Margaret Clitherow (1556 – 25 March 1586) was an English saint and martyr of the Roman Catholic Church, known as "the Pearl of York". She was pressed to death for refusing to enter a plea to the charge of harbouring Catholic priests. She was canonised in 1970 by Pope Paul VI.
Clitherow was born Margaret Middleton in 1556, one of five children of Thomas and Jane Middleton. Her father was a respected businessman, a wax-chandler and Sheriff of York in 1564. He died when Margaret was fourteen. She married John Clitherow, a wealthy butcher and a chamberlain of the city, in1571 and bore him three children. The family lived in The Shambles.
She converted to Roman Catholicism in 1574. Although her husband belonged to the Established Church, he was supportive as his brother William was a Roman Catholic priest. He paid her fines for not attending church services. She was first imprisoned in 1577 for failing to attend church. Two more incarcerations at York Castle followed. Her third child, William, was born in prison.
Margaret risked her life by harbouring and maintaining priests. She provided two chambers, one adjoining her house and, with her house under surveillance, she rented a house some distance away, where she kept priests hidden and Mass was celebrated through the thick of the persecution. Her home became one of the most important hiding places for fugitive priests in the north of England.
Margaret was arrested and called before the York assizes for the crime of harbouring Roman Catholic priests. She refused to plead preventing a trial that would entail her children being made to testify, and being subjected to torture. Although pregnant with her fourth child, she was executed on Lady Day, 1586, (which also happened to be Good Friday that year) in the Toll Booth at Ouse Bridge, by being crushed to death, the standard inducement to force a plea.
Margaret Clitherow was beatified in 1929 by Pope Pius XI and canonised on 25 October 1970 by Pope Paul VI among the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. Their feast day in the current Roman Catholic calendar is 4 May in England and 25 October in Wales. She is also commemorated in England on 30 August, along with martyrs Anne Line and Margaret Ward.
A relic, said to be her hand, is housed in the Bar Convent in York.
St. Margaret's Shrine is at 35-36 The Shambles.
We celebrate the life St. Margaret Clitherow at the start of every school year where we reflect on her life and the impact she can have on us today.
St Margaret Clitherow School is a Roman Catholic, voluntary-aided, single form entry primary school in the trusteeship of the Archdiocese of Westminster.
We are situated in the Broadwater ward of Stevenage, the school opened in 1965, to serve the Parish of St Hilda’s (Shephall) and now serves pupils from across the town. Census information, indicates that pupils are drawn form a range of wards across Stevenage.
We are an over-subscribed 1 form entry primary school with a 26 place morning and afternoon nursery.
St. Margaret Clitherow RC Primary School was formerly known as Blessed Margaret Clitherow Roman Catholic Junior Mixed Infants School which opened in January 1965.
The first Head Teacher was Mr J D Flanagan.
Following an arson attack, the school was totally destroyed by fire in 1998 and reopened in a new building on the same site in September 2000. The nursery was added in 2005.
Please click on the powerpoint below to gain an insight into Catholic Life and Learning at SMC –
Life at SMC
We believe every child is made in God’s image and likeness with extraordinary gifts and talents. With the help of the Holy Spirit we are tasked to nurture and develop our children and encourage them to be independent, resilient lifelong learners who are confident and able to reach their full potential. The bond between our parents, governors and parish is a partnership which we use to support the children in our care, encourage them to shine and have pride in their achievements, whilst being responsible members of society and developing a deep faith in God.
Our pupils are aware their mission as the Church and how to serve Jesus. The Catholic Charism at our school includes fostering a sense of community, promoting the School Values, providing religious education, participation in prayer and worship and engaging in acts of service and social justice. Our primary aim is being a living and witnessing Catholic Eucharistic community with a commitment to excellence (personal social, spiritual, moral and academic), guided by Gospel values and focusing on the core being of every individual. We seek to create an environment where pupils can grow in their faith, develop a strong moral compass and live out the teachings of Jesus.
