Catholic Life

An Outstanding school with 140 years’ experience in Catholic education (Catholic Schools Inspectorate Report, Feb 2024)

At La Retraite, our Catholic education is built on the ethos of "To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God" (Micah 6:8). Rooted in the teachings of the Church, our school fosters a community where faith, compassion, and service guide our actions.

Our theme for the academic year 2024/25, "Demonstrating the Love of Christ through Acts of Service," reflects our commitment to living out these values. The Sacred Heart of Jesus, our Patronal Feast day, serves as a special occasion for reflection and celebration of this central theme, guiding us in our pursuit of justice, mercy, and humility in all aspects of school life.

School Prayer

O Jesus, through Your Immaculate Heart

I offer You my day;

my work, prayers, my joys;

my time with friends;

my time of rest;

my difficulties, problems

and distress,

I offer these, my gifts, to join

with Your gift of love for all.

Grant Your blessing upon all in our school community.

Amen.

Click here to view our Prayer Card

Oscar Romero Award awarded to La Retraite

La Retraite has proudly been awarded the Level 2 Oscar Romero Award (Developer Level) in recognition of our ongoing commitment to promoting Catholic Social Teaching. This achievement highlights the many ways we actively demonstrate God’s love through creative, compassionate, and tangible actions across our school community.

Having now reached the Developer Level, we continue to deepen our efforts, living out these values with even greater intention and impact. We are now preparing to apply for Level 3 – the Innovator Level, as we strive to lead and inspire even more meaningful change rooted in faith and justice.

Our Commitment to the Community

At La Retraite, students and staff are committed to fundraising and supporting charitable causes. Over the years, we have raised funds for a wide range of organisations, including Trinity Hospice, CAFOD, Macmillan Cancer Support, the La Retraite Charitable Fund, Clapham Park Foodbank, Book Aid International, Handmaids of Mary Convent, Camps International (Kenya Expedition), and the Medaille Trust.

Supporting Trinity Hospice

Our work with Trinity Hospice has been particularly impactful. Mr. Phil Cuthell spoke to Year 9 students about the exceptional care provided by the hospice and its alignment with Catholic teaching on the Sanctity of Life. We continue to raise money each year for the hospice and work closely with a representative who visits our school to engage with students and staff.

Clapham Park Foodbank Collection

Every half term, we hold a collection for the Clapham Park Foodbank, a local initiative supported by churches and community groups working together to combat hunger. Staff and students generously contribute to these collections, providing vital support for those in need.

Christmas Projects

During the Christmas season, students take part in a shoebox project, creating gifts for children in need, which are delivered to the Handmaids of Mary Convent. Additionally, Year 7 students, alongside our Librarian, create Christmas cards for residents at a care home in Vauxhall where the Handmaids of Mary work. The positive feedback from the children and elderly residents is always heartwarming.

England and Wales - CAFOD - Caritas

Form Time and Assemblies

Click here to view the Assembly Rota 2025/26

Click here to view our Form Time Activities

At La Retraite, our form time routines and assemblies play a vital role in fostering our Catholic ethos and sense of community. Each morning, students gather in their form groups for prayer, reflection, and discussions that align with our school’s values. This dedicated time encourages spiritual growth, personal development, and a strong sense of belonging. During the month of June, students engage in activities focused on the Sacred Heart of Jesus, deepening their understanding of faith and compassion through reflective discussions and creative tasks. Weekly assemblies, led by senior leaders and heads of years, provide opportunities for Prayer and Liturgy. Through these routines, we nurture a faith-filled environment where students are inspired to live out Gospel values in their daily lives.

Liturgical Observance

Masses

Year group and class Masses are an integral part of our school’s spiritual life, taking place throughout the year. Year group Masses are held on Holy Days of Obligation, providing students with the opportunity to come together in worship and reflection. At the start of each academic year, Year 7 students are welcomed into the school community with a special ‘Welcome Mass.’ Our school feast day is marked with a celebratory Mass on the Feast of the Sacred Heart, held in the chapel, where students from all year groups are invited to participate in this important occasion of faith and unity.

