The first task in life is this: prayer.

But not the prayer of words, like a parrot; the prayer of the heart:

gazing on the Lord, hearing the Lord, asking the Lord.

Pope Francis

At Loyola, prayer and worship are an integral part of our daily life. We pray together daily as a part of our class routine to start the day, before and after lunch and to give thanks at the end of the day.  We have child-led collective worship, gather as a whole school for Mass on a weekly basis and also have class assemblies. EYFS and KS1 separately lead a Christmas performance of the Nativity, Prep lead a service about Remembrance Day, Elements lead the annual Advent service and Figures lead the re-enactment of The Passion.

Although our closest parish is St Thomas of Canterbury, we are privileged to have many of our families belong to many different parishes.  We support our local parishes and will often join them with our choir for different services, such as All Saints or an Advent Ecumenical Service with local churches.

Every Wednesday (10.30am) we hold a Liturgical Mass attended by all pupils from Reception to Rudiments and regularly welcome priests to say Mass for us.  At Mass, the boys recognise the importance of respect and reverence and what is expected of them in a church setting.  We encourage the boys not only to take part in the sung Mass (some of which is in Latin) but also to take responsibility for leading the Mass. We are delighted that two of our trustees (Fr Rob Page & Fr Adrian Lowe) are local priests who join the school throughout the year and work closely in partnership with us.

Loyola Prep is part of the Diocese of Brentwood and we work closely with them.  On special occasions we have been delighted to welcome Bishop Alan to our school.

Loyola is named after the town in Spain, which was the birthplace of St Ignatius of Loyola, who therefore is our school patron. As the founder of the Jesuits, Saint Ignatius embodies the values of education, personal growth, and service to others that we strive to instill in our pupils. His commitment to academic excellence and moral integrity drives our mission to cultivate well-rounded individuals who are prepared to lead with purpose.

Ignatius in his writing calls us to strive for the ‘Magis’- ‘the more’. The more is a key to making choices amongst competing values. The entire life of Ignatius Loyola was a search for the Magis - that is, the more universal good, the more effective means, the more generous service for others, and the ever greater glory of God (Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam). Magis energises us for action. 

Jesuit schools exist to promote improvement in learning and living for the greater glory of God:

• Finding God in All Things: A Jesuit school recognises that every aspect of its work can affirm the goodness and presence of God.
• Caring for the individual: A Jesuit school focuses on the all-round formation of each person.
• Showing love in deeds: A Jesuit school is characterised by generosity in service to others, particularly where human dignity is threatened.
• Building Christian community: A Jesuit school fosters a faith commitment to Christ and prepares students for a fuller participation in the life of the Church.
• Engaging with the wider world: A Jesuit school helps students to be sensitive to the strengths and weaknesses in contemporary society and to witness Christ’s presence in that society.
• Encouraging excellence: A Jesuit school is distinguished for its academic, religious and pastoral provision, through which it encourages the fullest possible development of talents.
• Co-operating in Jesuit mission: A Jesuit school works in co-operation with other Jesuit schools and ministries in the light of the apostolic and educational aims of the Society of Jesus

By having Saint Ignatius as our patron, we honour his legacy of faith, learning, and service, guiding our students to become compassionate leaders who make a difference in the world. 

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam - To the Greater Glory of God. 

The pupils researched different Saints they felt were good examples of the virtues we uphold at school.  Each class is appointed a saint and the boys are encouraged to find out about their class saint at the start of an academic year.

The houses give the students a sense of belonging and pride. Each house is under the patronage of an English Martyr, who was canonised by Pope Paul VI in 1970 as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales and the pupils are encouraged to learn about their lives. This is done so that the pupils can understand the heroic virtues which were exemplified during their lives.