Faith & Service

Lichfield Cathedral School is inextricably linked to the Cathedral itself and our ethos is founded on Christian values. We are immensely proud of our identity as a Cathedral School and our long tradition of educating choristers and we are blessed to have such a naturally uplifting and historic place for calm contemplation.

Christian Worship

We welcome pupils from all religious backgrounds and none and make provision for their spiritual welfare. The Christian tradition of the School is central to its life. Whatever their faith or denomination, we believe pupils should be familiar with the liturgy and traditions of Christian worship. This provides them with both a spiritual vocabulary to address important ethical and spiritual questions, and a secure foundation from which they can explore their own journey into faith. Even for those who do not profess a faith, the space and opportunity created by worship is an invaluable opportunity to reflect, ponder and engage with wider concerns amidst the busyness of modern life. 

Worship and assemblies are held in the Cathedral on Mondays and Wednesdays for pupils at the Lichfield site, which provide opportunities for gathering and worship and help us to generate a sense of togetherness and fellowship. Children from Longdon frequently take part in special Cathedral services, such as Harvest Festival and Christingle. The Chaplaincy Lead liaises with the Cathedral clergy and the clergy at St James’ the Great Church at Longdon, where Junior years gather for nativities, services and celebrations.

Our special relationship with Lichfield Cathedral also enables our pupils to take advantage of the many exciting events held at the Cathedral during the Church year – educational and social activities, exhibitions, concerts, radio and television broadcasts, and special services. The Cathedral is also used as a major venue for the Lichfield Festival during which our pupils’ experience is enriched by authors, artists and performers from around the world. We seek to work in partnership with the Cathedral and we share in projects of mutual benefit, particularly in educational events such as the 3D Forum events which provide enrichment opportunities for older pupils from a number of local schools, and in the incredible work achieved by MusicShare, our singing outreach programme.

Service to Others

Being of service is one of our four core values and we hope that it becomes so ingrained in the lives of our pupils, that it becomes natural for them to act on behalf of others. To actively create a culture of service, we make education real, relevant and rewarding. It’s also about listening – using Pupil Voice to find out what can be improved and discover excellent new ideas that can improve the lives of people in our community. 

Service can take many forms, from a student volunteering their time to a adopting the strategic goal of widening access to the School:

• Volunteering – being a mentor for younger pupils or arriving early to help them with reading or speaking aloud, being a prefect and assisting with the day-to-day running of the school, helping a local charity at the weekend

• Fundraising – a wide range of charities selected by the School Council; annual events such as Children in Need, Comic/Sport Relief, Remembrance for the Royal British Legion.

• Providing resources for people in need – Christmas Boxes, bags of essential items for homeless people, blankets and clothes for earthquake victims, for instance.

• Supporting children in local schools – undertaking challenges to raise funds to buy new books for schools in disadvantaged areas that don’t have their own libraries.

• Using talents such as singing and playing music to entertain the sick, elderly or lonely.

• Supporting people in our wider community – creating cards and letters for elderly people in care; hosting tea dances; singing Christmas carols in hospitals, market squares and care homes.

• Welcoming refugees to our school – providing access to education for children displaced from their home.

• Providing financial support to families who could not otherwise afford an independent education.

Being of service generates a real sense of pride and accomplishment. Along with way, pupils and students develop valuable leadership and communication skills and learn that giving can be so much more rewarding than receiving.