Welcome to the Catholic Life and Mission section of St Paul’s Catholic Junior School, where we show how our faith is at the heart of everything we do. Inspired by our school charism and guided by our mission — to learn from the example of Jesus so that everyone feels loved, valued, and encouraged to be and do their best—we strive to live out our core values of kindness, respect, and resilience every day. Grounded in our school creed, we pray that peace, contentment, and love abide here: love for one another, for all humanity, for life, and for God. We are reminded that just as many hands build a house, it is our shared hearts, living out Christ’s love in service and community, that truly make our school.

 

Charities

As a Catholic school, we believe that our faith calls us to look beyond ourselves and to serve others with compassion, kindness and love. Inspired by the teachings of Jesus, we encourage our pupils to recognise the dignity of every person and to put their faith into action by supporting those in need.

Our commitment to serving others extends both globally and within our local community.

Global solidarity

Globally, we show solidarity to people around the world who are in need.  We support CAFOD, working alongside the Catholic community to help people living in poverty and facing injustice around the world. Most recently, this September, we held a ‘Harvest Hoedown’, where children were invited to dress up for a celebratory Harvest day.  We raised over £460 on this day in response to CAFOD’s Harvest appeal, supporting the expansion of water provision around the world. We also joined in Pope Leo’s call to serve the poor, Dilexi Te, praying for those around the world in need. We also support Mary’s Meals, helping to provide nutritious school meals for children living in some of the world’s poorest communities.  In October 2025, Frank Cottrell-Boyce visited our school to raise awareness of the fantastic work this charity does and encouraging our children to show solidarity to children around the world facing hunger.  Through fundraising and prayer, our pupils learn that even small acts of generosity can make a real difference.

Solidarity with our local community

Locally, across the year we are proud to support a number of organisations that make a positive difference to children, families and communities across Liverpool. At Harvest, we collect food items for North Liverpool Foodbank, who help families facing food insecurity.  Our school choir sings each year at the Little Lights (formerly Zoe’s Place) carol service.  This charity provides specialist care and support for babies and their families.  We also fundraise for them and Alder Hey Children’s Hospital at different points throughout the year.  In March we raise awareness and funds for Blue for Bobby, supporting children and families affected by serious illness.  Every other year, during our social justice topic on refugees, we have visits from Asylum Link Merseyside and take a clothing collection for them.  During our conservation topic in Summer term, we raise awareness of the fantastic work done by Chester Zoo, linking in with Pope Francis’ encyclical, ‘Laudato Si!’.

Through our fundraising, volunteering, collections and acts of kindness, we aim to nurture a strong sense of service, solidarity and social responsibility in every pupil. We want our children to understand that living out our Catholic faith means not only knowing about God's love, but sharing that love with others through our words and actions.

“Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” — Matthew 25:40

Live Simply

At St Paul’s Catholic Junior School, our faith inspires everything we do. Guided by the call of Catholic Social Teaching and Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’, our school community is dedicated to living simply, sustainably, and in solidarity with others. IN July 2027, we were awarded the CAFOD Live Simply Award.  Through our Live Simply Award journey, pupils, staff, and families work together to care for our common home and support those in need locally and globally.

Living in Solidarity with Our Global Family

Inspired by our call to global stewardship, our pupils put their faith into action by supporting international development and caring for global neighbors:

• CAFOD Big Lent Walk: Each year during Lent, our entire school community steps out to raise vital funds for CAFOD’s overseas projects. With visits from guest speakers and family walking challenges, we walk in unity with those facing poverty around the world.
• Acts of Charity & Reusing Resources: We support international and local charity projects by collecting pre-loved footwear for Shoe Aid and clothing for Asylum Link Merseyside. Across our curriculum, pupils learn the story behind these efforts—from Year 3 exploring shoe sculptures to Year 4 creating handmade charity tote bags in Design & Technology.
• Praying for Peace: On World Peace Day, our pupils compose prayers for peace and reconciliation in areas affected by conflict. In partnership with Cardinal Heenan High School, our reflections were published in a community Peace Prayer booklet.