We are a Eucharistic community: an Altar, dressed in liturgical colours is at the centre of the school. A backdrop behind the Altar shows the School’s Values which reflect our Catholic Character. Our school is rich in religious symbolism, reflecting our Catholic identity. We have numerous statues, including the Sacred Heart of Jesus, St. Margaret Clitherow, and of Mary and Jesus, as well as images of the Pope and Cardinal displayed in communal areas. The school is adorned with wicker crosses handcrafted by our children, alongside displays highlighting our mission, Catholic Social Teaching, our school’s patron saint, and other key themes throughout the year. The Stations of the Cross are depicted in various images, and every classroom features a crucifix. Our school values are prominently displayed throughout the school including the playground, and a holy water font welcomes all as they enter the school. Visitors are greeted outside by beautiful mosaic, created by the children, that celebrates the rich diversity of our school. Additionally, displays of our class saints further emphasise our strong Catholic ethos. Every element of our environment proudly reflects that we are a Catholic school. Our prayer garden and Mary garden are used as spiritual places for our pupils and staff to have quiet reflection time should they need it. Each class has its own prayer space and is updated regularly to reflect the liturgical season.
Our School Values are based on the Kingdom of God. They are an opportunity to take Christ’s teaching into the heart of our faith and our school. Jesus taught constantly about “the Kingdom of God”. This concept was at the centre of his teaching and life – we want to have the same at St. Margaret Clitherow School.
Our mission is to do all we can to bring signs of God’s mercy, compassion and justice into the world. This is the mission Jesus has entrusted us to do. If we have faith in Him, we will witness how he can help us to help others.
Our values are:
Love, Peace, Truth, Justice, Goodness, Forgiveness, Faith, Hope, Courage and Freedom.
Please click the powerpoint below to find out more about our values.
“The saints are not superman, nor were they born perfect. They are like us, like each one of us. They are people who, before reaching the glory of heaven, lived normal lives with joys and sorrows, struggles and hopes. What changed their lives? When they recognized God’s love, they followed it with all their heart without reserve or hypocrisy. They spent their lives serving others, they endured suffering and adversity without hatred and responded to evil with good, spreading joy and peace. This is the life of a Saint.”
Pope Francis, Angelus, 1st November 2013
At St Margaret Clitherow, we aim to help our children respond to Pope Francis’ call to holiness. The Saints play a crucial role in inspiring our pupils by motivating them to lead joyful lives, serving as role models, teaching that holiness means being true to oneself, and praying for us from heaven, providing the strength to fulfil our divine purpose.
Upon entering St Margaret’s, each class is dedicated to a specific Saint, carefully selected for them. At the beginning of every academic year, each cohort revisits their Class Patron Saint. As children advance through the school, they deepen their understanding of their Class Saint, drawing connections between Gospel stories, the lives of the Saints, and how they should live their own lives.
Both the patron and the protector of the Catholic Church, in addition to his
patronages of the sick and of a holy death, due to the belief that he died in the presence of Jesus and Mary.
Feast Day: March 19
Born in Poland, he is the patron Saint of young Catholics.
Feast Day: October 22
The first Indian woman to be canonised, Saint Alphonsa is the Patron Saint against illness.
Feast Day: July 28
The first Native American Saint and Patron Saint of ecology and the environment.
Feast Day: July 14
Born in El Salvador, he is the Patron Saint of Persecuted Christians.
Feast Day: March 24
An Albanian-Indian Catholic nun, she is the Patron Saint of World Youth Day.
Feast Day: September 5
A theologian and poet, who is patron Saint of The John Henry Newman Catholic School, Stevenage. Patron Saint of poets and teachers.
