As members of the Catholic Church, we are called upon to preserve the dignity of all human beings, to care for creation and to reach our sisters and brothers in need.  These principles form part of Catholic Social Teaching, a body of work developed by Church leaders over the centuries.  Pope Francis emphasizes that it is our duty to work together to bring about a more just and peaceful world: to put love into action.

This short video explains more:

At English Martyrs, we want children to be able to make the connection that when we do good deeds, we are following the example of Jesus, viewing him as our role model so that we are a Christ-centred community.  We teach our children about the importance of putting the needs of others before ourselves, respecting the dignity of all people and how we are stewards of God’s beautiful creation with a duty to do all we can to preserve it for future generations.  

The importance of Catholic Social Teaching to our school life and mission is shown by the fact that we have registered for the Oscar Romero award.  This is a framework that supports Catholic schools to recognise and celebrate what they do to promote CST and challenge them to weave CST into the culture and ethos of the school – strategic planning, curriculum development and practical choices.  We are delighted to have been awarded the 'Participator' Level of the award (October 2023) and will now be working for the Developer level.  

As we progress towards the Developer level of the Oscar Romero award, we are working on making sure that opportunities for developing connections between Catholic Social Teaching and curriculum subjects are identified and that clear links are evident to the children.  

Here are some examples of how Catholic Social Teaching is being linked to subject learning:

Autumn 2023 - All Key Stage 2 children have taken part in the 'Send My Friend to School' campaign.  In their literacy they have been reading and writing letters about education in emergencies, and they have also explored 'dignity of the human person' and the 'option for the poor'.  All children are invited to take part in our Live Sustainably beach clean and there is a Cafod club that children in Years 1 - 6 are able to join.  

Year 6 World War 2 topic -  children will reflect upon how we should treat each other ('dignity of the human person' and 'common good') and question what is meant 'community' and how they work together in times of difficulty ('solidarity').

Year 5 Earth and Space topic - children will reflect that from the moment of creation this world has been ours to care for. How do we ensure the planet’s survival? What can we do to save it? ('care for creation').

Year 4 'I am an explorer' topic - children will wonder about the diversity of the world that God created and reflect on their role in respecting and sustaining it, acting as stewards of God's creation ('care for creation').

Year 2 'Identity' topic - the children will learn about the lives of those who made a difference, such as Rosa Parks and Emily Davison.  This will enable them to reflect upon the 'dignity of the human person' and to consider how and why others have acted in a way such as to allow the value and worth of individuals to be recognised.

More information about how the principles of Catholic Social Teaching will be integrated within topic learning can be found in Parent Topic Maps on Year group pages.