Supporting Our Local Community

Faith in action starts on our doorstep. Through practical service and partnership, we strive to bring Christ’s love to our local neighbours:

• Foodbank Collections: Aligned with our liturgical calendar—at Harvest, Christmas, and Easter—our families donate generously to the Liverpool North Foodbank and Micah Foodbank. Our curriculum reinforces this commitment, with pupils learning to cook healthy, plant-based meals in DT.
• Mini Vinnies: Our active student Mini Vinnies team operates under the motto ‘See, Think, Do’. Their outreach includes hosting a Christmas lunch for local elderly residents, sending handmade cards to care home residents, fundraising for Alder Hey Children's Hospital, and leading local litter picks.
• Remembrance & Reconciliation: Every November, our Celebrations of the Word bring our school community together to reflect on peace and support the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal.

Caring for Creation & Living Simply

We are committed to making thoughtful choices every day to protect God's creation and live simply:

• Living Simply Pledges: Pupils, staff, and parents share personal pledges on our central school display—committing to simple everyday changes such as family game nights instead of screen time, daily nature walks, and recycling.
• Active Travel & Wonder Wednesdays: Through our school travel tracker, pupils were encouraged to walk, cycle, or scooter to school to reduce our carbon footprint. Outdoor prayer sessions and "Wonder Wednesdays" give pupils time to pause and appreciate the beauty of the natural world.
• Our Joint Prayer Garden: we are aiming to create serene outdoor Prayer Garden featuring a herb spiral, painted scripture shells, and donated plants—providing a sacred space for quiet reflection.
• Gardening Club & Eco-Initiatives: Our weekly Gardening Club has grown vegetables, harvests seeds, and hosts our annual sunflower competition.

Our School Sustainability Team

Our staff-led Sustainability Team leads our long-term environmental commitments:

• Partnering with the Northwest Regional Hub Climate Ambassador and participating in the Net Zero SuperHero Project.
• Providing reusable sports bottles to all pupils to eliminate single-use plastics.
• Introducing food waste composting, increasing recycling points across the grounds, and significantly reducing paper waste.

 

Events

At St Paul’s, our vibrant community life is grounded in our faith, bringing pupils, families, and local neighbours together through moments of joy, reflection, and service throughout the school year. From deepening our spiritual journey during the St Paul’s Prayer Pilgrimage and coming together in solemn reflection for Remembrance, to sharing warmth and fellowship at our festive Christmas Dinner Day and annual Pensioner’s Party, we put Catholic Social Teaching into action. Our celebratory events—such as World Book Day, the Harvest Hoedown, and raising awareness on Blue for Bobby Day—nurture a spirit of gratitude, fellowship, and joy, helping our children grow in faith as compassionate members of God's family.

Mini Vinnies

Rooted in Catholic Social Teaching, our Mini Vinnies team empowers pupils from Years 2 through 6 to turn their faith into practical action under the simple yet powerful motto: "See, Think, Do." Inspired by the spirit of St Vincent de Paul, these dedicated young leaders actively serve both our local and wider communities—from organising foodbank drives and hosting a festive Christmas lunch for local elderly residents to sending cards to care homes and fundraising for Alder Hey Children’s Hospital. Through local litter picks and charity outreach, our Mini Vinnies exemplify compassionate leadership, helping our children experience firsthand the joy of living out Christ's love through service to others.

 

Jubilee Year

In celebration of the Jubilee Year, our school family gathered on our Feast Day to reflect on the inspiring legacies of our patrons, St Peter and St Paul, and answer Pope Francis’ call to become true ‘Pilgrims of Hope’. Drawing inspiration from the faith and compassion of St Peter, St Paul, and Pope Francis, pupils across every year group united to create and sign a collective Jubilee Pledge—a long-term commitment to build a fairer, more compassionate world through love, justice, and care for creation. To put this pledge into action, classes chose meaningful hands-on projects, including serving as playground peacemakers, planting seeds for home gardens, joining CAFOD’s Jubilee debt cancellation campaign, organizing weekly litter picks, and supporting local foodbanks. Each class proudly displayed their pledge, marked creatively with pupils' fingerprints as a sign of personal commitment, before concluding the special day united in song with Pilgrims of Hope and praying the Jubilee Prayer together.