We encourage all pupils, including those who are not Catholic, to be proud of their own religious identity and beliefs and have a strong sense of personal worth. Through every day interactions they will recognise the validity of these feelings in others even when they do not share their convictions.
Pupils will be taught to treasure the outward signs of the school’s Catholic identity – they will value our environment.
Pupils understand the importance and celebrate key celebrations in school throughout the liturgical year and in the parish community and have involvement with parish and diocesan activities and celebrations.
At the heart of our school is our chaplaincy team.
Chaplains play a central role in supporting all members of the school community in their faith life. The chaplain, or member of staff in charge of assisting the chaplaincy teams, will regularly meet the students to plan Masses, share liturgies, write prayers and carry out charity work. Further to these activities, their role is to share their knowledge and expertise with others in school so all can join in with this central and defining characteristic of our Trust. Ultimately, their role is to support staff and students with the Catholic Life and Collective Worship of the school.
Chaplaincy Team
At St Alban’s, we are privileged to have a strong, dedicated and creative chaplaincy team who go above and beyond to support and enrich the Catholic life of our school. Our chaplains are role models of faith, demonstrating kindness, leadership and a commitment to living out Gospel values in their daily lives.
At the beginning of their chaplaincy journey, each pupil is invited to apply to become a school chaplain. As part of this process, they complete a chaplaincy application where they share their unique skills, gifts and the qualities they feel they can bring to the team. Following this, pupils take part in an interview process where they reflect on their own faith journey and explain how they hope to support others in growing closer to God. This ensures that our chaplaincy team is made up of pupils who are enthusiastic, thoughtful and committed to serving others.
This year, we have been blessed with 20 chaplains who faithfully lead our weekly “Word of the Week” Celebration of the Word. Through this, they confidently share scripture, lead reflections, facilitate meaningful discussions and invite the school community to respond in prayer. Their leadership helps to create a prayerful atmosphere across the school and encourages all pupils to engage more deeply with their faith.
Beyond leading prayer, our chaplains play an important role in peer ministry. They are always ready to listen, support and pray with others, helping to build a caring and faith-filled community. During the months of October and May, they lead a Rosary Club at lunchtime each day, warmly inviting pupils from across the school to come together in prayer and reflection.
The chaplaincy team also takes an active role in the wider liturgical life of the school. They support school Masses, times of adoration and special mission days, helping to prepare and lead these important moments in our school calendar. Their involvement ensures that these celebrations are meaningful, inclusive and rooted in faith.
During the Pentecost term, our current chaplaincy team works closely with our school chaplain, Mr Lowson, to interview and select the next group of chaplains. They play a key role in mentoring and supporting the new team, helping them to grow in confidence and understanding as they prepare to take on their responsibilities. This creates a strong sense of continuity and ensures that the chaplaincy team continues to flourish year after year.
Through their dedication and service, our chaplains truly help to bring the love of Christ to life within our school community.
Hello everyone, my name is Mr Lowson and I am the school chaplain for St Alban’s Catholic Voluntary Academy.
I grew up in Sheffield but have lived in lots of different places including across the world in New Zealand and even next door to Alton Towers.
Growing up, me and my two brothers would go to church mainly because it made our mum happy. As I got older I learnt more about my faith and what it meant to be called by Jesus. When I was in Year 10 I went to a very special place in France could Lourdes where the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to a young girl and told her to call people to Lourdes on Pilgrimage. In Year 10 I went as a helper and it was the first time that I really was living out my Catholic faith. I have been back to Lourdes as a helper many times and each time, I am amazed at how many people come to help each other.
After leaving school I went to do a gap year at Alton Castle Catholic Retreat Centre. Alton Castle is a place where groups of children come from school and stay overnight for three days. We would do lots of outdoor activities such as mountain biking an archery, as well as celebrate Mass, say prayers and learn about God.
When I went to do my gap year, I intended to do only one year, but God had other plans for me. In total I worked at Alton Castle for 10 years and was put in charge of the running of the retreats and retreat team.
During the 10 years I also moved to New Zealand to work at an adventure centre and also studied at Newman University doing my degree in Theology and Philosophy.
In my spare time, I enjoy playing computer games such as FIFA with my best friend, as well as board games with my family. I also enjoy travelling, seeing and learning about new places.
In 2022 I was appointed by the St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi Academy Trust to be the school chaplain at St Alban’s. As chaplain, my role is to support the Catholic life and mission of the school. I am privileged that I am able to work with groups of children to plan child led celebrations of the word. I also run our live out your faith after school club where, as a group we take part in various activities linking to the scriptures.
Our chaplains made keyrings for the parishioners. This was to share a prayer link between our chaplains and parishioners.
