“Bonus Pastor is a strong community, an honest college with fantastic students and staff.”

Our Catholic faith is fundamental to our work. This is a College where young people can develop and grow in their faith, and where they have the freedom to explore and the courage to ask questions.

Our values are alive in every aspect of College life as we celebrate the living Gospel and encourage our students to find God’s presence all around them. Religious education plays a central role in supporting our students’ moral and spiritual development. Within our college community, they have a unique opportunity to discover an adult understanding of what it means to be a Christian, and the role of religion in making sense of their lives.

Acts of Worship

The College day begins with an act of worship. Three mornings each week, students pray in Form time when prayer is organised and led by students themselves. Usually the prayer relates to the Christian theme for the week which tied to the Catholic Liturgical Calendar.

Each week each Year group has two assemblies focused on prayer and reflection. Loretta, our Lay Chaplain, creates a prayer booklet for each half term which includes special prayers for the time of year as well as other daily prayers.

Liturgical Worship

• Every Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, all students attend a Reconciliation ceremony at the College at which ashes are distributed.
• During Lent and Advent, students have the opportunity to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) with one of the local priests.
• This year we have held Form Masses in Year 7 which have been celebrated by Fr Peter Mansfield during the Spring and Summer terms.
• The Masses have been fully prepared by Year 7 students, their teachers and Mrs O’Donohue. The students have worked very hard, showing deep commitment to their faith and the Masses have been a very personal expression of this faith.

Retreats

All students participate in an annual retreat. The retreats are varied and range from three-day residential retreats for KS4 students to one-day away days for KS3 students. The one-day away days include visits to Aylesford Priory, the London Cathedrals and special “relationship” days for Year 9 students. Most popular of all is the annual trip to Rome!