“Act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8) 

One theme every half term

 
The whole school focuses on one Catholic Social Teaching principle each half term. 

• An assembly introduces the theme to every year group 

• A pastoral session in form time explores it in more depth 

• Advent and Lent sessions carry the term’s theme into our seasonal prayer and charity 

Our themes this year (2026–27) 

The seven principles 

Over time, students meet all seven principles of Catholic Social Teaching: 

1. 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. 

2. Solidarity and the Common Good: we are one human family, so we work for a society where everyone, not just a few, can flourish. 

3. Family and Community: the family is the heart of society, and we are called to build strong, loving communities where everyone can take part. 

4. Favour for the Poor and Vulnerable: we are called to put the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable first, as Jesus did. 

5. Dignity of Work: work is a way of sharing in God’s creation, and every worker deserves fair pay, safe conditions and respect. 

6. 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. 

7. Human Dignity: every person is made in the image and likeness of God, so every human life is sacred and deserves respect. 

Awards & Recognition 

• At St John Henry Newman, we celebrate all the principles of Catholic Social Teaching and take up every opportunity to live them out in all that we do. We are especially proud of the awards we have earned: 

• 2019: we became an International Cross of Nails School (ICONS), recognising our commitment to Rights and Responsibilities and Favour for the Poor and Vulnerable. 

• 2023: we achieved the CAFOD LiveSimply Award, completing actions that show how we live out Solidarity and the Common Good, Stewardship of God’s Creation, Favour for the Poor and Vulnerable, and Family and Community. 

• 2026: we completed Year 1 of the Warwickshire Wildlife Trust Wilder Schools Programme, showing our strong commitment to Stewardship of God’s Creation. 

• Now: we are working towards the School of Sanctuary Award, which encourages us to explore Dignity of Work, Human Dignity, Solidarity and the Common Good, and Care for Creation. 

Curriculum 

Across the School each of our Topics across all curriculum is linked to Catholic social teachings. We link all curriculum to show that these Teachings should be central into all that we do not just parts of our life we perceive to be Catholic. This helps us to become rounded Christ Centred Pilgrims of Hope. 

For More information on our Catholic Social Teachings, Including more specific Curriculum Links please Click this link below.

Catholic Social Teaching

“Heart speaks unto heart.” (St John Henry Newman) 

Prayer every day 

Prayer is woven into the rhythm of every school day. 

• Tutor prayer every morning in every form group 

• Class Prayers every day before lunch and at the end of the day 

• Year group assemblies with prayer and Scripture Once a week 

• Prayer focuses and crucifixes in every classroom 

• Prayer with Purpose initiative linking our whole school oracy focus to ensure that the skills learned transfer into our prayer life. 

Following the liturgical year 

Our prayer and liturgy follow the seasons and feasts of the Church. 

• Advent, Lent and Holy Week liturgies for every year group 

• St John Henry Newman Feast Day, celebrated every 9 October 

• Large school End of Year Masses 

• Advent Masses 

• Easter Masses 

• Remembrance Day Celebrations 

• Adoration on Holy Days of Obligation 

Mass and the sacraments 

Students have regular chances to celebrate the sacraments with our Priest Chaplain. 

• Mass: whole school masses 3 times a year with small class masses happening monthly. 

• Reconciliation: offered during key liturgical seasons such as Advent and Lent 

• Eucharistic Adoration: Offered every Friday lunchtime 

Student-led prayer

 
As students move through the school, they take on more of the planning and leading of prayer. 

• Leading Lights plan and lead liturgies across every year group 

• Students read, serve, sing and lead prayer at Mass and assemblies 

• Monthly student-prepared liturgies linking to the Catholic Calendar 

The Canon Diamond Chapel 

A sacred space at the heart of our school to pray, light a candle or simply be still. 

• Open every lunchtime for students 

• Weekly staff prayer every Wednesday at 8:10am 

• Used for class visits, Adoration, small-group liturgies & lunchtime prayer services 

 For more information on Prayer and Liturgy, follow the link below. 

Prayer and Liturgy

“Lead, Kindly Light, amid the encircling gloom, lead Thou me on.” (St John Henry Newman) 

Our Catholic Leadership 

Our staff team leads prayer and worship, supports students and staff on their faith journey, and keeps our Catholic mission at the heart of school life. Their doors are always open. 

