Living the Gospel Through Love, Service and Justice

At St Michael Catholic Primary and Nursery School, Catholic Social Teaching underpins our mission and shapes the way we help our children live out the Gospel each day. As a proud member of the Kent Catholic Schools Partnership (KCSP), we share a collective commitment to place Christ at the heart of all we do and to ensure every child is nurtured to flourish spiritually, morally, socially and academically. 

CST is the Church’s rich tradition of reflection on how we build a just, loving and peaceful world. It teaches us that faith is lived through action, compassion, dignity and the way we treat one another.

At St Michael’s, CST is not a separate subject — it is a way of life.

 

The Seven Principles of Catholic Social Teaching

Catholic Social Teaching helps us understand how to live out Jesus’ message of love, justice and service. At St Michael’s, these principles guide our relationships, learning and actions, helping children recognise their responsibilities within our school, our local community and the wider world.

1. Dignity of the Human Person

Every person is created in the image and likeness of God. Each life is precious, and everyone deserves respect, love and opportunities to flourish.

At St Michael’s, we bring this teaching to life through:

• A nurturing school community: Our CIRCLE values help children recognise their own worth, celebrate their gifts and value the unique qualities of others.

• Respectful relationships: Our approach to behaviour encourages dignity, forgiveness and reconciliation, helping children understand the impact of their actions and repair relationships.

• Inclusion and belonging: We help every child feel valued, listened to and supported, recognising that children may need different kinds of help to thrive.

• Respect beyond our school: Children learn that human dignity does not depend on someone’s nationality, faith, ability or circumstances. This helps them challenge prejudice and respond with compassion to people experiencing discrimination, displacement or exclusion.

2. The Common Good & Solidarity

We belong to one human family. The common good means creating conditions in which everyone can flourish; solidarity means standing alongside others and taking responsibility for one another.

We encourage children to live these principles through:

• Supporting one another: In learning and play, children practise cooperation, kindness and inclusion, recognising that their choices affect the wellbeing of others.

• Serving our community: Leadership roles and shared projects help pupils contribute to a school where everyone’s needs matter.

• Building connections: Through our parish and the KCSP family of schools, children experience belonging to a wider Catholic community united in faith and service.

• Thinking globally: Children explore how our lives connect with people around the world through food, trade and the environment. Fairtrade provides a practical example of how everyday choices can show solidarity with farmers, workers and their families.

3. Preferential Option for the Poor and Vulnerable

Jesus calls us to give particular attention to people facing poverty, hardship or exclusion. We consider their needs when making decisions and work towards a fairer world.

At St Michael’s, this is expressed through:

• Practical support: Foodbank collections, charity fundraising and community outreach encourage children to respond generously to the needs of others.

• Local and global awareness: Children learn that families may face difficulties both close to home and around the world, including barriers to food, clean water, shelter and education.

• Understanding justice: We help children consider why people experience hardship and how fairer opportunities and systems can make a lasting difference.

• Service with dignity: In keeping with KCSP’s shared mission of service, children learn to listen, show respect and stand alongside others, recognising their strengths as well as their needs.

4. Care for God’s Creation

The earth is God’s gift, our common home. We are called to care for its people, creatures and resources, protecting them for future generations.

Children experience this through:

• Forest School: Led by a Level 3 practitioner, outdoor learning develops curiosity, gratitude and respect for the natural world.

• Environmental action: Eco Council projects, litter picks, recycling and sustainable choices help children take responsibility for their surroundings.

• Learning across the curriculum: RE, Science and Geography develop understanding of stewardship, habitats, biodiversity and the responsible use of resources.

• A worldwide responsibility: Children explore how pollution, climate change and waste affect communities and wildlife across the globe, particularly people with fewer resources to protect themselves. They learn that local actions contribute to caring for our shared planet.

5. Dignity of Work & the Rights of Workers

Work enables people to use their gifts and contribute to society. Every worker deserves dignity, fair pay, safe conditions and time for rest and family life.

We help children understand this through:

• Valuing effort and talents: Children recognise the importance of perseverance and the different gifts each person brings to our community.

• Respecting every contribution: We celebrate the work of people who support our school and wider society, helping pupils appreciate the value of different roles.

• Learning about Fairtrade: Children explore where products such as bananas, cocoa and coffee come from, and how Fairtrade seeks to support fairer trading conditions for producers.

• Considering workers and families: Pupils learn why fair treatment at work matters for people’s health, security and family life. They consider why children around the world should be able to learn, play and grow safely, free from exploitation.

6. Rights and Responsibilities

Every person has rights that protect their dignity, including access to food, shelter, education and safety. These rights come with responsibilities to respect and protect the rights of others.

At St Michael’s, children develop this understanding through:

• Fairness in everyday life: Children learn to listen, share, respect boundaries and consider how their actions affect others.

• Rules that help us flourish: They explore how fair rules protect people and support a safe, caring community, linking with the British Values of Rule of Law and Individual Liberty.

• Responsible choices: Pupils practise caring for shared spaces, treating others respectfully and using technology safely.

• Awareness of the wider world: Children consider why access to education, healthcare and clean water differs between communities, and how people can work together to protect everyone’s rights.

