Prayers for the school

Children and staff in our school pray so that they can:

Develop a relationship with God: It is considered a way to connect with God, akin to "God's breath in man," and a foundational aspect of Christian life.
Show Worship and Adoration: Prayer is used to acknowledge God's goodness, love and sovereignty.
Express Confession and Forgiveness: Acknowledging the mistakes that we sometimes make and asking for God's forgiveness and strength to overcome them so that we can learn from them.
Express Intercession for Others: Praying for the needs of the world, the church, the community and those who are suffering.
Show Thanksgiving: Expressing gratitude for God’s provision.
Seek Guidance: Aligning personal will with God’s will.
Seek Transformation: Allowing the Holy Spirit to transform hearts and lives.
For Unity: Using set prayers (like the Book of Common Prayer) connects individuals to the broader church community.

Heene School Prayer

This prayer was written for our school by our Worship Leaders in 2025.

Lord's Prayer

Prayers by children

Each class has their own prayer book within their spirituality zone in which children can write their own prayers for themselves, their school and the wider world. Here is a selection of some of them from this year so far.

Prayers from Collective Worship

Each week in Collective Worship, attention is drawn to a particular value displayed on our school’s logo. Here is some of what we have discussed so far this year:

w/b 26/01/26
This week, Confidence is the focus which gives us the opportunity to reflect on how confident we feel and who inspires our confidence. For example, we can be pretty confident that the sun will rise each day, but when it comes to unfamiliar or challenging situations, we need to rely on someone who we trust to help us feel more confident. It’s like having someone shining a light on what we are finding difficult to understand. Jesus says, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”

Dear Lord, thank you that we can have confidence in your shining presence with us each and every day. We pray that when we are not very confident in what we are doing we will have the confidence to ask for help. Amen

w/b 19/01/26
No two people are exactly alike, which is quite remarkable when we think of the billions of people living on our planet. Each of us is totally unique and in our school that individuality is both celebrated and recognised. In our school this is achieved in a variety of ways. For example, each week pupils are congratulated for ‘letting their light shine’ perhaps in the way they have illustrated the way they have modelled one of our values.

Dear Lord, thank you that we are all unique individuals and that you love us just as we are. Help us to support each other when times are tough. Amen

w/b 12/01/26
You have probably noticed that, poking up on areas of bare earth, are the tender leaves of early spring bulbs. Even though we are in the depth of winter, the promise of new life is there for all to see. Each of our children at Heene hold within them the promise of new life as they grow and flourish. Just as those bulbs require nourishing soil to surround them, so our school provides the nourishment of a loving, nurturing environment, encouraging each child to discover more about the world around them and their place in it.

Dear Lord, thank you that you care for each one of us and, even in our darkest days, give us hope for the future. Help us to grow closer to you and to each other day by day. Amen

w/b 05/01/26
As the children and staff return after a well-earned half-term break, Each day, our school joins in with praying the Lord’s prayer together. As part of that prayer, we say, ‘Your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.’ So, at the beginning of a new term, we pray that God will reveal his purpose for our school as the community seeks to grow together in love. We are all on a journey of faith and belief in Jesus’s promise that he will be with us always, especially through the challenging times.

Dear Lord, when it is difficult to see what lies ahead, may your will be done and may we always remember that you walk alongside us, every step of the way. Amen

w/b 21/12/25
Now that our school community is having its well-deserved Christmas Holiday, we pray for all our families as they prepare to celebrate their own festivities. For some this will be a truly joyous time of year, whilst for others it brings its own challenges. So, as we prepare to welcome Jesus into the world as a defenceless baby, born into poverty with his parents far away from home, we pray for all those who will remember family members who will no longer be with them, for whatever reason.

Dear Lord, we thank you for the gift of your Son, Jesus. We give thanks for his gifts of love and compassion. May we always be mindful of the needs of those around us. Amen

w/b 15/12/25
This week we shall be lighting the third candle on our Advent wreath in school and in our churches. The wreath of candles helps us remember that we are waiting for the birth of Jesus which is coming ever closer. The custom of lighting a candle each week was introduced during Victorian times when churches were very dark in the winter months. As they did then, the candles remind us that Jesus comes into our world as a light that can never be put out, however dark the world seems to be.

Here is a prayer for this third week of Advent:
Lord Jesus, light of the world, born in David’s city of Bethlehem, born like him to be a king: be born in our hearts at Christmas, be King of our lives today. Amen