In addition to the Masses, there are several other opportunities for prayer and reflection throughout the year. Staff gather every Friday morning at 8am for a Staff Mass in the school Chapel. During Advent, special services are held in the Chapel to prepare for the coming of Christ, and the school also hosts a Carol Service in the Chapel for staff, students, and parents to celebrate the joy of the Christmas season together.

Online Masses

Walsingham – live mass at 12pm each day.

Pope Francis – live mass at 7am each morning, or watch recordings.

Lourdes – live TV from Grotto, masses and Rosary throughout the day.

The Catholic Church Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales – You can choose masses offered by different parishes.

Liturgical Calendar 2024/25

Catholic Life Calendar 2025/26

Prayer and Liturgy Policy 2025

Events

Throughout the week, we offer various opportunities for prayer, reflection, and spiritual growth:

Friday Morning Mass – Held every week at 8:00 am in the school Chapel, this Mass provides a peaceful start to the day for staff and students.
Student Chaplaincy Group Prayer – The Chaplaincy Group meets fortnightly on Thursdays during morning registration for prayer and reflection.
Year 12 Bible Study – A dedicated time for Year 12 students to explore and reflect on scripture together.
Confession and Prayer with Fr. Matthew – Every Friday, Fr. Matthew is available to support students with Confession and prayer, offering spiritual guidance and support.
Weekly Gospel Reflection – Each year group participates in a Gospel reflection on different days, helping to deepen their understanding of the teachings of Christ.
Way of the Cross - During the season of Lent, students from Years 7 to 13 have a session in each form class where they spend time reading a Bible passage, reflecting on it and participating in the Way of the Cross. A member of staff leads a Way of the Cross session after school, every Friday during the season of Lent.

These events are integral to nurturing our school community’s faith and spiritual journey.

Gallery of Events

Catholic Life and Mission

Student Chaplaincy Group

The Student Chaplains have made significant contributions to the school Chaplaincy, demonstrating their commitment to service and faith. Over the past academic year, they played an active role in supporting the Clapham Park Foodbank through food collection drives and raised funds for Trinity Hospice by selling knitted Christmas trees, chocolates, and cupcakes during the festive season. They also received training as altar servers and have had the privilege of serving at several Masses. Before Easter, they were involved in selling Easter eggs to raise money for Trinity Hospice.

This year, in addition to continuing these activities, the Student Chaplains will be visiting local organisations such as the Clapham Park Foodbank, Little Sisters of the Poor care home, St. Bede's Community Church, and Trinity Hospice. They will also be taking on the responsibility of training other students to become altar servers.

The Student Chaplains also participate in gardening projects, fulfilling their role as good stewards of the earth, and raise funds for CAFOD during the Advent and Lent seasons. Additionally, they are volunteering to teach knitting to others. Each week, the Student Chaplains gather to pray, strengthening their faith and commitment to service.

Reflection and Prayer

At La Retraite, daily prayer and liturgy are integral parts of our form time routine, with members of the Student Chaplaincy group planning and leading these sessions. Students and staff are also provided with a weekly Sunday Gospel reflection, offering an opportunity to reflect on and respond to the Gospel message.

The Student Chaplains engage in various exciting activities, such as gardening and knitting. Those involved in gardening are also Eco Ambassadors, promoting environmental responsibility by encouraging recycling and maintaining clean, litter-free spaces around the school. Year 8 students have also established a prayer group, meeting every Tuesday during the second break to pray together.

Additionally, the Student Chaplains organise a 'Thought of the Week,' based on the Gospel, for students to discuss during form time. This provides a meaningful opportunity for prayer, reflection, and spiritual growth.

Sacred Space – Providing prayers for every day

Praying Each Day – Selecting a particular date gives a different reading, prayer and reflections for that day.

Taize Community – Visit the 'Prayer for Each Day' tab to access readings, prayers and reflections.

Mobile Apps

Pray as You Go – This app offers new prayer podcasts each day featuring reflections on the daily readings that are great for centring our focus during the drive to work or walk to class.

The Vatican News – Search for this on both Android and iOS stores. This app, otherwise known as the 'Pope App', is a great resource for checking in on current Vatican news.

