prayers and putting forward prayer requests. You can access the current Daily Prayer Booklet here.

Each Year attends an assembly in the School Hall. Prayer and liturgy are planned following a structure based on the Church's seasons, feast days, curriculum and significant dates. You can see our weekly Assembly Schedule for 2024-2025 here.

The school is very fortunate to have the Sacred Heart Church next door and the Parish Priest encourages the use of the church daily. The regular use of the Church and its easy access for the students makes a very significant contribution to the Catholic Ethos of the school.

In addition to the church, the school has an area known as the chapel under the stairs and a Rosary Garden. Both areas are always available to students and staff to use for individual prayer and quiet reflection as well as group collective worship.