A Catholic School
A Catholic School
Who Was St. John Fisher?
Saint John Fisher (c. 19 October 1469 – 22 June 1535) was an English Catholic bishop, cardinal, and theologian. John Fisher was also an academic, and eventually served as Chancellor of the University of Cambridge. The painting on this page, ‘Fisher, Bishop of Rochester’, by Jacobus Houbraken after Hans Holbein, shows his image.
John Fisher went on to introduce scholarships into education, working closely with Erasmus. and had a passion for education for all. He was appointed the Bishop of Rochester at the personal insistence of Henry VII and was the priest for Margaret Beaufort, Henry’s wife. John Fisher later became the personal tutor of their son Henry VIII.
When Henry VIII famously tried to divorce Queen Catherine of Aragon, John Fisher became the Queen’s chief supporter. As such, he appeared on the Queen’s behalf in the legates’ court, declaring that he was prepared to die for faith. John Fisher refused to condone Henry’s later marriage to Anne Boleyn. As a result, he was condemned to forfeit all his personal estate and to be imprisoned.
John Fisher was executed by order of Henry VIII on 22nd June 1535 for refusing to accept the King as Supreme Head of the Church of England, over the Pope.
St John Fisher is the patron saint of our school because of his passion for education and his close links to Rochester and Chatham.
Frequently Asked Questions
These questions may be of particular use if you have not previously attended a Catholic school.
What does it mean to be a Catholic school? Catholic schools like SJF are different from other schools because they place Christ at the heart of everything that they do. In some ways this is easy to see; we display crucifixes in our classrooms, have a Chapel on each site and students attend Masses at various times throughout the year in addition to going to lessons. Religious Education is a core subject, which means that all our students sit their GCSE in Year 11. If you study in the Sixth Form at SJF you will also attend core RE classes. However, being a Catholic school is about more than just the outward signs. We are committed to educating the whole person – not just helping pupils to get good grades, but to become the best people they can possibly be so that they can serve God or their community to their fullest once they leave us.
Can I come to SJF if I’m not Catholic? SJF was founded primarily to educate Catholic young people living in Medway. However, we are proud to educate pupils of other faiths and those of no faith in addition to our Catholic pupils. We believe that our Gospel values are relevant and important to everybody, regardless of their religious beliefs.
Do I have to take part in religious services if I’m not Catholic? We expect that all members of our community will attend Masses and other religious events. However, if you are not Catholic, you are not expected to pray; we just ask that students are respectful of others who are.
What are Gospel values? The Gospel values are derived from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. While they are obviously very important to Catholics, we also believe that these values help everyone to be their best selves. The Gospel Values are:
- Honesty
- Compassion
- Trust
- Equality
- Forgiveness
- Mercy
- Community
- Servanthood
Charity
The preferential option for the poor is a key element of Catholic Social Teaching and here at SJF, we are passionate about helping our local and wider community. Students are encouraged to take a lead role in opportunities for social justice, working with charities such as CAFOD and more local charities such as Gillingham Street Angels. To ensure students understand the relevance of our Catholic Social Teaching principles of such events, the chaplain delivers assemblies about the purpose of such fundraising events, explaining how the students’ involvement makes an impact.
School Chaplain
Mrs C Drain is the school’s Lay Chaplain.
The Chaplain, through her work and witness, contributes to the spiritual and pastoral care of all members of the school community. She helps to implement the school vision statement and works with the Headteacher in leading and developing the Catholic life of the school, nurturing the faith formation and liturgical life of the school community. The Chaplain also works with the Religious Education team and other subject areas where appropriate.
The Chaplain as witness
- Helps people to recognise God’s love for them and their need of God
- Inspires through example
- Ensures that students enjoy their experience of the religious heart of the school and recognise development in their own faith
- Encourages staff and pupils to live the faith by being involved in projects relating to social justice, national and global citizenship
The Chaplain as pastor
- Is visible and approachable around the school for students and staff (in recreational areas)
- Accompanies students and staff at particular stages of their journey through life
- Gets to know people individually
- Supports the Headteacher in her role as faith leader in school
The Chaplain as leader
- Supports and further develop the spiritual, religious and liturgical life of the school.