Fr Alex Taylor, Priest Chaplain 

• Parish Priest of St John Vianney, Mount Nod 

• Celebrates year group Masses, class Masses and feast day Masses 

• Offers the Sacrament of Reconciliation 

• Supports retreats and liturgies, and links school with our local parishes 

•  

Carmel Keane, Person in Charge of Catholic Life (PICCL) 

• Leads the Catholic life and mission of t 

• he school 

• Works with senior leaders and governors to plan, monitor and develop Catholic life 

• Leads links with families, parishes and the Archdiocese 

•  

Alfie, Lay Chaplain 

• Leads day-to-day chaplaincy, prayer services, assemblies and liturgies 

• Organises retreats and pilgrimages 

• Leads the Leading Lights student chaplaincy team 

• Runs the Sanctuary Space (break and lunch) 

• Supports with Pastoral Care for Struggling Students 

• Around 8 years’ chaplaincy experience, including a year on the Kenelm Youth Trust mission team 

Named after Newman’s prayer Lead, Kindly Light, our Leading Lights are students who let their faith guide them and bring that light to others. 

Our structure 

• Leading Light Leaders: senior students who lead the team, chair meetings, mentor younger members and are launching this year’s Faith in Action Award 

• Leading Lights: four teams of Students who help oversee different elements of our Catholic Life Provisions 

• Faith in action Leaders: 100+ faith in action leaders across school, students who are responsible for supporting tutor time prayer & Charity drives within tutors 

What Leading Lights do 

• Lead prayer and readings at school and parish Masses 

• Plan and deliver liturgies for Advent, Lent and the great feasts 

• Organise charity fundraising 

• Support retreat days and chaplaincy events 

• Welcome new Year 7 students and their families 

• Represent the school at Archdiocesan youth events with the Kenelm Youth Trust 

How to join 

• Open to any student who wants to grow in faith and serve others 

• Apply at the start of each year through your tutor or the Lay Chaplain 

• Service is recognised through the Faith in Action Award and, in sixth form, the John Paul II Award 

“Lead, Kindly Light, amid the encircling gloom, lead Thou me on.” (St John Henry Newman) 

At St John Henry Newman, being a Catholic school isn’t something that happens only in the Chapel or the RE classroom. Our chaplaincy brings our mission to life: making Jesus Christ known in every part of school life, and walking alongside every student on their journey of faith. 

Knowledge through the Light of Faith 

Our motto brings together two things Newman spent his life showing belong together: faith and learning. 

Our mission is to make Jesus Christ known to all our students. Together, we form Christ-centred pilgrims of hope, with: 

• kind hearts: treating everyone with dignity, compassion and respect 

• questioning minds: exploring faith and the world with curiosity and courage 

• a thirst for knowledge: loving learning and striving for excellence 

• a hunger for justice: working for a fairer world, especially for the poor and vulnerable 

Made for Greatness: every student is a unique child of God, created with purpose and loved without condition. 

Our ASPIRE values 

 Launching Our Mission

This year, we launched our new mission with the whole school community. 

• Every tutor group explored the mission during pastoral time 

• Students learned how our mission links with the Archdiocese of Birmingham and our Catholic family of schools 

• Every student made a personal pledge to live out the mission within their own lives. 

Catholic Life 

• Prayer and worship every day: tutor prayer, assemblies, Mass and liturgies 

• Students of all faiths and none are welcome 

• Sanctuary Space open every break and lunch, and the Chapel every lunchtime 

• Leading Lights student chaplains in every year group 

• Spectrum bereavement support and Quo Vadis mental health small-group support 

• Weekly staff prayer in the Chapel 

• Close partnership with families and parishes 

• Ethos of Restorative Justice including Antibullying support & Post Sanction conversations 

Celebrating Our Patron: 9 October 

• Newman was received into the Catholic Church on 9 October 1845 

• In 2025, Pope Leo XIV declared him a Doctor of the Church and co-patron of Catholic education 

• The day begins in prayer, then continues with celebration, feasting and treats 

• Each year group explores a different part of Newman’s life and teaching 

Retreats and Pilgrimages 

Throughout their time at Saint John Henry Newman School every students will be offered the opportunity to go on retreat or on pilgrimage with the school. These retreats and pilgrimages help to take time out of the classroom to focus on the development of the human person.  