Feast Day: October 9
A Sudanese-Italian woman, St Bakhita was a former slave. She is the Patron Saint of human-trafficking and modern-day slavery
Feast Day: February 8
Our Chaplaincy Team is formed of children from across KS2. They have a variety of ministries within the school, which include maintaining a weekly ‘Mission of the Week’ display board, supporting with and leading key stage and whole school assemblies, serving in Masses and being responsible role models within the school.
The school uses the Wednesday Word each week in assembly. As a whole school we explore the Gospel message and then the children link this message to one of our School Values.
Further information is available on the following website:
Please visit our Roles and Responsibilities page to find out about other roles within the school. Roles & Responsibilities
Our pupils understand the seven pillars of Catholic Social Teaching through the everyday experiences they have at school, they understand how our faith calls us to love our neighbours, not just through words but also through actions. They demonstrate this through the charitable work they undertake throughout the liturgical year supporting local, national and international charities. Pupils see their charitable work as being rooted in Jesus’ Gospel example of helping the needy and vulnerable.
We hold Advent and Lent Giving Weeks where we donate items to our local parish foodbank and the elderly and the housebound of the parish. Items are also donated to our local foodbank run by Feed Up Warm Up which is held in the Stevenage Football Stadium next door to the school. Herts Young Homeless is another local charity which we support. Money is raised for CAFOD at Christmas and the children select which World Gifts to purchase. We support the Catholic Children’s Society and Father Kakuba’s Kanyike Project with our Lenten Almsgiving. During the month of November, we support the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal. Children in Need and the NSPCC are other national charities we support with a non-uniform day. We’ve also supported a number of DEC (Disasters Emergency Committee) humanitarian appeals.
We raise funds for the following charities throughout the year:
(Please click on the links below to visit their websites)
Catholic Social Teaching is rooted in Scripture, formed by the wisdom of Church leaders. It is our moral compass, guiding us on how to live out our faith in the world. Our faith calls us to love God and to love our neighbours in every situation, especially our sisters and brothers living in poverty. Following in the footsteps of Christ, we hope to make present in our unjust and broken world, the justice, love and peace of God.
Dignity of the Human Person
Every human person is created in the image and likeness of God. Every person’s life and dignity must be respected and supported from the day they were born until the day they die. CST calls us to recognise that all human beings are our brothers and sisters designed to be one race, one people, one family – the human race , the human family, called to be the People of God, the Body of Christ, to live in communion, one with the other and our God.
Family and Community
Humans are social beings. We live in relation to others, learning from one another. We’re called to live our lives engaged in the world, helping to transform society for the good of all, not just sit back, expecting others to do things for us, or complaining about the way things are. We are made for community and communion with one another, living and sharing our daily lives, hopes and dreams.
Solidarity and the Common Good
We are the People of God, one family. What happens to one has an impact on all, locally, nationally and globally. At the heart of solidarity is peace and justice. Our love for all calls us to work for a peaceful and just society where everyone has a fair share of the goods needed for a sustainable life, and opportunities for growth and development are offered equally.
Rights and Responsibilities
Every human being regardless of background or circumstances has equal rights as a person. Everyone has the right to food, health care, housing, education and employment. We all need to strive to secure and respect these rights for others both locally and globally.
Option for the Poor and Vulnerable
We are judged on how we care for and stand with the poor and vulnerable – our brothers and sisters. The Church calls us to respond to the cry of the poor and put their needs first.
Dignity of Work
Work is a way in which we can continue to participate in God’s creation. Work gives dignity to life and must be carried out in such a way that the basic rights of workers are respected. Everyone has the right to productive work, to fair and liveable wages.
Stewardship
The world God created has to be entrusted to everyone and we are responsible and accountable to God as stewards of the earth. The world has been given to us as a gift, to enjoy and care for so that future generations can enjoy it too.
Parents are the first educators of their children. We work closely with parents to ensure we provide the best possible care and education for our children. Relationships are a real strength of the school. Parents are highly supportive of the school’s aims, mission and ethos. They are invited to join with us throughout the year for Masses and celebrations.
