As you may know, children in Year 5 at St.Philip’s school, in common with those of many other church schools, have the option of being confirmed. Children who are confirmed here will become full members of the Church of England and will be able to take the bread and wine of Holy Communion in church and in school. Please note that children do not have to get confirmed and they will need your consent in order to be confirmed.

When someone is confirmed here they become a full member of the Church of England. They take for themselves the promises to love and serve God which their parents and godparents took for them at their baptism/christening. In a sense they are standing up and taking responsibility for their Christian lives themselves, although I am sure that their parents and godparents will still want to support them as they continue on in their Christian journey.

Each year we offer a taster session for children to help them to understand what Confirmation is all about and an opportunity to ask questions. At the end of this your child should be in a position to have an informed discussion with you about whether they want to be confirmed. Lessons to prepare those children who decide to be confirmed are then held, so that they understand what is required on the day of their confirmation.

Children who want to be confirmed must first have been Baptised/Christened, and we will need to see your child’s Baptism certificate or to have the details of when and where they were baptised. Please contact June Dunning at St. Philip’s church if there is a difficulty over this or if you need your child to be Baptised before confirmation. (Children who have been Baptised in a church of another Christian denomination such as Roman Catholic etc. can still be confirmed, they do not need to get Baptised again.) 

Your child does not have to get confirmed, it is a decision for them to make together with you. Adults may also be confirmed at the same service, and it is not
unusual for parents to be confirmed with their children. If you, or your older children, would like to get confirmed at the same service, let us know as soon as
possible. Children who are confirmed and begin taking communion in school and in church have found it to be a very positive experience which greatly enriches their lives spiritually.