Collective Worship

St Francis Xavier’s strives to build a Catholic Christian community of love and respect to educate young people to meet the challenges of life confidently, to develop their unique talents to the full, and to live out the values of Christ and his Gospel.

“Jesus came ‘in order that you may have life…life in all its fullness.’ (John 10:10)

St Francis Xavier’s Academy is a Christain community that aims to actively live out its mission statement. At St Francis Xavier’s Academy we believe that all community members should live out our values every day in their interactions which will always be dignified and FAIR based around Faith, Ambition, Integrity and Respect.

Every individual in our academy Community has the entitlement to be treated with the love, respect and dignity that comes from being a child of God, born in the image of Christ. We aspire to be a confident, outward-looking Catholic community in which every member:

Enjoys creative, dynamic and reflective learning;
Is supported, challenged and equipped for the future;
Values and takes responsibility for themselves and others;
Helps to build supportive, long-lasting relationships.

Underpinning our aims is collective worship that encourages the spiritual growth of each individual by providing opportunities to:

Contemplate in wonder the mystery of God;
Respond to and celebrate God’s love for each individual;
Enrich the religious experience of those in our community and give opportunities for growth in faith;
Intercede before God for those in need, both inside and outside the school community through prayer and direct social action;
Deepen our understanding of Catholic liturgy.

We strive to live out the charism of St Francis Xavier and the De La Mennais Brothers and their Founder Father Jean-Marie De La Mennais, “making Jesus Christ better known and loved by all”, through the formation and development of the whole person (intellectual, spiritual, physical, emotional).

Collective Worship is a core aspect of our schools catholic identity. The importance of spending time in the presence of God has been fundamental to the Catholic way of life for centuries.

Here at St Francis Xavier’s Academy, we ensure that our children have broad and varied opportunities to experience God through prayer and worship.

Whole School Collective Worship

Assembly & Liturgy

Each year group will have an assembly one week and a liturgy the next to gather together and take part in collective prayer and liturgy and also listen and take part in an assembly based on a Chirstian theme

Whole School Masses

Each Term, we have year group Masses which we celebrate with the parish for different feast days and solemnities and for our school and parish community.

Form based Collective worship

Each form/Class is given several opportunities to pray throughout the day. Students are taught a range of Catholic prayers to be used in a range of different situations. The children within the class are given the opportunity to plan and lead Collective Worship with the support of the form / class teachers.

Academy Prayer

Lord,

Help us to embody fairness in all we do. May our words be of truth and justice. Let our actions be of dignity and compassion. Embolden us in our faith. Grant us the power and confidence to achieve our hearts’ desires and reach our fullest potential. May we live a life of service as St. Francis Xavier did. Bless us with the gifts of gentleness, forgiveness and peace wherever we go.

Amen.

FAIR Values

FAIR Values: Faith – Ambition – Integrity – Respect

Our Xaverian values of Faith, Ambition, Integrity and Respect challenge us to live out the values of Jesus Christ and our patron Saint Francis Xavier in all that we do. We promote these values by our words and actions, and Catholic doctrine and practice therefore permeates every aspect of the school’s activity. We provide a Catholic curriculum, which is rich, broad and balanced, recognising that every student is unique and is created in the image of God (Genesis 1; 27).

Faith

We strive to have a meaningful relationship with God, our community, each other and ourselves. We believe that faith is a firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. (Hebrews 11). It is rooted as our faith in God but it is also a firm faith, trust and confidence in ourselves, others and in the children we teach. We want our students to grow the faith that they have in themselves and develop their own core beliefs, underpinned by Christian values and teaching, to equip them as they leave our school and take their place in the world.

Ambition

St Francis Xavier’s Academy is committed to making a major contribution to developing educational excellence in Liverpool. We want to be the best version of ourselves, reaching our full potential in all we do, and we strive to:

Be at the leading edge of high quality, inclusive and innovative teaching and learning practice;
Raise the aspirations, expectations and the educational achievement of all members of our school community.

Integrity

We share a commitment to the services of young people which will empower them to play their full part in society. We want to show moral integrity in everything that we do, by always choosing to do the right thing and having the courage to follow what we believe is right in our hearts. We must be honest, trustworthy and take responsibility for all our actions. In the light of this we aim to:

Recognise and respond sensitively to the talents and needs of every student and provide the most appropriate means of developing their full potential;
Ensure that equality of opportunity is available to all.

Respect

At St Francis Xavier’s Academy we value everyone and everything and celebrate our differences. We show respect to property and belongings, each other and ourselves. In order to promote an environment which celebrates mutual respect we:

Challenge intolerance in any form;
Actively engage in restorative approaches and Trauma Informed practices to build a community based on justice and a sense of personal responsibility whilst acknowledging the power of healing, reconciliation and forgiveness;
Welcome, value and respect all members of our school community;
Develop a spirit of tolerance, understanding and respect for other cultures, traditions and faiths;
Promote dialogue and co-operation with the wider community.