Catholic Life and Mission

Catholic Traditions

At FCJ, our Catholic nature is evident throughout the year.  A detailed programme for each academic year allows us to mark the key liturgical events, with our Chaplaincy team taking the lead with planning.

At FCJ we mark the following:

• Advent and Christmas
• Ash Wednesday and Lent
• Holy Week and Easter
• May as the Month of Mary
• Corpus Christi Procession
• First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion Mass
• Year 6 leavers Mass and End of Year Mass
• New School Year Mass
• October as the month of the Rosary (including the Aid to the Church in Need annual prayer initiative ‘A million children praying the Rosary’).
• All Saints Day
• November as Remembrance

At FCJ we are very fortunate to have our own Chapel. This is a quiet place at the heart of the school building is accessed by pupils throughout the week. It provides a place where pupils can draw close to God, either by participating in class prayer and liturgy or by taking part in the prayer stations that are updated according to the liturgical season. In the Chapel we have a visual liturgical calendar which enables pupils to track our journey throughout the liturgical year.

The Stations of the Cross are a beautiful, traditional practice for Roman Catholics to take part in, particularly during the Lenten season. We recall and meditate on the events of the Passion of Christ and are reminded of all that Jesus endured for our redemption, and just how deeply He loves us. During Lent, each class has the opportunity to participate in ‘The Stations of the Cross’ using the beautiful stations that can be found in our Chapel.

Each classroom has an altar which reflects the current liturgical season and is updated over the course of the year. Pupils add their own prayers and reflections to the class altar. 

Around the school building you will see signs and symbols of our Catholic faith tradition, including statues of Mary, crucifixes and rosaries. Each classroom is allocated a saint chosen by the pupils at the start of the academic year. 

 

 

We look to Pope Francis for his guidance about our Global Church Mission. We also have our own school mission, as well as the shared FCJ vision.

The Global Compact on Education is an initiative launched by Pope Francis in 2020 to foster a renewed commitment to the education of children and youth not only in the classroom, but also in the family and the community.

Inspired by his invitation to commit to the Global Compact on Education, we have worked towards the seven commitments identified.

1 – To make the human persons the centre

At FCJ Primary School:

• We have become a Rights Respecting Gold school ensuring the UNCRC is valued and respected by all members of our school community.
• We celebrate the unique talents of each pupil and member of staff from all areas of the curriculum.
• We value and celebrate the achievements and success pupils have had outside of school in their extra-curricular activities.
• We ensure all members of the school community (regardless of their gender, age, race, religion, ideology or social status) are treated with respect and valued.
• We support one another during difficult times and encourage the pupils to do the same with one another.

 

2 – To listen to the voices of children & young people

At FCJ Primary School:

• We have an established School Development Squad where pupils represent pupil voice from across the school. This team of pupils work with staff to give feedback about important school decisions or to add their opinions about our curriculum design.
• The Charity Committee take responsibility for fundraising throughout the school and ensure that pupils’ ideas are valued and listened to.
• Each classroom has a Rights Respecting Charter where we highlight article 12 -the right to be heard. As a Gold Rights Respecting school, the UNCRC is valued and embedded across our school community.

 

3 – To advance the women

At FCJ Primary School:

• We celebrate our foundress Marie Madeleine who was a strong woman of faith. Her motto of ‘courage and confidence’ inspires our pupils and staff today when faced with challenges.
• We ensure that all pupils have access to all opportunities.
• We have a girl’s football team, and we celebrate their successes and encourage them to train alongside their male peers.
• We celebrate our links with the FCJ sisters and enjoy welcoming them into school when they visit Jersey.
• We ensure pupils and staff have access to free period products.
• We support ‘Women’s History Month’ and have invited female pupils to take part in the local ‘My Island’ art competition.

 

4 – To empower the family

At FCJ Primary School:

• We encourage parents to join us in partnership for their child’s education.
• We have parent consultation evenings twice a year and provide a full written report at the end of the academic year. We ensure parents are fully informed about their children’s progress and attainment.
• We provide up-to-date and relevant information to support families with behaviour and well-being.
• We hold family events throughout the year such as our Mother’s Day assembly for reception class, the Friday Fun Festival and various PSA Activities.
• We hold curriculum evenings to provide support for parents with e-safety, phonics, maths objectives etc.
• We have ‘Stay and Play’ events for Father’s Day.
• We have a Parent Governor on our Governing Body and many previous parents and grandparents are foundation governors.
• We offer parent tutorial classroom sessions with their child.

5 – To welcome

At FCJ Primary School:

• We welcome visitors and ensure everyone feels valued. Informal feedback highlights that visitors feel welcomed when they visit our school.
• We offer extended transition for pupils as they move to a new year group allowing everyone to feel welcomed by their new teacher.
• We ensure new pupils who come to join us during the academic year are made to feel welcomed. In older year groups new pupils are given a buddy to help them settle into new routines and expectations.
• We update parents with how new pupils are settling in.

 

6 – To find new ways of understanding economy & politics

At FCJ Primary School:

• We teach Catholic Social Teaching within the RE lessons and within the wider curriculum.
• Our FCJ values are embedded in our school ethos, and we encourage pupils to live these out in the way they treat others both in school and outside of school.
• As a Gold Rights Respecting school, we promote social justice and ensure pupils have an understanding of what is happening in the world around them.
• In Key Stage Two, pupils watch Newsround twice a week and then have the opportunity to discuss local and global news with their peers.
• We hold campaigning days where pupils are empowered to stand up for justice and to consider action they can take.

• Matt Bewers, our School’s CAFOD volunteer delivers themed workshops and assemblies.
• Rebecca Walker, one of our Year 6 pupils, has campaigned for clear air in our local schools.

 

 

7 – To safeguard our common home

 

At FCJ Primary School:

• We have an established Eco team where pupils meet to discuss climate issues.
• Pupils have attended online COP meetings, joining up with other schools from around the United Kingdom to discuss how we can protect our global home.
• Recycling bins are placed inside each classroom for paper recycling.
• ‘Electricity Monitors’ are responsible for turning off computers and lights when a classroom is not in use.
• Pupils are encouraged to actively care for our school grounds by picking up rubbish and placing it in the bin.