Catholic Social Teaching

Catholic Social Teaching (CST) is the Church’s teaching on how we should live together and work towards a more just, peaceful and compassionate society. Rooted in the dignity of every human person, CST calls us to care for others, stand up for those who are vulnerable, protect our common home and work for the common good.

At St Margaret Ward Catholic Academy, we are committed to promoting Catholic Social Teaching across the whole school community. We seek to embed CST not only through RE and assemblies, but across the curriculum, in our strategic decision-making and in the everyday life of our school. We were delighted to be the first school in the Archdiocese of Birmingham to be awarded the Participator Level of the Oscar Romero Award in recognition of our work in this area. Our continued commitment to embedding CST was further recognised through achieving the Developer Level of the Oscar Romero Award and the Live Simply Award.

Our work to embed CST across the school includes:

Staff formation: All staff received Catholic Social Teaching training in 2023 and 2025.

Across the curriculum: We have audited our curriculum to identify where CST is taught, with every subject area identifying opportunities to make explicit links.

Fidei time: Students explore different aspects of CST and are encouraged to reflect on how these principles relate to their own lives and the lives of others.

Student leadership: Our 1719 Society plays an important role in promoting CST, including leading assemblies and listening to the views and experiences of students.

A golden thread: CST is woven throughout our curriculum and school life, rather than being taught as an isolated topic.

Faith in action: We encourage both students and staff to put the principles of CST into practice through service, compassion and practical action.

Catholic Social Teaching is central to our Catholic and Lasallian mission. Respect, social justice and service to others are at the heart of what we do, inspiring our whole school community to recognise our responsibility to one another and to the wider world.