Every week, one child from each class takes home our Family Prayer Bag. We hope and pray that the Family Prayer Bag will help families come together for a few minutes each day over a week to share something very special in the presence of God.
Half termly newsletters are shared with parents which includes information about our Catholic School. Please click below to find our newsletters.
Newsletters
We aim for all pupils to be religiously literate, know their way around Scripture and the traditions of the Catholic Church and to be able to consider how this impacts on their everyday life.
RE is at our core and we aim for our children to have the knowledge, understanding and skills – appropriate to their age and capacity –to reflect spiritually, and think ethically and theologically, and to be aware of the demands of religious commitment in everyday life.
Our curriculum and the Catholic life of our school isunderpinned by our School Values based on the Kingdom of God.
It is an opportunity to take Christ’s teaching into the heart of our faith and our school. Jesus taught constantly about “the Kingdom of God”. This concept was at the centre of his teaching and life –we want to have the same at St. Margaret Clitherow School.
Our mission is to do all we can to bring signs of God’s mercy, compassion and justice into the world. This is the mission Jesus has entrusted us to do. If we have faith in Him, we will witness how he can help us to help others.
Religious Education is at the centre of everything we do as a Catholic school and permeates through every aspect of the curriculum and school life. We ensure that a minimum of 10% of Curriculum time is allocated for RE teaching across all key stages. The requirements of the RE curriculum are met through the scheme ‘The Way the Truth and The Life’ which in turn meets the requirements of the Religious Education Curriculum Directory set out by the Bishop’s Conference of England Wales.
We aim for all children to meet a standard that equals or is better than those of Literacy at all key stages and Foundation stage. Children are assessed not only on the content of their recorded work but on their individual, group and oral work through each topic. This enables both class teachers and the subject leader to monitor coverage and identify progress made throughout the pupils’ time at school.
A range of teaching strategies and learning methodologies are employed depending on the needs and abilities of the children and the nature of the activities being undertaken.
Approaches will include whole class teaching, group activities and individual work. Children will have opportunities to work individually as well as co-operatively and collaboratively, developing their own knowledge and expertise as well as sharing their experiences with others.
All work will involve thought provoking reflection and discussion, encouraging the children to develop their moral and spiritual consciences. The children are encouraged to ask questions and to listen carefully to the opinions of others.
In the EYFS children begin to explore a range of ways that different faiths celebrate at key points in the year. From Year 1 onwards, pupils explore a unit each year studying Judaism (linking to Jesus’ life as aJew) and a further unit studying Islam. As the children become older, they are also increasingly exposed to the concept that Christianity is wider than Catholicism; that all Christians are not Catholic; and that not all people live their lives according to a faith. RE is not taught in isolation, but as a subject that underpins our daily actions. A rhythm of prayer throughout the school day and the development of a rich tapestry of Catholic Life underpins the RE curriculum at every stage.
Please click on the link below to find out more about RE at our school and our RE Policy
Our Learning - RE
Please click on the link below to find our Curriculum Statement which includes further details about RE learning at SMC
Curriculum Statement
All Catholic schools are required to teach about other religions as part of the Religious Education curriculum. This is a feature of Catholic RE in all stages of a child's development, from the beginning of Primary School. It prepares the pupils in our Catholic schools for life in modern Britain, giving them an understanding of the beliefs of others. This in turn will improve social cohesion and contribute to the common good by increasing mutual respect between those of different religions.
Please click on the link below to find the topics we cover in each class.
PSHE Education is taught through a variety of age-appropriate themes, across the three key areas of Created and Loved by God, Created to Love Others and Created to Live in Community. A safe and effective learning environment will be established using ground rules/class agreement (drawn up by both pupils and the classroom teacher). These will be referred to at the start of every lesson and may be changed and amended throughout the year to reflect the changing needs of pupils within their classroom learning environment. Teaching staff will ensure that pupils are able to talk about topics in a safe and age-appropriate way and questions will be answered to match the social and emotional development of pupils as well as chronological age.
