At Our Lady and St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School, we are proud to be a school at the very heart of our community. Our mission statement, “We grow together with kind hearts and curious minds, living out our faith in all we do,” reflects the values that guide our daily life and shape our school family.

The Catholic faith and the teachings of the Gospel are central to everything we do. We strive to nurture children who are kind, compassionate and respectful, encouraging them to care for one another and to recognise the dignity of every person. Through our shared faith, we support each child to grow spiritually, socially and academically in a loving and inclusive environment.

The Catholic life of the school is rich in opportunities for children to encounter God and deepen their relationship with Him. Through prayer, both traditional and spontaneous, liturgies, acts of worship and Religious Education lessons, children are encouraged to reflect on their faith and live it out through their actions. The strong relationships between children, staff, families and the wider parish community help to create a caring and supportive environment where everyone feels valued.

We encourage our children to develop curious minds and a love of learning. Through engaging lessons, thoughtful questioning and opportunities to explore the world around them, children are inspired to become confident, independent learners who use their talents to make a positive difference.

Faith is visible throughout our school environment. Religious Education displays can be seen in classrooms and around the school, including our main reception area. Each classroom has a dedicated prayer focus area, complete with liturgical colours linked to the Church’s seasons, helping children to reflect and pray together throughout the year.

The Christian values at the heart of our Catholic faith also support and promote British values. We aim to help every child develop a strong sense of responsibility to themselves, to others and to the wider world, preparing them to become thoughtful, respectful and active members of society.

---

Prayer and worship

Prayer and worship are central to the daily life of our school. We aim to provide opportunities for children's spiritual growth and development through participation in a variety of forms of worship and through experiencing all forms of prayer: formal, informal, spontaneous, private, shared, petitionary and meditative.

Pupils are now becoming more actively involved in planning and leading worship, both in class groups and whole school settings. Shared acts of worship take place in an atmosphere of reflection and stillness, where we encourage each other to listen to God speaking to us and to respond. Children are encouraged to write prayers and this is a skill which we explicitly teach, just as we teach other genres in literacy.

The school as a Catholic Community

All staff are aware that the school's foundations are built on the Catholic faith and beliefs and that it is our shared responsibility to share the Catholic faith to the children in our care. Staff pray and work together to support each other in providing the very best Religious Education possible for the pupils.

Learning in RE is at the core of the curriculum and we ensure that the Bishop's directive is followed in allocating 10% of curriculum time to RE lessons. The Governing Body, led by the Chair and the Governor responsible for RE, provide support and commitment to the central place of RE in the school.

We hold the belief that we share the role of educators of the faith with the parents of our pupils and we strive to keep them fully informed of what their child is learning at school and to support them in what they can do at home to further their child's understanding of the faith. Parents are welcomed to assemblies, Masses and other liturgies throughout the year.

 

 

 

Religious Education is at the centre of our curriculum. 

This academic year (2025-26) all classes will be teaching the updated RE Curriculum which follows The New Religious Education Directory 2023.  We are being supported in the implementation plan, by our diocese.  

This year:

Nursery and Reception will be taught the EY curriculum.

Y1/2 are being taught the Y1 curriculum

Year 3 are being taught the Y3 curriculum

Year 4/5 and 6 are being taught the Y5 curriculum

On Friday 4th October 2025, our multi-school academy trust, Plymouth CAST, celebrated it's 10th anniversary with a joint online Liturgy.  Thank you to the children for participating and making this a very special celebration indeed.