St. NicholasCatholic Primary School
‘Love one another, as I have loved you’
Pupil Ministry
At St Nicholas, pupil ministry is about putting our faith into action through service to others. It gives our children meaningful opportunities to live out our mission, “Love one another, as I have loved you” (John 13:34), and to play an active part in the Catholic life and mission of our school.
Pupil ministry takes many forms across our school. Children contribute through our Chaplaincy Team and Mini Vinnies, prepare prayer spaces, contribute to and lead prayer and liturgy, serve at Mass, support charitable action and respond to the needs of our local and wider community. Our Year 6 Buddies also serve our youngest children, helping them to feel welcomed, known and cared for as they begin their journey at St Nicholas.
Through these opportunities, we want children to understand that ministry is more than having a role or wearing a badge. It is about recognising the gifts God has given us and choosing to use them in the service of others. Our pupils are encouraged not only to take part, but to understand why they act - making connections between Scripture, Catholic Social Teaching and the choices they make.
As children grow through St Nicholas, their opportunities for ministry grow too, allowing them to take increasing responsibility for the prayer, service and mission of our school community.
Chaplaincy
Our Chaplaincy Team plays an important role in the Catholic life and mission of St Nicholas. The team helps to nurture the prayer and spiritual life of our school and encourages others to live out our mission, “Love one another, as I have loved you” (John 13:34).
Children in the Chaplaincy Team help to prepare prayer spaces, contribute to and lead prayer and liturgy, and represent our school at parish and community events. They work alongside staff and other pupils to think about how we can continue to develop the Catholic life of our school.
Through chaplaincy, children are encouraged to grow in faith, serve others and use their own gifts to help make prayer, worship and our Catholic mission a meaningful part of everyday life at St Nicholas.
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Mini Vinnies
Our Mini Vinnies are an important part of pupil ministry at St Nicholas, giving children the opportunity to put their faith into action through prayer, service and care for others. Inspired by the work of the St Vincent de Paul Society, they encourage our whole school community to notice where there is need and consider how we can make a difference.
Our Mini Vinnies take an active role in supporting charitable action within school and beyond. This includes our Harvest collections for St George’s Crypt and the Franciscan Sisters’ Food Bank, the CAFOD Big Lent Walk and the Lenten Good Shepherd Appeal. They also connect with Mini Vinnies from other Catholic schools, sharing their faith together in worship.
At the heart of everything they do is our school mission:
“Love one another, as I have loved you.” John 13:34
For our Mini Vinnies, these words are something to live out. Through acts of kindness, charity and service, they help make our Catholic faith visible in the everyday life of St Nicholas and encourage others to do the same.
The Mini Vinnie Mission
Our Mini Vinnies have a simple mission: to turn our faith into action by noticing those who need our help and responding with love, compassion and service.
This connects closely to our school mission, “Love one another, as I have loved you” (John 13:34). Our Mini Vinnies understand that loving one another is not just something we say; it is something we are called to live out through our actions.
Inspired by St Vincent de Paul, they look for practical ways to serve others, particularly those experiencing need, and encourage our whole school community to get involved. Through prayer, charity and service, our Mini Vinnies help us to make “Love one another” visible in the everyday life of St Nicholas.