We use Ten Ten’s Life to the Full Relationships and SexEducation (RSE) Programme which is recognised by the Diocese of Westminster as a suitable scheme. The scheme is underpinned and rooted in the teachings of the Church.
Our RSE Policy, which includes an overview for topics taught, can be found on our policy page. A link can be found here: Policies
Please click on the link below to find out more about RSE at our school.
Our children fully participate in collective worship opportunities at our school. There are many experiences of collective worship that our pupils lead on and participate in, they engage deeply with it and the quality of their prayer and attentiveness is excellent. Our whole school assembly ensures that our pupils have a clear understanding of the Gospel teachings and their place in living these Gospel values.
We are a Eucharistic community: an Altar, dressed in liturgical colours is at the centre of the school. A backdrop behind the Altar shows the School’s Values which reflect our Catholic Character. Our prayer garden and Mary garden are used as spiritual places for our pupils and staff to have quiet reflection time should they need it. Each class has its own prayer space and is updated regularly to reflect the liturgical season.
Prayer and liturgy are appropriated planned each year in liaison with our Parish Priest. A range of Masses are planned throughout the year (Harvest, Advent, Ash Wednesday, Lent, First Holy Communion and Leavers’ Masses) and are led by the children. We also hold a Mass at the start of the year for staff and Governors. An Act of Remembrance is led by the pupils and our Year 3 pupils lead our Corpus Christi Procession. Our Parish community is also invited to attend our Masses and Corpus Christi Procession. Children from Year 4 - 6 are given an opportunity during Lent and Advent to take part in the Sacrament of Reconciliation during school time. Our Prayer and Liturgy Policy can be found in the policy section on the school website.
Our children also take part in other events, for example, our Year 6 attend the annual Catholic Children Society Westminster’s Advent service at Westminster Cathedral. Our Year 2 pupils take part in a Christmas Journey and our Year 6 pupils take part in an Easter journey led by Bridgebuilders Christian Trust. Our Year 5 children spread joy to the needy in our local community by taking part in carol singing.
In our whole school assembly we gather together and listen to the Gospel and reflect on its message. In Key Stage Assemblies the children develop their understanding of Catholic Social Teaching. Once a week each class takes part in class collective worship which is based on a number of themes. We join with our local Parish for our annual Advent Carol service which is held in St. Hilda’s Church. Our children in Nursery and Reception take part in a Nativity play, our Year 1 and 2 children present a Christmas play and our Year 3 and 4s present an Easter Passion Play. Throughout the months of October and May we join our prayers with Our Mother Mary and dedicate our class learning to her. We also sing and sign the Hail Mary during these months.
Please visit the school calendar on our homepage to find more of the celebrations we take part in at SMC.
Our Corpus Christi Procession is an annual event which takes place in June. Our children and families donate flowers for each Altar and the local Parish community are invited to join with us. Please enjoy the photos below to see the beautiful procession.
In preparation for the 2025 Jubilee Year “Pilgrims of Hope”, 2024 has been designated a Year of Prayer by Pope Francis. He asks us all to join in a great “symphony” of prayer, “to renew our desire to be in the presence of the Lord, to listen to him and to adore him."
Our Chaplaincy Team commenced our Year of Prayer focus by giving each child a special prayer card from CAFOD celebrating the Year of Prayer. Classes spent time deepening their understanding of the Lord’sPrayer. To fully understand the Lord’s Prayer they needed to know about the different types of prayer it contains:
adoration (praise of God)
intercession (helping others)
petition (asking for help)
confession (saying sorry and asking for forgiveness)
deliverance (protection and guidance)
The children spend time considering these five different types of prayer used in the Lord’s Prayer and completed a variety of activities to support their understanding.
Some children learnt a Caribbean Lord’s Prayer which you can find below.
