Faith Leaders

At St John Fisher Catholic Primary School, our Faith Leaders play an important role in promoting and celebrating our Catholic identity. They help us to grow together in faith and learning, encouraging our school community to develop a closer relationship with God and to live out the teachings of Jesus in our everyday lives.

Our Faith Leaders are pupils who take on a special responsibility for supporting the prayer life of our school. Through their words, actions and example, they help others to understand the importance of prayer, worship, reflection and living according to Gospel values.

Guided by our Catholic mission:

“We stand united in faith with the courage to build a loving world of truth, justice, peace and wisdom.”

Our Faith Leaders encourage everyone to recognise that faith is not simply something we learn about, but something we live each day through kindness, compassion, forgiveness and respect.

As Jesus teaches us:

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.”

Matthew 5:14

What Do Faith Leaders Do?

Our Faith Leaders help to make our Catholic faith visible throughout the school. They support opportunities for prayer and worship, encourage their classmates to participate in the spiritual life of the school and help us to celebrate the important events in the Church's calendar.

Faith Leaders may be involved in:

• Supporting and leading class and whole-school prayer.

• Helping to prepare prayer tables and prayer spaces around the school.

• Encouraging children to take part in collective worship and reflection.

• Supporting school Masses, liturgies and other Catholic celebrations.

• Helping to prepare for important times in the Church's calendar, including Advent, Christmas, Lent and Easter.

• Sharing Gospel messages and encouraging others to reflect on their meaning.

• Welcoming and supporting visitors during religious celebrations.

• Helping children to understand how we can live out our Catholic values in everyday life.

Through these responsibilities, children develop confidence, leadership skills and a deeper understanding of their faith.

Growing Together in Faith

Being a Faith Leader provides children with opportunities to deepen their own faith while encouraging others to do the same.

A particularly special experience for our Faith Leaders was attending the beginning-of-year Mass at St George's Cathedral in Southwark on 25 September. Celebrated by Archbishop John Wilson, the Mass brought together children and staff from Catholic schools across the Archdiocese of Southwark.

This was a valuable opportunity for our pupils to celebrate their faith alongside other Catholic school communities, strengthen their sense of belonging to the wider Church and reflect on the responsibility they hold as Faith Leaders.

Our Faith Leaders also have opportunities to participate in services and celebrations throughout the year, including the Advent service at St George's Cathedral.

Our Faith Leaders' Responsibility

Our Faith Leaders are encouraged to lead by example and recognise that being a leader is about the way we treat others, not simply the responsibilities we hold.

They strive to:

Pray - Encourage others to make time for prayer, reflection and their relationship with God.

Share - Help others to understand and celebrate our Catholic faith and the teachings of Jesus.

Lead - Be positive role models who demonstrate our school values through their words and actions.

Inspire - Encourage kindness, compassion, forgiveness and respect throughout our school community.

At St John Fisher, our Faith Leaders remind us that we all have a part to play in building a loving and faith-filled community.

Through prayer, worship and leading by example, they help us to grow together in faith and learning, bringing the light of Christ into our school and the wider world.

Love. Learn. Shine.