We are a Catholic School. Everything that happens here is informed by Gospel Values and the teachings of Jesus.

Holy Family provides an education, based on the values of living life through Christ. The shared dedication of our wonderful staff team is an essential factor in maintaining our excellent standards; we want our pupils to learn, to grow and to be inspired by Gospel values, so that they can reflect God's love in their everyday lives.

As a Catholic school we have very strong links with our local Parish church: The Holy Family & All Saints.

Fr Nixon Gomes, the parish priest is a wonderful asset to the school who celebrates mass with the children, supports the school as a Governor and enjoys being part of the school community.

Our Prayer Life

Prayer is central to our everyday life at Holy Family.  We believe that prayer brings us closer to God.  We pray at different times of the day, sometimes as a personal prayer, sometimes as a collective prayer.  We pray for ourselves and the needs of others.  Our prayers are said to give thanks (thanksgiving), to ask for help (petition), to say sorry (confession), and praise God for his greatness (adoration). 

Prayers said by the children each day

Sign of the Cross

In the name of the Father,

and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen

Grace before Lunch

Bless us O Lord, as we sit together,

Bless the food we eat today,

Bless the hands that make the food,

Bless O Lord, Amen.

End of Day Prayer

God our Father, we come to say

Thank you for your love today.

Thank you for my family

And all the friends you give to me.

Guard me in the dark of night,

And in the morning send your light.

Amen

The children are also taught the key prayers of our faith

The Our Father

Our Father, Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Hail Mary

Hail Mary, Full of Grace, The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of death. Amen

The Glory Be

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now,
and ever shall be,
world without end.

Amen

The Angelus

The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of
our death. Amen.

Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.

Hail Mary . . .

And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.

Hail Mary . . .

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray:

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.

Community Prayer

Each week our newsletter gives information about the Gospel for that week.  The Wednesday Word is also sent with the newsletter. Families can join in using the resources.

Parents and the Parish are invited to attend Mass at the school.

Prayer Focus Area

Throughout the school we have dedicated prayer focus areas. In some areas the focus will remain the same, for instance to Our Lady, in other areas they will change to reflect the Liturgical calendar.

Each class has a Liturgical display box that contains everything they need to keep class prayer areas up to date and reflective of the Come and See theme or liturgical calendar theme.

Worship Council

Class representatives meet to discuss and plan for prayer in the school.  This allows the children to become more involved

First Holy Communion

Sacramental preparation is conducted within the Parish.  Once the children have made their First Holy Communion a special Mass is celebrated in school so that we can join with the children in the first time that they have communion in school.

 In every class, children learn all about their special Saints. Through studying the lives of the Saints we all learn to live in God's love.

Catholic Citizenship Awards

History of the Citizenship Awards

On 23 May 2002, Catholic schools in the Diocese were invited to nominate pupils who had displayed outstanding awareness of good citizenship. Recipients were to be presented with an award in St Helen’s Cathedral Brentwood by Professor Lord Alton. The initiative was inspired by Lord Alton, a former pupil of this Diocese, and supported strongly by the Brentwood Religious Education Service to encourage schools to respond to Government requirements that Citizenship be included in the curriculum.

Brentwood Diocese is committed, as is Lord Alton, to the idea that to be a good Catholic involves being a good citizen, ‘the Gospel of Jesus Christ requires us to “love our neighbour as ourselves” and that is at the heart of the Christian interpretation of citizenship’.

Each year at Holy Family all staff are asked to nominate children who live out the Gospel Values in their everyday life.  From the short-list a winner is voted for. The overall winner and their family attend the service at Brentwood Cathedral.  To be nominated for this award is a wonderful achievement in itself, and all the nominees receive a certificate of acknowledgement and a medal in a special assembly in school.

                                                                                    Laudato Si

Fratelli Tutti

                                                                                            CAFOD Children's Club

With CAFOD clubs, our children can lead the way, put their faith into action and strongly support the Catholic life of the school.  Through games and mini projects, the children learn about the wider world and take part in activities to reach people who urgently need our help. Right now, a child is going hungry because crops have failed in his village. A family doesn’t have clean, safe water to drink, and a girl is missing school because she’s sick from a preventable disease. It doesn’t have to be this way. Through our CAFOD club, our children can help to change this, so every person in our world has the chance to flourish.