Chaplaincy | St Francis' Catholic Primary School

Our Chaplaincy Team:

Faith in Action, Heart to Heart

At the heart of our school is something deeper than curriculum, timetables and term dates. It is the living faith of our community — alive in word, witness, worship and welcome — and our Chaplaincy Team helps bring this faith to life every day. Rooted in Gospel values, shaped by Catholic Social Teaching and inspired by Christ’s example of servant leadership, our Chaplaincy Team leads our school in growing hearts of love, hands of service and voices of hope.

We are proud that Chaplaincy at St Francis is not something we do, but something we are. It is a way of life that draws pupils into deeper purpose, prayer and action — and it is led by our young people themselves.

"Pupils relish the opportunities they are given to plan, lead and evaluate prayer and worship in the school. They highly value the autonomy they have been given and have made it their own."
— Section 48 Catholic Schools Inspectorate Report, 2024

St Francis Chaplaincy Team

Who We Are: A Community of Faith Leaders

Our Chaplaincy Team is made up of pupils across the school who have been chosen — or who have volunteered — to serve as leaders of faith within our community. Each member brings their own gifts, personality and ideas but all are united by a desire to make Jesus known, loved and celebrated in our school.

Supported by our Chaplaincy Lead, our parish priests and a wider Trust chaplaincy network, the team meets regularly to plan, reflect and grow in faith together. We believe leadership in faith is about the heart before the microphone — and our Chaplaincy Team are encouraged to lead from love, not from a script.

What We Do: Mission in Motion

The Chaplaincy Team’s work is rich, varied and dynamic. We give pupils a meaningful voice in shaping the Catholic life of our school and offer daily, visible witness to our mission.

Our Chaplaincy Team leads:

Whole-school and class worship: Preparing and leading collective worship that is prayerful, inclusive and rooted in Scripture
Liturgical celebrations: Supporting Masses, feast days and liturgical events such as Advent, Lent and Holy Week with reverence and joy
Charitable outreach: Raising funds and awareness for causes including CAFOD, the Emmaus Project, the local foodbank and our Trust-wide Uganda Water Project
Pastoral support: Offering a listening ear to others, running prayer stations and ‘peace corners’ during playtimes and being a visible source of comfort and encouragement
Acts of kindness: Developing campaigns that reflect the Beatitudes — from welcoming new pupils to writing messages of hope
Displays and sacred spaces: Creating and caring for prayerful, visually rich spaces across the school — including the school prayer garden

Formation and Leadership Training

We believe that our Chaplaincy Team should be formed, not just appointed. Each child receives training in leading worship, using Scripture, understanding the liturgical year and exploring Catholic Social Teaching. They develop skills in public speaking, teamwork and reflective leadership.

They also participate in:

Retreats and quiet days to deepen personal faith and grow in community
Chaplaincy conferences and Trust gatherings to collaborate with pupils from other Newman Catholic Trust schools
Reflection and scripture sessions that nourish their spiritual growth and shape their leadership in a uniquely Catholic way

A Living Witness: Impact and Inspiration

The impact of our Chaplaincy Team radiates through every part of school life. They show what it means to live with purpose, to lead with humility and to serve with joy.

"Pupils readily and enthusiastically embrace the demands of Catholic social teaching, making links between life and the teachings of Jesus and their own behaviour... They enjoy actively participating in promoting the Catholic life of the school, for example, in showing care for the environment, each other and those in need."
— Section 48 Catholic Schools Inspectorate Report, 2024

Our children are not just growing in knowledge — they are growing in love. They are becoming the people God has called them to be: prayerful, courageous, joyful and compassionate.

The children in the Chaplaincy team have lots of ideas of how they can fulfil their roles.

Here are some of the activities they have been involved with over the past year:

• Arranging celebrations to remember Saints days and festivals (eg St Francis' Feast day, Chinese New Year, Day of the Dead, Epiphany - Blessing of the Homes and Chalking the Door)

• Organising Charity fund-raising events (eg Harvest Sale, Lent collection "Spend a Penny", Cake Sales, Sponsored event)

• Supporting projects in the community (eg Shoe box appeal, litter picks)

• Leading prayer services

• Developing our Prayer garden

• Developing an understanding of Catholic Social Teaching principles (eg by inviting Parishioners to our School Masses; by supporting Anti-Bullying Day)

• Teaching other pupils in the school about the Church seasons (eg Holy Week Workshop)

“Called by Name” — Why It Matters

As a Catholic school, we believe every child is called by name, loved deeply and invited to discover their vocation. Our Chaplaincy Team is a powerful expression of this belief: young people recognising that they have a role in God’s plan, a voice in His Church and a heart ready to change the world.

In the words of Pope Francis:

“Do not bury your talents. The Lord has given you gifts to make the world better.”
(Pope Francis, Christus Vivit)

At St Francis, those gifts are not buried — they are shining brightly in the hearts of our Chaplaincy Team.