Our retreats and school missions help young people reflect, grow in confidence, and deepen their faith through creative, engaging experiences.
Years 7 to 11
Year 6 only
A day retreat at Lowe House offers young people a chance to step away from the classroom and into a new environment. Suitable for groups of up to 60, the retreat is tailored to a theme of your choice, explored through engaging activities, workshops, and personal witness.
The change of setting helps young people connect in new ways, and the unique spaces at Lowe House—indoors and outdoors—allow for experiences not possible in school. Many staff remark on seeing a different side of students during retreats.
We recommend a day retreat at Lowe House for any school or parish group seeking time to reflect, grow in faith, and deepen relationships.
A mission day brings the retreat experience to your school—ideal for schools unable to travel to Lowe House due to distance or large year group sizes.
We typically work with around 60 young people at a time, delivering sessions to one group in the morning and another in the afternoon. Sessions include a mix of whole group activities and small group work, tailored to your school’s timetable.
Depending on year size, the day may involve half or a quarter of the year group, spread over one or more days. Some schools include a shared liturgy or Mass; others may request extra input with chaplaincy teams, prefects, or staff.
We’ll help plan the format that best suits your setting. If pupils are off-timetable all day, we can provide additional resources for staff-led sessions—ranging from reflective materials to faith-based games and sports.
While we understand mission days are sometimes more practical, we still recommend retreats away from school where possible, as being in a new environment allows for deeper reflection and engagement.
A mission week is a special opportunity for the whole school community to reflect on its values, celebrate its identity, and renew its mission. Schools may use a mission week to launch or refresh their mission statement, mark an anniversary, or align with a wider Church event.
Planning usually begins six months in advance and continues with follow-up long after the week ends. The week itself often includes assemblies, stage presentations with drama, music, and personal testimony, as well as workshops for specific groups like chaplaincy teams, prefects, and staff.
We support staff ahead of the week with themed lesson planning, and recommend building up to a mission week through a retreat programme. Involving parishes and feeder schools can add great depth and meaning to the experience.
A mission week can be a powerful catalyst—sparking new initiatives and deepening the school’s ongoing mission and ethos.
Unfortunately, we are unable to offer mission days or weeks to primary schools. As Animate is a peer ministry team, we can only work with Year 6 pupils.
We offer Year 6 day retreats based on one of two themes:
New Beginnings
This retreat helps pupils reflect on their upcoming transition to high school. Through activities and discussions, we explore the challenges and opportunities ahead, encouraging them to trust in the support of friends, staff, and God on their journey.
Caring for Others
This day encourages young people to think about how they can care for their school, local, and wider communities. The focus is on empathy, respect, and being role models for others.
Each theme offers a meaningful way for pupils to pause, reflect, and grow before moving on to the next stage of their lives.