Laudate – Search for this on both Android and iOS stores. This app has it all, from Liturgy of the Hours to the Order of the Mass to every prayer you’ve ever wanted to pray. It’s been given the title '#1 Catholic App' on iTunes for a reason!

Bible – Typing ‘bible’ into the App Store will generate hundreds of results. They’re worth exploring, but you can’t go wrong with the basic 'Bible' app. It will most likely be the first to come up and have the most reviews (as in roughly 1.14 million and growing). While it’s great to have a physical copy, the app can be an easy way to access Scripture on the go.

Religious Education at La Retraite

As a Catholic school, religious education plays an important role in the development of our young people. We provide a range of opportunities for students to develop their religious education, across each of the key stages.

Key Stage 3

At the heart of Key Stage 3, Religious Education is the person of Jesus Christ. At La Retraite Roman Catholic Girls’ School, we profess Christ as our Lord and Saviour of the world with confidence and clarity. We do this in a spirit of openness and dialogue; we also deeply respect the rights of all members of the school community to hold their own beliefs.

We encourage all to engage as fully as possible with every aspect of school life, in the Religious Education curriculum as well as the worship and liturgy of the School. Within the School’s curriculum, Religious Education’s main purpose is to engage pupils in a systematic study of the mystery of Christ which we believe holds the fullness of the truth that God has revealed. We do this providing the understanding of the Catholic Faith in a manner that embraces ecumenism and inter-religious dialogue with other world religions and non-religious views. The students are invited, in a spirit of great respect, to be openly critical and reflective when engaging with the material.

We use a variety of teaching methods, from modern role plays, to games and music, as well as the more traditional methods such as reading, essay writing, presentations, and intellectual debates and discussions.

We provide a range of Year 6 Transition activities so that students can get a head-start on their religious education prior to joining La Retraite, such as:

Using inspiration from the Pope's message to be "creative in times of confinement" to make creative work of their own.
Working with an artist to create a mural based on the style of Bridget Riley a famous South London artist which will be prominently displayed in our Chapel.
Using inspiration from the poetry of Amanda Gorman to create their own works of poetry on the topic of 'hope'.
Combining student work into a La Retraite poetry anthology, once funding has been secured.

Key Stage 4

GCSE Religious Studies allows students to develop their understanding of the fundamentals of their faith and its relevance in the world today.

It generates a greater degree of understanding of the Scriptures and Church Doctrine and ethics, whilst encouraging open-mindedness, moral reasoning, and the ability to empathise through a greater use of case-studies, discussion, and debate. Students will also gain an understanding of another faith tradition.

They will be able to engage critically, looking at similarities and differences between Islam and Christianity, as well as other non-Christian perspectives. Students complete exams in a Catholic Christian paper and an Islam paper.

Key Stage 5

At Key Stage 5, we provide a range of extra-curricular opportunities and activities to allows students to build on their religious education from the previous key stages, and develop our students into well-rounded, faithful and considerate young people.

These include:

Level 3 Certificate of Personal Effectiveness (ASDAN) – undertaken by all La Retraite 6 students, giving an extra 16 UCAS points.
Assemblies & workshops with a range of organisations, including:
- CAFOD
- Catholic Voices
- Amnesty International
Volunteering opportunities – all students undertake a regular volunteering placement in the local community as part of their ASDAN course.
CAFOD Young Leaders programme
Faith and charity – researching what makes a charity a success
Fundraising – Christmas fair, coffee mornings, tournaments
Working with others – scripture writing
Leadership in Faith discussions
CAFOD PSHE sessions covering the ongoing work of the CAFOD charity, and looking at environmental and global citizenship issues.
Pastoral form time – Gathering together as a community to explore our faith through presentations about a faith, charity, leadership experience or global topic of their choosing.
- Activities and discussions led by form tutors linked to YOUCAT, the Catechism of the Catholic Church for adolescents and young people. The most important elements of the faith are summarised briefly and comprehensibly in a question-and-answer format.
Regular retreat days and Mass
Wellbeing afternoons allowing students space away from timetabled lessons to pause and reflect.