Cottesmore St Mary Catholic Primary School


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Catholic Social Teaching

Catholic Social Teaching  

Catholic Social Teaching

‘What are we called to stand up for?’

 

At Cottesmore St. Mary, the heart of our Catholic Life and Mission is a commitment to learning through Catholic Social Teaching, guided by a termly framework of principles, with lessons explicitly taught each half term across all year groups. There are seven guiding principles and we have chosen to focus on the following set:

  • Dignity

  • Participation

  • Care for our Common Home

  • Common Good

  • Solidarity

  • Subsidiarity

 

Catholic Social Teaching (CST) is rooted in Scripture and it provides us with guidance on how we can live out our faith as followers of Christ in our local, national and global community.

As head of the Church, the Pope guides us in how we can apply the scripture to our modern day lives and how the Church can respond to the challenges we face in our modern world. Pope Francis’ shared his own thoughts in his recent encyclicals Laudato Si’ (2015) and Fratelli Tutti (2020). Each of the principles is rooted in the rhythm of the school year and is closely linked with our Mission Statement and Good Disciple Values. CST also underpins all pupil leadership roles.

 

An example of this is our Care for Creation team plays a vital role in promoting Catholic Social Teaching within the school. Made up of children from Years Reception–6, the team meets regularly to explore how we can care for God’s creation in simple, meaningful ways. They lead eco-friendly projects, create inspiring posters, deliver short assemblies, and work closely with our local community.

Because Laudato Si’ calls us to care for both the earth and its people, the team also works closely with our other pupil led councils e.g. Faith in Action / Mini Vinnies or CAFOD Fairtrade group to fundraise and support charities such as CAFOD and the Catholic Children’s Society. All our pupil leadership groups also focus on carrying out small acts of kindness within our community. Through prayer, teamwork, and practical action, our Pupil leadership groups help make our school a place that values and protects our common home.