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Catholic Life Mission of Our School
Our Mission Statement
‘A Christ centred learning community committed to the development of the whole person’
Our School Motto
Deus Fortitudo Mea – God Is My Strength
The Catholic Life and Mission of Our School aims:
· To enable all staff and students to grow in faith, love for your neighbour and generosity.
· To develop a sense of awe and wonder with the beauty of God’s creation and our place in the world.
· To instil in students a sense of responsibility for their neighbour (from local to global).
· To raise awareness for good causes and the charitable works of others.
· To raise money for a variety of local, national and international charities.
· To support charities in other ways other than donating money.
· To inspire students to plan and carry out projects which place others’ needs before their own.
· To create opportunities for students to demonstrate their initiative
· To encourage students to become involved in local, national and international communities through charitable works.
· To develop the ‘habit’ of giving and thinking of others through regular charitable projects and events.
· To encourage student to work together and independently to support those less fortunate.
Implementation
Catholic Life and Mission is a key aspect to student life and all students are expected to contribute and participate in a variety of opportunities including but not restricted to:
· Prayer and Liturgy and Form Group led Celebration of The Word.
· Weekly Masses: readings, bidding prayers, Q and A with Father Tony.
· Daily prayer in Form Time.
· Fund Raising events – Macmillan, Sponsored Walk, Father Hudsons Caritas.
· Membership of Chaplaincy Team.
· Membership of School Mission Team.
· Faith in Action: Giving Back initiative launched first week in October to Year 12.
· Whole school Masses and Holy days of Obligation: readings, bidding prayers.
· School Choir: contributing to Masses.
· Stewardship Group.
· Visits to local care homes.
· Raising awareness for the homeless with the Big Sleep Out in Birmingham.
· Food Bank collections – in collaboration with Year 10.
· Christmas Hamper Appeal.
· OAP Christmas Afternoon Tea event.
· Welcome Mass for Year 9 and Year 12.
· Contributing to Form Group Prayer and Service and Mission Book.
· Mentoring of students.
· Pursuing vocational careers.
Impact
Our students are able to grow in faith and understand how to put their beliefs into tangible and observable means that benefit themselves and the local and global community.
Our students understand what it means to be child of God of infinite value and recognise all as being made in the image and likeness of God and the responsibility that this brings.
Our students become independent and learn how to use their initiative to respond to matters of social injustice through using their ability to discern and then act accordingly.
The reputation of the school is enhanced by the work of the students and more significantly, those in need feel loved, recognised and valued.
Section 48 Inspection
The Archdiocese of Birmingham graded St Augustine's as “Outstanding” in all three categories of the Section 48 Catholic Inspection.
The report commented that the impact of Catholic Life on our pupils by the time they leave St Augustine’s is profound. Religious Education is outstanding; our teachers are authentic witnesses to a life of faith and inspire pupils in their learning. Likewise, Collective Worship is outstanding as it engages students and inspires them to take the messages that it shares into their daily lives and interactions with others. A copy of the report is attached.
Gospel Values
Our Gospel values are something which unite us all as they are principles to live by, irrespective of faith. Students can join the Chaplaincy Team which focusses on fun ways to put our values into action. If any student is interested in becoming a Catholic or continuing with their faith if they were baptised then we will support them in receiving the sacraments of Baptism, Reconciliation, First Holy Communion and Confirmation.
| Dignity and Compassion | Showing care and concern for all people and being empathetic to their needs, regardless of their situation. |
| Purity and Holiness | Taking time to reflect, pray and be spiritual. Following Jesus' teaching to "love thy neighbour". |
| Truth and Justice | Speaking and defending the truth even when it's difficult. Making sure all people are treated equally. |
| Tolerance and Peace | "Turning the other cheek" (as Jesus taught to) instead of fighting and settling disputes with words. |
| Humility and Gentleness | Being humble about your self-importance and gentle in your actions to others. |
| Forgiveness and Mercy | Accepting someone's apology for wrong-doings and giving another chance. |
| Faithfulness and Integrity | Sticking to something even if it is a tough challenge and being strong in defending something that you care about. |
| Service and Sacrifice | Giving up your time, money and self to help others. Helping those who need it the most like Jesus did. |
Chaplaincy
Chaplaincy
Chaplaincy and charity are an integral part of the experience for students at Saint Augustine’s. There is a Chaplaincy Team that students can join - we welcome students from all faiths together with those who maybe on a journey of discovering their faith. This body of students support the liturgical life of the school by helping at whole school Masses, reading, art work, pupil voice on Catholic Life and monitoring the consistency of Catholic Life across the school. There are numerous trips that the Chaplaincy Team can be involved with: Soli House, St Chad's, Diocesan Chaplaincy Masses as well as pilgrimages.
St Francis of Assisi famously said that it was the duty of every Christian to preach the Gospel and when necessary use words! By this of course he meant that preaching the Gospel is achieved through acts of love and charity. Pupils have so many opportunities to get involved with charity. Sponsored events, form fundraisers, car washes, bag backing, sleep outs, food bank collections, cake sales... the list goes on and on. In the Sixth Form there is also the opportunity to volunteer in taking part in our bi-annual blood donation campaigns during Advent and Lent.
Soli House
The school organises both internal and external retreats for students across the year groups to attend. During June each year, we take a group of Y9 and Y10 students to Alton for a period of reflection.
Charity Work
Charities
St Francis of Assisi famously said that it was the duty of every Christian to preach the Gospel and when necessary use words! By this of course he meant that preaching the Gospel is achieved through acts of love and charity. Pupils have so many opportunities to get involved with charity. Sponsored events, form fundraisers, car washes, bag backing, sleep outs, food bank collections, walks, cake sales..... the list goes on and on. In the Sixth Form there is also the opportunity to volunteer to take part in our bi-annual blood donation campaigns during Advent and Lent.
We support charities at a local, national and international level. Charities that we traditionally fundraise for include:
Cafod: an international development charity and the official aid agency of the Catholic Church in England and Wales.
St Vincent de Paul Society: the charity tackles poverty in all of its forms, through the provision of practical assistance to those in need.
Tabor House, Father Hudson's Care: located in Birmingham, Tabor House offers shelter, safety and support to people experiencing homelessness. They support people to move away from the streets.
Macmillan Cancer Research: the renowned charity supporting those diagnosed with cancer together with their families.
St Chad's Sanctuary: a place of welcome for asylum seekers and refugees.
We invite guest speakers from our chosen charities to come and educate our young people. We don’t just want students raising money, we want them raising awareness and in doing so we live out Christ's calling to love thy neighbour.