7. Participation

Everyone has something valuable to contribute. We are called to take part in our communities and help shape decisions that affect our lives and the lives of others.

Our pupils live this out through:

• Pupil leadership: Worship Leaders, School Council, Eco Council, Sports Leaders, Reading Ambassadors, House Captains and buddy roles provide opportunities to lead and serve.

• Listening to every voice: Children learn that participation involves inviting others to contribute, listening carefully and representing different views.

• Turning ideas into action: Pupils develop confidence by identifying needs, suggesting improvements and working together on meaningful projects.

• Contributing to a better world: Children discover how communities can bring about change through volunteering, campaigning and collective action. They learn that their voices and choices matter, both now and as future citizens.

These roles help pupils understand that their voice matters and they can make real change in the world around them.

“Christ has no body now on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours. Yours are the eyes with which he looks compassionately at the world. Yours are the feet with which he is to go about doing good. Yours are the hands with which he is to bless men and women now.”  St Teresa of Avila

How We Teach CST at St Michael’s

CST is embedded across our curriculum and daily life through:

Religious Education (RE)

RE underpins these connections, helping children understand their roots in Scripture and the teachings of the Church.

Collective Worship

• Growing in faith: Assemblies, liturgies, prayer and reflection help children explore Gospel values and deepen their relationship with God.

• Putting faith into action: Worship encourages children to respond to the Gospel through kindness, service and care for others, connecting Catholic Social Teaching with everyday life.

PSHE / Wellbeing

• Valuing every person: Lessons explore kindness, justice, equality and respect, helping children recognise the dignity of each person and celebrate differences.

• Caring for ourselves and others: Children develop empathy, build positive relationships and learn how to support their own wellbeing and that of others.

Curriculum Links

• • Human Dignity – PSHE and RSHE: Recognising that every person is made in God’s image and deserves respect, kindness and inclusion.

  • The Common Good – Design and Technology: Considering how designs and shared spaces can meet everyone’s needs.

  • Preferential Option for the Poor – Maths: Exploring fairness, the distribution of resources and the importance of supporting those most in need.

  • Solidarity – Geography: Understanding our connections with people around the world and our responsibility to stand alongside them.

  • Stewardship – Science: Learning to care for God’s creation through protecting habitats, reducing waste and conserving resources.

  • Participation – PE: Valuing everyone’s contribution through teamwork, inclusive activities and opportunities to lead.

  • Subsidiarity – Computing: Encouraging children to make responsible decisions, contribute ideas and seek support when needed.

  • Promoting Peace – History: Learning about people who worked for peace, justice and reconciliation.

  • Dignity of Work and Workers’ Rights – English: Exploring fair treatment through stories, discussion and persuasive writing.

  • Fairtrade – Geography, Maths and Design and Technology: Discovering where products come from, exploring fairness in trade and considering how our choices can support farmers and workers.

  RE underpins these connections, helping children understand their roots in Scripture and the teachings of the Church.

Action & Service

• Supporting others: Through charity fundraising, parish and local community events, children put their faith into action and support those in need.

• Making a difference: Pupil-led social action projects and caring for our school grounds and wider environment help children live out Catholic Social Teaching.

CST in Action at St Michael’s

At St Michael’s, Catholic Social Teaching inspires children to put their faith into action. Through everyday choices, shared projects and service to others, they learn to uphold human dignity, care for creation and contribute to the common good.

• Foodbank collections and charity drives: Supporting individuals, families and children experiencing hardship, putting the preferential option for the poor into practice.

• Fairtrade and the dignity of work: Exploring how products reach our shops and why farmers and workers deserve fair pay, safe working conditions and respectful treatment. Children learn how Fairtrade can support workers, their families and opportunities for their children.

• Respect for families and children: Recognising the dignity of every child and family, celebrating our diverse community and promoting kindness, inclusion and belonging.

• Eco initiatives: Litter picks, recycling projects and sustainable choices encourage children to take responsibility for our school grounds and the wider environment.

• Forest School and care for creation: Developing wonder, gratitude and respect for God’s creation through outdoor learning and caring for plants, wildlife and habitats.

• Pupil leadership teams: Giving children a voice and opportunities to serve the school and parish, work together and make decisions that benefit others.

• Celebrations of the liturgical year: Bringing our community together through prayer, reflection and celebration, inspiring acts of kindness, generosity and service.

• Participation in KCSP prayer and mission events: Strengthening solidarity and belonging across our Catholic family of schools through shared faith and purpose.

Why Catholic Social Teaching Matters

Catholic Social Teaching helps our children recognise their ability to make a positive difference. Rooted in the Gospel, it encourages them to grow into:

• Compassionate leaders who listen, include others and serve with kindness.

• Thoughtful decision-makers who consider how their choices affect other people and the world.

• Fair and responsible citizens who uphold the dignity of every person and stand alongside those in need.

• Active protectors of God’s creation who care for the environment and use its resources responsibly.

• Young people who live their faith with joy, courage and love, putting Gospel values into practice every day.

By weaving Catholic Social Teaching throughout school life, St Michael’s helps children move from understanding faith and justice to living them through their words, choices and actions.