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Catholic Life
"Be who you were created to be, and you will set the world on fire,"
St Catherine of Sienna.
Welcome to the Catholic Life area of our website. Our values are inspired by Jesus Christ and based upon the Gospel values. We are a Catholic school for all and believe that by nurturing a deeper appreciation of the Gospel values in each student, they will go on to be caring, responsible and well rounded adults who can make a positive impact in the world. Our Gospel values tree is an illustration of this aim. By planting the seed of each value and helping each child to grow in their understanding of how to apply it in their day to day lives, then their actions will be bear fruit.
Each half term we focus on a key church teaching of the Catholic church. These are included in the themes used in assemblies and Collective Worship as well as activities during tutor time. We hope that by reflecting on these teachings, then students will appreciate that at St Augustine’s we believe each child is willed, loved and has purpose, irrespective of ability or background.
Our Gospel values are something which unite us all as they are principles to live by, regardless 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 in which they were baptised, then we will support them in receiving the sacraments of Baptism, Reconciliation, First Holy Communion and Confirmation.
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.