Children & Youth
Our School
Our church school is Trinity St Mary’s CofE Primary School, located immediately next to the church and accessed via Balham Park Road. We have been linked for over 160 years and work closely together to create a warm and supportive environment in which children can flourish academically, socially, and spiritually.
All members of TSM attend Collective Worship weekly in the church, led by the clergy and pupils. A school Eucharist takes place twice a term, as do other special services throughout the year. Voluntary preparation classes for First Communion are offered by the clergy every Autumn Term.
The Christian faith lies at the heart of TSM’s ethos and identity. At the same time, the school is committed to honouring other faith traditions and celebrating the cultural diversity in our midst, and the church fully supports these efforts. We seek together, as the TSM Mission Statement says, ‘to reach out to our neighbours in need and witness to God's love in the world’.
To learn more about enrolling your child at TSM, please contact the school directly to arrange a visit. Church attendance is not required for admission but may be regarded as an advantage.
Balham Children's Choir
Every Monday 3.45-5pm during term-time, Director of Music Sophie Garbisu runs our Children's Choir for Year 2 and above. Through singing practice and games, children develop their musical education and love of music whilst offering a more ambitious repertoire of music for church and community. The Children's Choir will participate in 1-2 Sunday services per term as well as our annual Festival of Music in May. No prior experience necessary. Please contact Sophie (music@stmarybalham.org.uk) for joining information.
Mary's Little Lambs
During term time Mary’s Little Lambs runs on Friday mornings from 10.00am - 11.15am. It is a free playgroup for pre-school children and their parents or carers.
Enter through the garden at the south side of church for an hour of playtime followed by singing. Snacks provided.
Junior Church
Junior Church at St Mary’s takes place most Sundays for children ages 2-11. Children go upstairs to the balcony room shortly after the beginning of the service where they join adult leaders for prayers, songs and activities. The children then join the rest of the congregation in time to receive the eucharist or a blessing. All Adult leaders are trained by the diocesan children and young people's team, are DBS checked and have completed appropriate safeguarding training.
Once a month Junior church does not run. On that Sunday we all worship together in an All-age service. It is led in part by our children and young people and provision is made for them in the contents of the service.
As a sacramental community, we believe that baptised children may participate fully in the Eucharist before confirmation. The clergy offer First Communion preparation classes every autumn for children ages 7 and up. To learn more about preparing for First Communion at St Mary’s, please contact one of the Clergy.
Youth Group
St Mary's has a youth group for young people in Year 10 upwards which meets fortnightly on Tuesdays 5-7pm at church. We cook; have a time of worship in the style of Taizé; and then have a discussion / bible study over a shared meal. For the last two years we have taken a group of teenagers and young adults to spend a week at the Taizé community in France.
The clergy regularly offer instruction to our young people who wish to participate in the sacrament of Confirmation and thereby publicly affirm their Christian faith. At the Confirmation service, they are invited to renew the promises made on their behalf at Baptism and receive the gifts of the Spirit through the bishop’s laying on of hands.
To learn more about preparing for Confirmation at St Mary’s, please contact one of the Clergy. For more information, please also see the Confirmation section of the Church of England website.
