St Edmund’s Catholic Primary School

Mission Statement
…through Christ we learn…

Our Mission: “Through Christ we learn”

At St Edmund’s Catholic Primary School, our mission statement expresses the heart of who we are: “Through Christ we learn.” These words echo the Gospel truth that Christ Himself is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (John 14:6). We believe that in Christ all knowledge finds its fullness, and that through Him every child can grow in wisdom, faith and love.

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teach and admonish one another in all wisdom.” (Colossians 3:16)

Our mission is not only spoken but made visible everywhere. It is displayed on all school signs inside and outside the building, in every classroom, in the reception area, and in our shared spaces. Visitors see it the moment they arrive, and pupils are reminded daily that everything we do is rooted in Christ.

Living the Mission

At St Edmund’s, this mission is lived out in daily life:

• In Prayer and Worship: through daily prayer, whole-school and class Celebrations of the Word, Spirit Assemblies, and pupil-led liturgies.

• In Relationships: pupils and staff treat one another with dignity, love and respect (Luke 10:27).

• In Service: charitable fundraising and social action rooted in Catholic Social Teaching (Matthew 25:35–36).

• In Learning: a rich RE curriculum that helps children deepen their faith and respect other religions.

• In Leadership: staff model Christ-centred teaching and decision-making, inspiring pupils to become confident learners, compassionate neighbours, and faithful witnesses.

As Canon Law reminds us: “Instruction and education in a Catholic school must be grounded in the principles of Catholic doctrine” (Canon 803 §2). Our mission ensures that everything we do is firmly rooted in Christ and the teachings of His Church.

At St Edmund’s, we live our mission each day by learning through Christ, with Christ, and for Christ.

Evidence of Our Mission in Action

Visible Mission

• Mission statement “Through Christ we learn” displayed on all school signs, in every classroom, reception, and shared spaces.

• Included in policies, newsletters, and worship resources.

• Pupils can articulate the mission and link it to Gospel values in their own words.

Catholic Life

• Pupils and staff model Gospel values of love, forgiveness, and respect in daily interactions (Luke 10:27).

• Behaviour and restorative practice rooted in the mission statement.

• Charitable fundraising for CAFOD, Caritas, parish outreach and foodbanks (Matthew 25:35–36).

• Pupil leadership (Caritas Ambassadors, Mini-Vinnies, Chaplaincy, Prayer Leaders) brings the mission to life in action.

Prayer and Worship

• Daily prayer, Celebrations of the Word, Spirit Assemblies, and seasonal liturgies explicitly connect to the mission.

• Reception prayer focus and classroom prayer tables reflect the mission, the liturgical year, and the school’s Prayer Progression Framework.

• Pupils lead worship confidently, drawing on the mission and Scripture.

Religious Education

• RE intent rooted in the mission: “Through Christ we learn.”

• The Religious Education Directory (2023 – To Know You More Clearly) fully implemented with a minimum 10% timetable.

• Pupils learn Catholicism and other world faiths in a spirit of respect and dialogue (Nostra Aetate, Vatican II).

Leadership & Governance

• Governors and leaders use the mission as a foundation for strategic decisions and policy development.

• Mission reviewed annually with parish, staff, and pupils to ensure it remains lived, not only displayed.

Canon Law

• Mission aligns with Canon 803 §2: “Instruction and education in a Catholic school must be grounded in the principles of Catholic doctrine.”

Our mission at St Edmund’s is “Through Christ we learn.”

Pope Leo XIV reminds us that the saints show us how to live this mission:

“The saints remind us, especially the young, not to squander our lives but to make them masterpieces of holiness, service, and joy.”

Like the saints, our pupils are encouraged to grow in wisdom, faith and love — learning through Christ, with Christ, and for Christ.

Our Saints

What is a Saint?

In the Roman Catholic faith, a saint is someone who lived with great love, courage, and faith in God. Saints followed Jesus closely, sometimes through acts of service, sometimes through sacrifice, always through love. The Church teaches that we are all called to be saints by living out the two greatest commandments:

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind… and your neighbour as yourself.”
(Matthew 22:37–39)

Saints are not perfect people. As Pope Francis reminds us:

“The saints are not superman, nor were they born perfect… They lived normal lives with joys and sorrows, struggles and hopes. What changed their lives? When they recognized God’s love, they followed it with all their heart… They spent their lives serving others… This is the life of a Saint.”
(Angelus, 1 November 2013)

Their stories show us that holiness is possible for everyone: children, adults, priests, missionaries, parents, and friends.

Why Saints Matter to Us

At St Edmund’s, saints are role models of faith who inspire our pupils to live with kindness, courage, and hope. They remind us that holiness is possible in everyday life and help us to grow in faith, both personally and as a school community.

• For children: Saints are heroes of faith who show us how to pray, forgive, serve, and persevere.

• For families: Saints remind us that faith begins at home and is lived at school and in the wider world.

• For our school: Saints root our learning in Catholic identity, provide patrons for prayer and feast days, and give our pupils a shared example to follow.

Selecting Our Class Saints

As we began the academic year in Autumn 2023, we invited the children in each class to collectively select an inspirational class saint to reflect their unique classroom community.

• Pupils researched and learned about a range of saints before discussing their lives and virtues.

• Each class then voted and agreed together on a patron saint whose story best reflected their common values and ideals.

