Catholic Life and Mission

Catholic Life and Mission

St Richard's Catholic Primary School Mission Statement

We at St Richard's Catholic Primary School

take Jesus Christ at the centre of all that we do:

To Know

To Love

To Serve

Know

Strive to learn more about God, the world he created for us and our role in caring for it.

Love

Learn to grow in love for Jesus and for one another.

Serve

Work to notice the needs of those around us - both in our school and in our wider community and work together to serve and be the face of Jesus for each other.

Our School Aims

Provide an ambitious curriculum, rooted in Gospel Values, which has high expectations for all pupils, regardless of their starting point.

Provide inspiring and memorable learning experiences to enthuse the children we serve, allowing them to experience the awe and wonder of the world in which they live.

Celebrate the achievements and successes of each individual and encouraging others to do their best.

Create a safe space in which children will challenge themselves, make mistakes and grow as individuals.

Prepare children to become independent, resilient lifelong learners, equipped for 21st century citizenship.

A school which proudly celebrates our wonderful mix of cultures, where children can see themselves reflected; following the example of Christ by showing respect for all members of our diverse school and parish community.

For all members of our school community to feel safe, happy and valued by supporting their emotional and spiritual needs, allowing them to grow in love of God and each other.

To foster imagination, independence, confidence and resilience to deal with life in a positive and productive way.

For all to know they are valued and loved by God as unique individuals.

Our Community Wall - This represents all members of our school community.

The St Richard's Way:

Inspired by the active way in which St Richard lived to serve his diocese with kind acts, at St Richard's Catholic Primary School, we try to live out the Gospel values that we learn about. Our school family is committed to showing the love of Christ to others through serving each other, our school and our wider community. Some of the ways that we try to do this are:

Minni- Vinnies - Our children work alongside the St. Vincent De Paul Society in trying to be active in our faith and show love and support to others where it is needed in an active way.

Altar Serving - Our pupils support our parish by altar-serving at the school Mass that is also attended by parishioners and parents.

Faith Leaders - Share in planning and delivering class liturgies and whole school assemblies, leading prayers, reading and helping others.

Faith Buddies - Children in Reception and Year One each have a special Faith Buddy in Years 5 and 6. The older children help their Faith Buddy on the playground and support them when we go to Mass in the Church.

Supporting and raising money for various charities - Our children and families are very active in supporting different charities. Chichester Food Bank, Mary's Meals, CAFOD, Stone-pillow, Chestnut tree House and the Snow-drop trust are just some of the many charities that our children work to support in many different ways. Sponsored sports, cake sales, non-uniform days, sponsored hair-cuts and choosing to go without Christmas gifts are just some of the ways that the children themselves have chosen to live out their mission statement - To Know, To Love, To Serve.

Sharing our Gifts - St Richard's children are always looking for ways to share their God-given gifts with others. Children spend time reading to each other - older children reading to their younger Faith Buddies, inviting family and grand-parents for afternoon tea, singing for others - in concerts and visits to the elderly, praying for others and the world.

Catholic Social Teaching

Catholic Social Teaching is founded in Scripture and includes statements and letters written by Church leaders. It offers wisdom and insights on living the Gospel in today’s world. Jesus tells us to love God and to love our neighbours, especially our sisters and brothers living in poverty. We use Catholic Social Teaching principles to guide all our work at St Richard's.

At St Richard's we teach using CAFOD's nine Catholic Social Teaching principles. The principles overlap, and our actions for global and local justice will often be in response to more than one principle at a time.

The Catholic Social Teaching principles are:

Human Dignity

We are beautifully made in the image and likeness of God.

The Common Good

We are called to work for the good of each and of all.

Participation

We all have the right and duty to participate fully in society.

Subsidiarity

We are called to empower communities, to let everyone have a say.

Stewardship

We are guardians of God’s creation, living sustainably and enhancing the wellbeing of our planet.

Preferential Treatment for the Poor

The needs of poor and vulnerable people should be put first.

Solidarity

God created us as one global family called to support our brothers and sisters.

Distributive Justice

Everyone should have access to their fair share of resources.

Promoting Peace

We can be God’s instruments of peace through seeking justice.

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.

Our House Saints

The Bible uses the word ‘saints’ to mean all Christians (Romans 1:6-7). From the earliest times, Christians looked at good examples of other Christians, whose lives really showed the love of Christ.

Christians, whether they are living on earth or in heaven, belong to what is called the Communion of Saints. Communion means to belong together and saints are those who follow God’s way. They show us something about God. They may be kind, generous, loving, faithful, forgiving and caring.

The lives of the Apostles were studied because it was believed they showed how a Christian should live. When the children start their journey here at St Richard's they are allocated to one of four houses. We use the role model of 4 saints to group our pupils. Each house has its own dedicated saint and these saints have been chosen to reflect and celebrate the wonderful diversity we have within our school community.

We know that the children take great pride in being a member of their house. House points are awarded to children who have demonstrated positive learning behaviours and followed the gospel values through their words and actions.

Faith Leaders

At St Richard's, each class has two Faith Leaders who help to support the Catholic life at our school. They lead prayers and liturgies in class and in whole school assemblies. Each Faith Leader wears a special badge so that everyone in school knows they can go to them to help them with their faith.

British Values at St Richard's

We place a high value on British Values, such as democracy, rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance for those of different faiths and beliefs. These values are integrated into our curriculum and school ethos, helping to shape our pupils into responsible and respectful citizens who contribute positively to society.