- Offers opportunities of prayer for staff and students.
- Develops suitable activities to mark and celebrate the major feasts and seasons of the Church
- Supports staff and pupils in their planning, preparation and leading of liturgies and collective worship
- Helps with the provision of suitable resources for the prayer life and worship of the school
- Ensures the school environment and displays reflect the school’s Catholic Christian identity
- Promotes and care for both the lower and upper school Chapel as a sacred space
- Develops a school retreat programme for pupils
- Supports students to participate in the sacramental life of the Church, where appropriate
- Celebrates and share the faith life of the school with the wider community
- Includes the local parishes in school celebrations, where appropriate
- Helps with sensitive issues, advising on the Church’s teaching
The Chaplain as educator
- Supports and enhances the Religious Education curriculum, where appropriate
- Undertakes student group work, where appropriate
- Liaises with other areas of the school, for example, performing arts, to support liturgical and spiritual experiences
- Is involved where appropriate and where directed in the curriculum
- Ensures that students make a positive contribution in the school community and beyond through charity work, participating in liturgy and working with outside communities
Chatham Deanery
We are very proud to be part of the Chatham Deanery and we run a wide variety of Deanery initiatives. Our projects encourage community cohesion and offer the chance to form positive relationships while helping to grow our spiritual formation.
Our events with Deanery schools include:
- Headteacher visits to Primary schools: Lennon offers an annual visit to all Year 6 students in Deanery primary schools. Visiting with pupils who came to SJF from that primary, she spends time discussing ‘Life as an SJF student’ and answering questions. This event is extremely popular with the primary students who really do appreciate talking with the older students.
- Chatham Deanery Citizenship Awards: This annual event is held at SJF and every Catholic primary school in the Deanery is invited to submit a student for an award. The awards go beyond celebrating academic excellence by commemorating those who have truly espoused gospel values. Past recipients have been nominated for services to charity, helping their peers and running prayer groups, among numerous other efforts.
- Deanery Games: SJF continues to host the Deanery Games. Local primary schools from the Deanery come together to compete against each other using our sports facilities.
- Deanery Masses: We are proud of our students who act as representatives to Deanery Masses. Students range from all year groups and from all ethnicities, illustrating a truly inclusive provision for young students.
- School Productions: Local primary pupils are invited into our school to observe performances delivered by our Drama GCSE students. These performances are always very well received by the primary school children
- Science Roadshow: Staff from our Science department love to visit local primary students to educate them in the science behind ‘forensic evidence’. Again, this has been greatly appreciated by both staff and student from the primary schools.
Chatham Deanery Contact Details
Father Neil Vincent, Maidstone Road, Rochester, St John Fisher Church
Email rochester@rcaos.org.uk
Jubilee 2025
On Friday 24th January, we began the Jubilee Year – a time in which Pope Francis invites us all to come together as pilgrims of hope, working collectively for the common good, and fostering peace and love throughout the world.
We will use this page of our website to commemorate SJF’s Jubilee Year as it progresses. For now, we hope that you will join us in saying the Jubilee Prayer below.
Father in heaven,
may the faith you have given us
in your son, Jesus Christ, our brother,
and the flame of charity enkindled
in our hearts by the Holy Spirit,
reawaken in us the blessed hope
for the coming of your Kingdom.
May your grace transform us
into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel.
May those seeds transform from within both humanity and the whole cosmos
in the sure expectation
of a new heaven and a new earth,
when, with the powers of Evil vanquished,
your glory will shine eternally.
May the grace of the Jubilee
reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope,
a yearning for the treasures of heaven.
May that same grace spread
the joy and peace of our Redeemer
throughout the earth.
To you our God, eternally blessed,
be glory and praise for ever. Amen.
Please click the links on this page to watch CAFOD’s Jubilee For Schools Animation and to to read CAFOD’s Frequently Asked Questions about Jubilee 2025.
