"Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." (Matthew 25:40)
Intent
What is Catholic Social Teaching?
Catholic Social Teaching (CST) is the Church's teaching on how we should live together and build a fairer world. It is rooted in the Bible and in the life of Jesus, who fed the hungry, welcomed the outsider and stood alongside the poor. Over more than a hundred years, Popes and bishops have developed this teaching to help Christians respond to the challenges of their time, from workers' rights and poverty to war, migration and the care of our planet.
Why it matters at SJHN
CST is often called the Church's "best-kept secret", but at St John Henry Newman we want it to be anything but secret. It shapes our mission to form young people with "a hunger for justice." Our students explore CST through RE lessons, assemblies, pastoral time, charity work and our Faith in Action programme, learning not just what the Church teaches but how to live it.
Implementation
One theme every half term
The whole school focuses on one Catholic Social Teaching principle each half term.
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An assembly introduces the theme to every year group
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A pastoral session in form time explores it in more depth
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Advent and Lent sessions carry the term's theme into our seasonal prayer and charity
Our themes this year (2026–27)
The seven principles at a glance
Over time, students meet all seven principles of Catholic Social Teaching. Open each tab below to see what it means and how we live it at SJHN.
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Stewardship of God's Creation: the world is a gift from God, and we are called to care for it and protect it for future generations.
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Solidarity and the Common Good: we are one human family, so we work for a society where everyone, not just a few, can flourish.
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Family and Community: the family is the heart of society, and we are called to build strong, loving communities where everyone can take part.
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Option for the Poor and Vulnerable: we are called to put the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable first, as Jesus did.
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Dignity of Work: work is a way of sharing in God's creation, and every worker deserves fair pay, safe conditions and respect.
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Rights and Responsibilities: every person has a right to what they need to live a full life, and a responsibility to protect those same rights for others.
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Human Dignity: every person is made in the image and likeness of God, so every human life is sacred and deserves respect.
Awards and recognition
We celebrate all the principles of Catholic Social Teaching and take up every opportunity to live them out. We are especially proud of the awards we have earned:
Across the curriculum
Every topic across our curriculum is linked to Catholic Social Teaching. This shows that these teachings are central to all that we do, not just the parts of life we think of as "Catholic", and helps us become rounded, Christ-centred pilgrims of hope.
Stewardship of God's Creation
"The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it." (Genesis 2:15)
What it means
The world is a gift from God, entrusted to our care. We are called to protect the environment, use its resources wisely and remember that the poorest people often suffer most when creation is harmed. Inspired by Pope Francis's call in Laudato Si' to care for "our common home", we want our students to grow up seeing creation as a gift and to act to protect it.
How we live it at SJHN
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A carbon-neutral school: our new school building is Operationally Carbon Neutral, keeping our impact on God's creation as small as possible
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Eco and sustainability teams work to increase biodiversity and care for our local area
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Regular litter picks around school and our local community
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Our Recycling Policy across the whole school
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Part of Holy Cross Catholic MAC, sharing a commitment to sustainability across our family of schools
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Warwickshire Wildlife Trust Wilder Schools Programme: Year 1 completed in 2026
Curriculum links
Care for creation runs through many subjects, not just RE and Science.
Solidarity and the Common Good
"If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honoured, every part rejoices with it." (1 Corinthians 12:26)
What it means
We are one human family, whatever our nation, race or background. Solidarity means recognising that the struggles of others, whether next door or on the other side of the world, are our concern too. It means standing alongside others, especially those who are suffering, and working for the good of everyone, not just ourselves. At St John Henry Newman, we encourage students to look beyond themselves and work for the good of everyone.
How we live it at SJHN
Our Peace and Justice work is a real strength of our community. Coventry is known worldwide as a city of peace and reconciliation, and students learn from the issues of the past so they can build a better future.
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International Cross of Nails School (ICONS) since 2019
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Refugee Week celebrated across the school
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Partner schools in Uganda, which we work with and support
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Fundraising and Food Bank collections for local food bank centres
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Working towards the School of Sanctuary Award
Curriculum links
Students learn to see themselves as part of one human family in every subject.
Family and Community
"All the believers were together and had everything in common... they ate together with glad and sincere hearts." (Acts 2:44, 46)
What it means
God made us to live in relationship with one another. The family is the first place where we learn to love and the heart of society, and strong communities help everyone to flourish. Our school is a family of faith in its own right. At St John Henry Newman, we work to build a community where everyone belongs, and we reach out to the wider community around us.
