Community Links

At Saint Patrick’s Catholic Primary School, we believe that community links are essential in the growth, development and wellbeing of all our pupils. Links with our local community help us to build relationships with groups and individuals who will provide positive role models for our children. This could be within the world of work, spiritual or moral development or everyday experiences.   

Please look below at some of our links: 

• Sacramental Preparation: As part of their Faith journey, some of our children undertake Sacramental Preparation. Working closely with Fr O’Shea, the children receive their Catholic instruction from Mrs Howarth and Mr Marshall. The sessions include exploring St Patrick’s Church; learning about the universal call to Holiness and what it means to be a true follower of Christ. During this important time, the children prepare for and celebrate their First Confession.  Sacramental Preparation usually culminates in a group First Holy Communion Mass in May. Due to the current pandemic, children have been receiving the Blessed Sacrament for the first time during Saturday and Sunday Parish Masses.

• Supporting local charities: We work closely with charities and help to support them in their work. We run various fundraising efforts such as collecting food for ‘The Brick’; a dedicated local charity working to eradicate homelessness and poverty.  The photograph below shows the generosity of our families in our October collection and Harvest celebrations.

• Wellbeing Walk in the community: Each break time, Years 3-6 enjoy a Wellbeing Walk within the local area. Accompanied by school staff, they follow a route that allows them to practise walking safely on main road pavements and grow increasingly familiar with the locality. Passing pedestrians have positively commented on the behaviour of our children on these walks.

• St Patrick’s Church: We are a proud part of our local Parish Family. Children attend church regularly and take part in Masses and Services in various ways. Our Parish Priest, Father O’Shea, is a frequent and welcome visitor to our school: leading us in Collective Worship; visiting to support RE Come & See topics and helping us to grow closer to Our Lord. In March, we celebrate our Patronal Feast Celebrations with a community procession, Mass and party in the school hall and in May to honour Our Lady.

• WCPSD/Student Placements: St Patricks is the lead school for Wigan Catholic Primary Schools Direct. We work in conjunction with local Catholic primary schools to train outstanding teachers of the future. St Patricks hosts many placements for these trainees, helping them to observe, practise and deliver high-quality teaching.

• Sunshine House: We work closely with the local community centre, Sunshine House, to help families in the area. During the Christmas and Easter holidays, we open our grounds to provide the setting for fun activities - such as archery - and the Christmas Fayre.

• Museum of Wigan Life trip - We Remember: As part of our ‘We Remember’ topic, each year group visited the Museum of Wigan Life to learn more about the sacrifices made by local people in both World Wars. One of the exhibitions focused upon Lance Corporal Thomas Woodcock, recipient of the prestigious Victoria Cross, a former pupil of our school.

• Thomas Woodcock Memorial: In honour of Lance Corporal Thomas Woodcock, a former pupil of our school, current pupils attended the opening of ‘Woodcock Walk’. Thomas Woodcock was awarded the military’s highest honour, the Victoria Cross, as a private in September 1917 after he rescued a wounded soldier on the Western Front under a hail of enemy gun fire. His granddaughter, Mrs Veronica Ashton, visited our school to lead an assembly on her grandfather’s incredible life and sacrifice. The event featured in both the local press and regional TV news.

• D-Day Celebrations: To honour the sacrifice of local men who died in the D-Day landings, we were visited by local historian – Tom Walsh (a former pupil) – and the Mayor of Wigan. Our visitors spoke to us about the importance of remembering the landings and shared more information about the event. At the end of the assembly, Mr Walsh presented the school with a commemorative plaque which is proudly displayed in the Junior Building in loving memory.  

• Rosary Sunday: On the 6^th October 2019, we were delighted to welcome Bishop Tom Williams, Auxilary Bishop of Liverpool, to lead the Rosary Sunday celebratyions. Bishop Williams - alongside Frs. O’Shea, Grady, Johnson, Strawbridge and MacNally – led the Marian Procession and Rosary in a celebration to Our Lady. Our children and families took part in the procession; carrying banners which had been made especially for the event. After concluding with Benediction, we all retreated back to the school hall for an impressive parish buffet.

• Local high schools- Y4-Y6 Theatre productions, Science fairs, Level 6 support for literacy and numeracy.                                                                         
• Local library- Reception to Y6 children visit the local library to listen to/ read stories, explore the facilities and join the library.
• Parish bowling club- Children in year 5 join the local parish bowling club each spring. The children gain valuable experience and skills in the game of ‘Crown Green Bowing’ a game that the younger generation don’t easily get to experience. The Parish Bowling group is made up of a number of older members of our community and they are excellent role models for our children.

• Weekly Coffee Mornings – Friday is coffee morning, parents and parishioners are welcomed to join. We have a dedicated group of parent who run the mornings and on a regular basis use the opportunity to organise charity/ fund raising events within the coffee morning which our pupils are also invited to join. 

• Local business – Reception –Y6 children walk and visit our local Tesco store. The store offers us a range of experiences to enhance our children’s learning and wellbeing. Reception children visited and had a food tasting session in which they were able to taste a range of foods some of which are unusual. Children also looked at food labels to discover where our food comes from.
• Barclay’s Bank- Y2- Y6 employees from our local Barclay’s Bank volunteer to come into school to deliver money workshops to our children. The workshops teach the children a range of money skills from opening a bank account to managing a budget. The bank has also offered information and support to our parents at planned coffee morning events again support on handling budgets and setting up accounts.
• Clubs with Parents- Y2-Y3 Children and parents enjoying out of school Art and ICT clubs. A Staff run club in which children and parents work together to produce something that they can take home, developing communication skills and quality time together.

• Weekly Mass- Y2-Y6 children attend Friday morning mass on a rota. The children sit together and a group of regular parishioners join the children sitting among them.  The parishioners support the children taking part in the mass by modelling the correct ways to join in with the mass. Children gain a lot from the support and experience of Catholic role models.
• Heritage Centre- Reception- Y6 throughout the year we take the opportunity to visit the heritage centre as much as possible or visitors from the centre come to school. It is within walking distance of the school and enhances our curriculum greatly. The children benefit hugely from the dedicated team of local volunteers who want to share their knowledge and understanding about our local area.

• Sacramental Preparation- Y4 School supports and helps to foster links between the parents and church.  We support in the process of sacramental preparation classes through the use of facilities, links with parents, providing refreshments and ICT equipment. The priest and Catechists from the parish join the members of SLT in the delivery of Sacramental preparation.   

• Sports community foundation- Reception- Y6 throughout the year we take the opportunity to work alongside the foundation to take part in a range of activates including  sports day activities, winning and losing team build day with Y4/5