And some children learnt this song:
Symphony of prayer and praise: A prayer for the year of Prayer
God of blessings,
in this year ahead,
give us a spirit of listening,
of openness to your word
and longing for your kingdom.
As we journey toward the Jubilee,
a time of new beginnings,
we pray for help and strength,
to heal our relationships with each other
and all creation.
Sing your song of love over us,
renewing our faith and courage,
so we may join our voices together,
discovering new harmonies of hope,
new melodies of reconciliation
Attentive to the Spirit,
and awake to the needs of the world,
may we seek your life-giving presence,
as we join as one global family,
in a great symphony of prayer and praise.
Amen.
In 2022 we held a Languages Festival to celebrate the diversity of our wonderful school community through language.
The Languages Festival comprised of language activities both in class and across a central hub of stalls, each dedicated to a specific language, that children visited with their class year group. Behind the scenes, several language stalls were developed by our parent community, with each showcasing a specific language and culture.
All the children were invited to come to school dressed in the colours of a specific flag. This could be the flag of a country that the child has a connection with, ie members of their family may have been born in that country or the child may have family currently living there. It was a wonderfully exciting day!
Due to the overwhelming success of the Languages Festival we now hold a Cultural Day every year celebrating our beautifully diverse community.
Prayer is at the heart of daily life in school. Daily collective worship is varied according to need, containing a dynamic mix of traditional & modern; meditative & lively; still and active. Reconciliation is at the heart of all interactions within the school. Prayers are developed from Nursery to Year 6. Our younger pupils live out their prayers with actions and songs and our older pupils write and share their own prayers in some classes to deepen their faith sharing.
Throughout the day there are opportunities for prayer. These often mark the time of day and may be chosen by the teacher or the children. We also teach common prayers throughout the children’s time in primary school which are found in the prayer booklet you can find below.
When the children leave the school they are also gifted a prayer book which includes the common prayers they have learnt throughout the years at our school.
If you have any prayer intentions that you would like the children to pray for, please either let the school office know or email admin@clitherow.herts.sch.uk
Prayer Booklet
Daily prayers that are often used as follow:
Mission Statement and School Prayer
Jesus lives in us, our families, our school, our church, our world. Jesus is our guide, let us follow Him.
A morning Prayer
Oh my God you love me, You're with me night and day, I want to love You always, In all I do and say, I'll try to please You Father, Bless me through the day
A lunchtime Prayer
Thank You for the food we eat, thank You for the world so sweet. Thank you for the birds that sing, thank you God for everything
Afternoon Prayer
God our Father, we come to say, thank You for Your love today, thank you for my family and all the friends You give to me. Guard me in the dark of night and in the morning send Your light
Transfiguration of Our Lord Church
4 Basils Road,
Stevenage,
SG1 3PX
Tel: 01438 226857
St Joseph's Church
Bedwell Crescent,
Stevenage,
SG1 1NJ
Tel: 01438 351243
St Thomas More Church
72 London Road,
Knebworth,
SG3 6HB
Tel: 01438 813303
St Hilda's Church
9 Breakspear,
Stevenage,
SG2 9SQ
Tel: 01438 352182
Our Lady Catholic Primary School
Hitchin
Website: www.ourladys.herts.sch.uk
St Thomas More Catholic Primary School
Letchworth
Website: www.strcjmi.herts.sch.uk
St Vincent de Paul Catholic Primary School
Stevenage
Website: www.stvincent.herts.sch.uk
The Holy Family Catholic Primary School
Welwyn Garden City
Website: www.holyfamily.herts.sch.uk
Our Lady Catholic Primary School
Welwyn Garden City
Website: www.ourladys527.herts.sch.uk
St John's Catholic Primary and Nursery School
Baldock
Website: www.stjohns4.herts.sch.uk
St Mary's Catholic Primary School
Royston
Website: www.stmarysroyston.co.uk
The Saint John Henry Newman Catholic School
Stevenage
Website: www.jhn.herts.sch.uk