How we live it at SJHN
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Parents as first educators: we work in partnership with families through every stage of school life, and families are warmly welcomed into our community
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Supporting families who are struggling: we especially pride ourselves on supporting families who need additional support, for whatever reason
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School, home and Church: our close links with our local parishes connect all three
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A sense of belonging: our tutor groups and year groups give every student a place they belong
Curriculum links
Students explore family, friendship and belonging across the curriculum.
Option for the Poor and Vulnerable
"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because He has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor." (Luke 4:18)
What it means
Jesus always put the poor, the sick and the forgotten first, and as His followers we are called to do the same. A society is judged by how it treats its most vulnerable members. We are called to put their needs first and to speak up for those who have no voice. At St John Henry Newman, we want our students to notice those in need, put their needs first and take action to help.
How we live it at SJHN
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Caring for our own community through pastoral support, chaplaincy and our Sanctuary Space
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Spectrum bereavement support and Quo Vadis mental health small-group support
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Help behind the scenes: our staff quietly make sure students who are struggling have the equipment and uniform they need to thrive
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Fundraising and food bank collections for those in our community who are struggling
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Lent charity: we join Catholic schools across the Archdiocese of Birmingham to raise money for Caritas through Father Hudson's Care
Curriculum links
Students learn to notice who is left behind, in the past and today.
The Dignity of Work
"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord." (Colossians 3:23)
What it means
Work is part of God's plan for us. It is more than a way to earn money: it is a way of sharing in God's work of creation and serving others. Through our work we use our gifts, support our families and serve others. Every worker deserves fair pay, safe conditions and respect, and every job done well has value, including our students' hard work in school. Since Pope Leo XIII's Rerum Novarum in 1891, the Church has stood up for the rights of workers.
How we live it at SJHN
We help students see their own hard work as part of their calling, and we prepare them for a working life lived with integrity.
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Careers Education helps every student discover their gifts and plan their future, through careers guidance, Unifrog, employer encounters and work experience
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Our ASPIRE values of Achievement and Excellence encourage students to give their best in everything, using the talents God has given them
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Respect for every role: we recognise and value the work of every member of our school staff, from teachers and support staff to site, catering, cleaning and office teams
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Good habits now: hard work, punctuality and integrity every day prepare students not only for employment, but for a life of purpose and service
Curriculum links
Students explore what fair and dignified work looks like, and prepare for their own working lives.
Rights and Responsibilities
"He has shown you what is good... to act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8)
What it means
Every person has a right to life and to the things they need to live with dignity: food, shelter, education, healthcare and freedom. With those rights come responsibilities, to one another, to our families and to the wider world. At St John Henry Newman, we help students understand their rights, respect the rights of others and take responsibility for making the world fairer.
How we live it at SJHN
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A real student voice through Student Leadership, our Prefect System and our Leading Lights
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Safe to learn: our behaviour expectations and anti-bullying work protect everyone's right to learn and feel safe, and ask every student to take responsibility for their actions
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Restorative justice: staff work to repair relationships with students and keep giving them the support they need, so they know they are valued members of our community
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International Cross of Nails School (ICONS) since 2019, recognised for our commitment to Rights and Responsibilities
Curriculum links
Students learn where our rights come from and what our responsibilities to others are.
Human Dignity
"So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them." (Genesis 1:27)
What it means
Every person is made in the image and likeness of God, and so every life is precious and sacred, from conception to natural death. This is the foundation of all Catholic Social Teaching: because every person has dignity, every person deserves to be loved and respected. It is also at the heart of our mission: every student is a unique child of God, "Made for Greatness". At St John Henry Newman, we want every person in our community to know they are loved, valued and respected.
How we live it at SJHN
Human dignity shapes how we treat one another every day. We celebrate the diversity of our community and challenge anything that treats a person as less than they are.
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At the heart of our care: our pastoral care, SEND support, and mental health and wellbeing provision
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A commitment to inclusion for every member of our community
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Anti-Bullying Ambassadors and the Leading Lights Kind Heart team encourage a culture of welcome and love
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"Heart speaks unto heart": we take Newman's motto seriously in how we speak to and treat one another
Curriculum links
Every subject helps students see the worth of every person.
