Our Lady and St Joseph 
Prayer and Collective Worship
'Prayer is the raising of one's heart and mind to God'
At Our Lady & St Joseph Catholic Academy, prayer and worship is an integral part of the school day.
We pray with the children:
- At the beginning of the school day: this consists of the morning prayer, prayer of the month and prayers for various intentions including those suggested by the children
- Before Meals: Grace before Meals
- After Meals: Grace after Meals
- At the beginning and end of an RE lesson: this is linked to the lesson, theme or day
- At the end of the school day: End of Day prayer
- During Collective Worship: this is a longer liturgy planned, prepared and led by the children. It includes formal prayers, short Scripture readings, a hymn and time for reflection or spontaneous prayer.
- In Assemblies: Monday Mission Assembly, Tuesday Hymn Practice, Friday Celebration Assembly led by different classes each week
- At Mass: children go to mass at Our Lady of the Angels Church fortnightly
- In the Prayer Room or Prayer Garden: opportunities for personal and spontaneous prayer
- At home: supported by the class prayer bags
Each classroom has a prayer focus/ sacred space. Children use it as a focal point when they pray. It will include:
- A cloth which follows the liturgical colour
- A crucifix and candle
- A statue/artefacts/ symbols- these are changed termly to maintain interest and follow themes or seasons
- Formal prayer posters or prayer cards
- Children's composed prayers and artefacts brought from home
Prayer takes a variety of forms and types and these are used with the children on a regular basis:
Forms of Prayer:
- Formal prayers led by teacher or children
- Spontaneous prayer led by teacher or children
- Prayers from the Mass
- A Reading from scripture
- A hymn (singing is praying twice!)
- Children's own written prayers
- Actions, signs and symbols accompany prayers when it is suitable to do so
- Guided meditation/ Lectio Divina
- Silent prayer
Types of Prayer:
Thanks- prayers which express our gratitude to God for all he has done for us
Asking- prayers we say when we ask Our Lord to intervene for us and Our Lady and the saints to mediate on our behalf
Praise- prayers to express our love for God and all he has created
Sorry- prayers we use to say sorry
Structure of Prayer:
When children compose their own prayers they should be taught to use the ‘You, Who, Do’ structure.
You- the greeting e.g. ‘Hail Mary’
Who- compliment e.g. ‘full of grace’
Do- your request e.g. ‘pray for us sinners now’
Teaching of formal prayers:
Formal prayers are used on a daily basis. These can be found on the ‘Teach us to Pray’ powerpoint - please click below.