“Let us love, not in word or speech, but in deed and in truth.” (1 John 3:18) 

At St John Henry Newman, charity is our faith in action. Our aim isn’t only to raise money. We want students to understand why help is needed, recognise the causes of injustice, and discover how their own actions can make a difference. 

Charity at a glance: 2025 

£15,000 for charities at home and around the world 

In 2021, our school community donated £15,000, split equally across three charities so students could see how Christian service reaches from our doorstep to the wider world. 

The Andrew Robinson Young People’s Trust (ARYPT) 

A Coventry-based Catholic charity bringing joy, opportunity, faith and hope to young people, especially those facing disadvantage. 

• Founded in memory of Andrew Robinson, a seminarian who died from cancer aged 33 

• Funds residential camps at Alton Castle, day trips, pilgrimages to Lourdes and Catholic youth provision across Coventry 

• Our staff and students are lucky to be involved in this project, with many of our staff supporting the two annual trips given to unfortunate in Coventry. 

• Each February half term selected students are eligible to go on this amazing trip for them to encounter Christ and have an adventure that is not normally open to them. 

• Annually our staff support the ARYPT Gala with large numbers of Staff from St John Henry Newman Attending to show support for the amazing work this Trust Does. 

Lent: prayer, fasting and almsgiving 

Main focus: Caritas, through Father Hudson’s Care, alongside Catholic schools across the Archdiocese of Birmingham to raise money for this we completes a variety of challenges 

• Coin Race, year 7 and 8 were encouraged to collect copper pennies which were then lined up to see which tutor group could collect the longest line. 

• Smarties Tubes, year 9-11 tutor groups were each give a smarties tube, once emptied if filled with 20p coins each tube would have just under £12 raised. 

• Charity Roadshow, Each year we work in collaboration with our partner primary schools to visit their school with fun games and challenges. Students from St John Henry Newman School Run these events for the primary students to play and win prizes. Doing this helps each school to raise £200-£300 for their chosen charities 

• Easter Egg Collection, Last year we pushed for an ester egg collection, knowing that people across Coventry were likely to not be able to celebrate like many other families we worked with local partners such as the Foleshill Community Centre to collect 400 easter eggs to donate to families in our local area who would not normally be able to have that opportunity. 

Advent: preparing our hearts through giving 

• Food bank collection: 150 items collected for local families experiencing hardship 

• Advent calendar collection: 700 calendars given to local children who might not otherwise get one, through local families and University Hospital 

• Fundraising: £250 raised for Caritas through Father Hudson’s Care 

Parish and Diocese 

What is a Diocese? 

The Catholic Church across the world is organised into local areas called dioceses. Each diocese is led by a bishop, a successor of the Apostles, who cares for all the Catholic parishes, schools and people within it. A larger, leading diocese is called an archdiocese and is led by an archbishop. 

Every diocese has a cathedral, the bishop's own church, which is the "mother church" for everyone in that diocese. Within a diocese, parishes are grouped into areas called deaneries. 

The Archdiocese of Birmingham 

St John Henry Newman Catholic School is part of the Archdiocese of Birmingham, one of the largest and oldest Catholic dioceses in England. It covers Birmingham and the West Midlands, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and Oxfordshire, and serves over 200 parishes and many Catholic schools. 

Our mother church is St Chad's Cathedral in Birmingham, the first Catholic cathedral built in England since the Reformation. Our school belongs to the Coventry Deanery, alongside the Catholic parishes of our city. 

The Archdiocese has a special connection to our patron saint. St John Henry Newman lived and served in Birmingham for over forty years, founded the Birmingham Oratory, and was beatified at Cofton Park in 2010. He is our own local saint. 

As a Catholic school, we share in the mission of our Archdiocese. Our parishes, schools and families are one community of faith, all called to make Jesus Christ known. 

Visit the Archdiocese of Birmingham website → 

For more information about our Bishops & Local Parishes Click Here