Catholic Life and Mission at St. Cuthbert’s

Our Mission Statement

“Educate; Create; Witness; Christ at the Centre”

Through living out our faith commitment each and every day, every member of our school family- Children, Staff, Governors, Parents & Carers and wider Family Members, Governors, Parish and wider Community Members strive to:

‘Educate each other, Create Community, Witness the Gospel Values and put Christ at the Centre of all we do’

‘When Jesus is asked which is the greatest commandment, the answer is the same in all three of the Gospels in which the question is asked:

‘To love God with all your mind, heart, soul and strength, and to love your neighbour as yourself.’

This call to love is at the heart of the educational mission of our school and is threefold

Our first purpose is to ensure that all pupils understand the faith that gives our school its identity as a Catholic school.
Our second, is to ensure that all are invited to learn how to worship God in spirit and truth through the prayer and liturgy of the Church.
Our third, is the formation of all to live in conformity with the pattern of human goodness, truth and justice that we find in Jesus Christ.’

Through religious education pupils at our school are invited to

Love God with all their mind, through collective worship with all their heart, soul and strength and through the Catholic life and mission of the school to love their neighbour as themselves.

Catholic Life and Mission Policy 2026.docx

Prayer & Liturgy at St. Cuthbert’s

According to Bishop Marcus Stock in Christ at the Centre, prayer and liturgy are essential in a Catholic school to place Christ at the centre of education, enabling the community to experience God’s presence, develop a mature spiritual life and foster a reflective, faith filled environment. These acts are fundamental to shaping the Catholic identity, nurturing a relationship with God, and connecting daily school life to the Church’s sacramental tradition.

Key reasons for the importance of prayer and liturgy include:

Spiritual Development: They provide consistent opportunities for reflection, allowing students to explore their beliefs, develop a sense of awe and wonder, and mature in their faith.
Centrality of Christ: They ensure that the school’s mission is rooted in Gospel values and the life of Christ.
Community and Identity: They build a shared, vibrant faith community, reinforcing Catholic identity and fostering a sense of belonging.
Liturgical Formation: They help children understand and participate in the full, conscious, and active life of the Church, including Mass and the Sacraments.
Reflection on Life: They allow the school community to bring their daily experiences into the presence of God, offering praise, thanks, and reflection.

Prayer and Liturgy Policy 2026

Follow us on Facebook to see some of the amazing things that go on at St. Cuthbert’s each and every day. We provide our children with a wide, rich set of experiences that develop their talents and interests. Our children are confident and resilient and enjoy each and every learning opportunity both inside and outside of school, giving them an excellent foundation to become lifelong learners who embrace and thrive on new and exciting challenges. We are so proud of each and every one of them. Take a look and we think you’ll agree.

Follow us on Facebook- St. Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary, Grindon

https://www.facebook.com/StCuthbertsCatholicPrimaryGrindon

Father Marc visited every class to distribute the ashes on Ash Wednesday

Y6 shopping for their ‘Feeding Families’ appeal.

Delivering our food donations to the ‘Feeding Families’ Charity

Year 6 delivering their parcels to the Teams4U shoe box appeal as part of their Faith in Action Award.

Y6 sorting the donations for their Salvation Army Christmas Present charity appeal.

Faith in Action

In Year 6, our pupils participate in the Faith In Action award. The Faith in Action Award rewards young people’s active service in helping to build the Kingdom of God on Earth. Many young people are doing so much to follow Jesus’ example in serving others in their schools and parishes. The Faith in Action Award encourages young people to take that service into their wider community and accept greater responsibility for their faith in action. The programme facilitates an exploration of scripture and Church teaching, with an emphasis on translating this into action. It encourages young people to shine the light of faith upon their experience of service through guided and personal reflection. Our pupils aim for the Pin (Discovery) award at the end of the year, and this can be followed up in Year 7 and onwards up to the Gold award. The final books are moderated by parish members, and the pupils take part in a Faith In Action liturgy, which offers families the opportunity to share in mission.

Children visiting the residents of High Grindon House to sing some Christmas Carols

Father Marc celebrating our whole school Christmas mass- what a wonderful way to end our term.

The end of year carol concert- just us, listening to the story of the birth of the Baby Jesus- one of our most favourite times of year.

Year 5 and 6 re-telling the story of the Nativity- not a dry eye in the house

Year 1 and 2 retold the very special story of the birth of baby Jesus from the point of view of ‘Little Star’- Wonderful!

Father Marc celebrates parish mass every Wednesday in St. Cuthbert’s. Our children, their families and all parishioners are invited. It is a very special time for us and we are so lucky to have mass in school every week.

Father Marc always gives us food for thought through his amazing sermons. We always take his message with us as we go forward in our week.

Father Marc celebrating with our Year 2 children after mass- we love our parish priest and think he’s just the best!

The adults don’t escape a photograph either! Wednesday Mass mornings are a very special time at St. Cuthbert’s.

Learning all about how CAFOD helps those in need. We heard all about the struggles that children face around the world. We also held a CAFOD school raffle and raised £287.00