At our school, we believe that prayer is an important part of being a Christian.

Prayer is a central feature of life at our school because we believe that it not only provides a way of behaving which is kind and loving but rooted in a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, who is the Saviour of all. This understanding runs through everything we do: the way adults relate to each other and with children, and the way we encourage children to behave towards everyone.

Prayer is a way of both speaking to God and listening to Him. We speak to him when we say prayers, and these might be prayers of thanks, prayers when we ask Him for something when we pray for someone else or say sorry for what we have done wrong. We listen to God by reflecting on what we have seen and heard, and by hearing in our prayers what we should be asking for, or thanking Him for. Jesus told us: “When you pray…” and so prayer is encouraged throughout the day; in class, in the playground, and in times of collective worship.

In times of collective worship, we are reminded of the prayer that Jesus taught us to say: 

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.

We light a candle as part of our assembly: we do this because a candle is a symbol of Jesus, the light of the world, and because the candle carries on burning, carrying on our prayer, even when we are not speaking. It is also a visible sign that worship has begun. At the end of our assembly, we blow out the candle to bring that act of worship to a close