St Cuthbert Mayne School
Educating for life in all its fullnessChaplaincy
At St Cuthbert Mayne, our Christian ethos is at the heart of school life. Inspired by Jesus’ words in John 10:10, our vision is to “educate for life in all its fullness,” helping every student flourish academically, socially, emotionally, physically and spiritually.
Our Chaplain, based in the Cornerstone, supports the wellbeing of the whole community through worship, pastoral care and guidance, working alongside the wider pastoral team. Daily Collective Worship, centred on weekly themes and Bible verses, encourages reflection on values, faith and spirituality in an inclusive environment welcoming people of all faiths and none as well as a drive to live out our values through social action in the community.
As a joint Anglican and Catholic school, we celebrate Christian festivals, offer opportunities for worship from both traditions, and regularly gather for services that strengthen our community. The impact of our Christian ethos is evaluated through the Inspection process conducted by both Churches.
Team
Our Chaplaincy Team is made up of dedicated staff and volunteers from a variety of backgrounds, all working together to support our school community.
The team is led by our Chaplain, Miss McCarthy, alongside Mrs Ellaby, who provides Chaplaincy Support. They are based in Cornerstone, a welcoming space at the heart of our school.
Our Chaplaincy Team focuses on four key areas of school life: Services, Wellbeing Support, Leadership Development and Social Action, helping students and staff feel supported, valued and connected to our school community. We are always happy to welcome new volunteers who would like to get involved and contribute to the life of our school.
Services
Collective Worship
Each school day we gather for collective worship (assembly) based on the theme and Bible Verse of the week. In these 15 minutes, students and staff have an opportunity to watch a video, journal, pray and contribute to the discussions presented that day. We create space for students to ask their big questions and consider spirituality and faith for themselves. Our themes align with the Liturgical Calendar and are designed to be inclusive for people of all faiths and none. We also engage in creative worship as a community to give back to others, normally expressed through creativity.
Collective Services
Throughout the year we celebrate the major Christian Festivals. During some of these services we share Holy Communion together to remember our unity in Christ and there is an option to celebrate the Holy Mass for the Catholic students. Members of all Christian denominations, including staff and students who receive communion in their own church are welcome to receive Holy Communion in the Anglican Service. Otherwise we warmly invite everyone to come for a blessing. The chaplain and chaplaincy team are here for advice if you are unsure what to do.
Wellbeing Support
Jesus demonstrated His love for all people by making time to listen to and support them especially in life’s challenges. We aim to provide this same love and support through a range of 1:1 and group work in addition to the school’s pastoral and SEND provision. In particular, we offer interventions based on:
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Faith Formation - Helping students and staff discover and grow in their relationship with Jesus.
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Bereavement - Supporting students and staff who have lost someone or something important to them. With students, we run the Rainbows programme.
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1:1 Support - We work in collaboration with the wider pastoral team to offer personalised support for students.
Leadership Development
Our students have wonderful gifts and talents which we take pride in helping them to develop. Within the Chaplaincy team we offer 3 main areas of leadership development:
Hands of Hope - This group brings together sixth form with a leadership instinct who support the vision and values of the school . They help support our social action initiative behind the scenes and help to make our events run smoothly.
JAM (Formerly JUMP) Team - This is a group that brings together students who want to develop their talent in the areas of public speaking, music, dance and drama. JAM stands for Jesus and Me. We work with local primary schools to deliver assemblies. The team also leads us in our Collective Services.
Referrals
Tutors, Teachers and students can find us in the Cornerstone or via email. Parents can contact the Head of Year or Form Tutor to make a referral.