Catholic Life

St John Fisher is first and foremost a Catholic Community of Faith. As such, we aim to provide every child with a genuine experience of what it means to belong to a Christian community, where our relationships are built on encouragement, concern, respect, forgiveness, and reconciliation.

The purpose of Catholic education is to assist the Church in its mission to make Christ known to all people, and to assist Catholic parents in the education and religious formation of their children. We strive to do so by placing Christ and the teachings of the Catholic Church at the centre of all that we do, by promoting Gospel values and providing a high - quality Catholic education which contributes to the spiritual, moral, intellectual, and personal development and well-being of all our students.

Every school day starts with an act of collective worship which takes place in form rooms. Daily scripture readings and prayers are provided by our Lay Chaplain, which are linked to a weekly whole school theme. Students are encouraged to lead these daily acts of worship, including producing and/or selecting their own readings, prayers, or reflections.

In addition, each year group gathers in the School Chapel for a weekly act of Collective Worship. Each form group also takes responsibility for planning and leading at least one Chapel act of collective worship during the school year.

The celebration of the Eucharist is central to the Catholic life of the school, and we provide regular opportunities for all members of the school community to celebrate Mass. For example, a highlight of the first term for our new students is the year 7 welcome mass. Students also contribute to a wide range of liturgical events at the school, in our local parishes and across the wider diocese of Leeds.

We provide a wide range of opportunities which contribute to the faith formation and spiritual development of our students. Students in all year groups participate in religious retreats and pilgrimages. Students in the lower school participate in form group retreat days at Harlow Carr and Knaresborough. Students in the upper school participate in residential retreats at Ampleforth College and the school’s pilgrimage programme includes visits to Walsingham and Rome, and participation in the annual Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes.

The school supports our young people in working towards the Faith in Action Award Scheme. This is a national award for young people aged 10 – 18 which is supported by the Catholic Youth Ministry. Students across all year groups participate in a wide range of fundraising events throughout the year, including for Catholic Charities such as CAFOD, the Lourdes Pilgrimage and the Leeds Diocesan Good Shepherd Appeal. Students also raise money for Children in Need, and in response to local, national, and international emergency appeals.

As a Catholic school we support the on-gong faith formation and Catechesis of our students through a formal Religious Education programme. Religious Education is the core academic subject in our curriculum. As such, it is a compulsory subject for all students in years 7 to 11, with all year 11 students taking either a GCSE in Religious Education or an entry level qualification, dependent upon their ability. In addition, all 6th form students follow a General Religious Studies course.

We are committed to building on the sustained successes of our partner Catholic primary schools. Although the admission policy gives priority to baptised Catholic children, the governors’ welcome applications from people of all faiths who wish to benefit from, and are willing to support, our Catholic values and ethos.