The retreat programme offers students a chance to step back from the pressures of daily life and take time to focus on their mental and spiritual wellbeing. Focusing on their personal relationship with their faith, students explore themes rooted in the Ursuline Virtues and Catholic Social Teaching through drama, art, team-building activities and reflection. Each retreat is tailor-made for the year group and explores issues specific to them. 

Years 7,8 & 9

Key Stage Three retreats are held within the school, taking advantage of our two beautiful chapels. These are full day retreats in form groups and are led by Ms. Gillespie, our Chaplain, and their form tutor. Each retreat gives our students a unique opportunity to reflect on themselves as individuals, to consider their place within school and the wider community, and deepen their relationship with God. 

Year 7: “United in Harmony” - Using the Ursuline Virtues as inspiration, students explore their place within Year 7, the unique gifts and talents they each bring to the school, and how they are all called by God to be with us. 

Year 8: “Created in God’s Image” - Genesis 1:26-27 says that we are all made in the image of God. In Year 8, our students explore what that means for us, how we should treat each other, and how we should treat ourselves as being created in God’s image. 

Year 9: “Called to be Saints” - A saint is someone who chose to say ‘yes’ to God, and never stopped saying ‘yes’. The Year 9 retreat focuses on the lives of key saints and how we can be like them in our everyday lives. 

Student feedback from retreats has been extremely positive.

Kairos Retreat 

In Year 12, students have an opportunity to attend a residential retreat exploring faith, testimony and sharing time away together in the beautiful setting of Worth Abbey. In Year 13, those same students are invited back to lead the new intake of Year 12s. The word ‘Kairos’ means ‘moment’ and for many years students who have participated in the retreat consider it to be an important ‘moment’ in their Sixth Form journey. Students who assist in the leadership of the retreat are also invited to take part in an afternoon of leadership training and formation focused on Jesus’ perfect example of servant leadership.