We were delighted to welcome a solicitor into school because it gave our pupils a real-life insight into how the law can serve justice and protect human dignity. The visit helped them understand rights and responsibilities, and how fair access to advice and support, especially for those who may feel vulnerable, reflects Catholic Social Teaching through solidarity, the common good, and distributive justice.
Catholic Social Teaching refers to the political, social and economic issues in the world today and our rection and action linked to these matters, in light of the faith we hold.
Catholic Social Teaching calls us all to work for the common good, help build a just society, uphold the dignity of human life and work for justice and the dignity of all our brothers and sisters, especially those in greatest need. Our faith calls us to love God and to love our neighbours in every situation, especially our sisters and brothers living in poverty. Following in the footsteps of Christ, we hope to make present in our unjust and broken world, the justice, love and peace of God.
Rooted in Scripture, Catholic Social Teaching (CST) is formed by the wisdom of Church leaders, and influenced by grassroots movements. It is our moral compass, guiding us on how to live out our faith in the world. It offers a set of principles to help us think about how we should interact with others. It forms the foundation of the choices we make and how we view creation – guiding us on how we live out our faith in our local, national and global communities.
At St Peter’s, we use Catholic Social Teaching to draw from scripture, from the example of Jesus, to create in us a need to ‘do something’ and the ‘something we do’ is how we reflect and live out our faith in an overt and proactive way.
The Catholic Social Teaching Principles which inspire our learning
At St Peter’s, these CST principles thread through our curriculum, aiming to foster empathetic, proactive and just citizens, connecting our faith with real-world issues.
Through the curriculum, children learn to understand and live out CST in their actions, both locally and globally.
Catholic Social Teaching in action
Year 6 Distributive Justice – Solicitor Visit
Christmas Jumper Sale
We were delighted to see our children selling Christmas jumpers, truly Catholic Social Teaching in action. By raising money for those in need they showed Solidarity and an Option for the Poor, and by encouraging re-use they lived out Stewardship, caring for God’s creation for the Common Good.
Mission Day – Care of Creation
We were delighted to celebrate the Word together as we reflected on caring for the world God has given us. It helped our children live out Catholic Social Teaching through Stewardship, looking after creation, and working for the Common Good by making choices that protect our shared home.
Celebration of the Word: A visit from the Foodbank
A visit from our local foodbank helped students live out Catholic Social Teaching through practical compassion. By promoting human dignity, solidarity, and care for those in need, encouraging pupils to turn faith into action by serving their local community and working for the common good.
African Village Dream
An assembly from African Village Dream supported Catholic Social Teaching by helping pupils see global solidarity in action, standing with communities in The Gambia through education, clean water, and long-term self-sufficiency, and responding to poverty with compassion, justice, and practical love of our neighbour.
Eco-Team: Celebration of the Word
Our school Eco Club reflects Catholic Social Teaching by putting faith into action through care for God’s creation. Inspired by Laudato Si’, pupils learn that protecting the environment is part of serving the common good, standing in solidarity with others, and supporting the most vulnerable who are often most affected by environmental harm. Through practical action, they show stewardship, responsibility, and respect for human dignity.
