Catholic Life

As a Catholic Primary School, St Vincent’s works hard to develop and sustain the school’s Catholic distinctiveness. We work in close partnership with Father Richard and the parish of St Vincent’s, as well as other schools in the Diocese of Middlesbrough: especially the family of schools in the St Cuthbert’s Catholic Multi Academy Trust. Our Directors represent Bishop Drainey and work tirelessly in order to nurture the school’s Catholic ethos and ensure faith is manifested through every aspect of school life.

We have daily collective worship in school either in classrooms or in the school hall when we gather together as a school family. Children also pray daily in their classroom which can take a variety of forms. Rosary is prayed each week in our Rosary club, with a particular focus in May and October for the whole school.

Each classroom has a ‘Sacred Space’ to enable children to explore faith and spirituality in a safe, creative and interactive way. Prayer is an integral part of the school day where all children are invited to participate in their own personal way. When possible, parents and carers are invited to join the children in prayer and acts of worship. “Stay and Pray” sessions are enjoyed across the school as well as liturgies at key times in the year. The children attend Mass with their class during the term and we celebrate whole school Masses at various points in the school year.

Religious Education is the core subject at St Vincent’s VC Academy and is timetabled weekly, with 10% of teaching time dedicated to R.E. As a Catholic School, Christianity forms the major study in Religious Education lessons but other world faiths are also taught across the year. We follow the “Come and See” syllabus for RE, however, faith and spirituality is explored throughout the curriculum.

We also have a duty to foster an accurate and increasing understanding of religions and world views. As a result, pupils will gain greater insight into the world in which they are growing up in. They will also be able to appreciate the faith of others and develop a deeper understanding of their own beliefs and practices. These outcomes contribute to harmonious relationships within and between communities, promoting social inclusion and overcoming prejudice. We encourage our children to be good and positive citizens in the community in which they live, as well as looking after our common home- The Earth.

At St Vincent’s we work closely with the St Cuthbert’s Trust Chaplaincy team to support both local and global charities through fund raising and raising awareness of the vital work that they do.

We believe that the Catholic Education that we offer at St Vincent’s develops the potential of each child. We share responsibility, along with parents and our parish community, for the education of our children and young people. Our ethos is built upon Christ’s message and is firmly embedded in everything we do: to love one another; to show kindness to all; to nurture and to grow.