• In choosing, we ensured the saints reflected the diversity of our school in gender, ethnicity, and life experience, and that they spoke to modern challenges such as slavery, poverty, and social justice.

This process mirrors our wider school culture, where pupil voice shapes charity selection, school council decisions, and chaplaincy roles.

Living With Our Saints

Once chosen, each class saint stays with the children as they progress through the key stages, giving them the chance to encounter different saints, embody their virtues, and carry their inspiration into new phases of their journey.

Throughout the year, pupils:

• Learn about their saint’s life and virtues.

• Celebrate their feast day with prayer and activities.

• Ask for their saint’s intercession during collective worship.

• Create displays, prayers, and work inspired by their saint.

In this way, saints foster unity and identity in each classroom and strengthen the Catholic character of our whole school community.

Our Class Saints

• St George – Patron saint of England, farmers, and soldiers. Feast Day: 23 April.

• St Nicholas – Patron saint of children. Feast Day: 6 December.

• St Teresa of Calcutta – Patron saint of missionaries of charity. Feast Day: 5 September.

• St Paul – Patron saint of missionaries and evangelists. Feast Day: 29 June.

• St Martin de Porres – Patron saint of social justice and racial harmony. Feast Day: 3 November.

• St Ignatius of Loyola – Patron saint of soldiers, founder of the Jesuits. Feast Day: 31 July.

• St Thomas Becket – Patron saint of London. Feast Day: 29 December.

• St Josephine Bakhita – Patron saint of victims of slavery and trafficking. Feast Day: 8 February.

In Their Words

“The memory of the Saints leads us to raise our eyes to Heaven: not to forget the realities of the earth, but to face them with greater courage, with more hope.”
(Pope Francis, Angelus, 1 November 2019)

Living Our Faith Through Our Classroom Saints

At St Edmund’s, our mission “Through Christ we learn” comes alive in every classroom. One of the most powerful ways we live this out is through our Classroom Saints. Each class has a special saint who inspires prayer, service, and daily choices, reminding us that we too are called to holiness.

Over the past few weeks, our pupils have been exploring the lives of their saints through creative displays, RE floor books, drama, prayer, and artwork. From St Nicholas to St Teresa of Calcutta, the children have discovered how the saints show us that ordinary lives can become extraordinary when lived with faith and love.

In Reception and KS1, pupils have reflected on God’s wonderful creation, linking it to Creation and Covenant in the RE Directory. In KS2, pupils have deepened their understanding of Catholic Social Teaching, inspired by saints such as St Teresa of Calcutta, who taught us to “do small things with great love.” Their role-play and reflection activities showed how helping a sad friend or comforting someone who is hurt is part of living the Gospel.

Our displays show pupils’ creativity and ownership of their learning:

• Charity links: Pupils connected their saint’s example with class charity projects, putting CST into action through service and fundraising.

• Prayer and worship: Each saint is celebrated in prayer through class Celebrations of the Word, pupil-led liturgies, and personal reflection in prayer journals.

• Mission in action: Saints such as St Nicholas remind us of generosity and service, inspiring our pupils to care for others and live the Gospel in their daily lives.

This work links directly with our Prayer Progression Framework and the RE Curriculum set out in the Religious Education Directory (To Know You More Clearly). It also reflects the vision of Pope Leo XIV, who recently reminded us: “The saints call us, especially the young, to make our lives masterpieces of holiness, service, and joy.”

By studying their saints, our children are learning not only history and scripture, but how to live out our mission: learning through Christ, with Christ, and for Christ.

Catholic Social Teaching in Action at St Edmund’s

At St Edmund’s, Catholic Social Teaching (CST) is not just taught — it is lived in every classroom and celebrated across the whole school.

Classroom CST Banks

Each term, every class explores the CST principle for that half term (e.g. Dignity, Solidarity, Care for Creation). Pupils create a bank of ideas through lessons, brainstorming, role-play and discussion. These are then displayed on every classroom door as a constant visual reminder of how CST shapes our daily lives.

These banks show practical actions pupils can take — from using less plastic and caring for the earth, to listening respectfully to others and treating everyone with dignity.

Linking CST with Prayer and Worship

In every Celebration of the Word assembly, CST is woven into our prayer life:

• The Wednesday Word, our Gospel Mission, and our school values are linked with CST principles.

• Pupils reflect on how the Gospel message challenges us to live differently.

• Open-ended theological questions are asked to deepen reflection, for example:

  • Where do we see God’s dignity in the world today?

  • How does Jesus ask us to listen differently to others?

  • What might St Teresa of Calcutta say about how we treat creation?

  • What does the Gospel teach us about putting the poor first?

All pupil responses, prayers and reflections are recorded in RE Floor Books as a lasting record of our Catholic Life.

CST, Charity, and Caritas in Action

CST is also lived out through our charitable works and parish links:

• Harvest assemblies and food bank collections put solidarity into action.

• Fundraising for CAFOD, Caritas Westminster, Missio, and parish charities helps pupils see the preferential option for the poor in practice.

• Class charities and eco-initiatives link directly to CST principles like Care for Creation and Dignity of the Human Person.

Why This Matters

This approach makes CST a constant presence in school life. Pupils don’t just learn about justice, peace, and service — they practice them daily, in class, in worship, and in action. CST becomes a thread that unites our learning, prayer, and mission, helping us fulfil our vision:

Through Christ, We Learn — through Christ, we serve.