Christ is the centre and foundation of our Catholic School.

All members of our school community share the responsibility of supporting the Catholic identity of the school. Parents, staff, governors enable our children to live full lives in Christ and help them to participate in the building up of the Kingdom of God.

At the heart of the understanding of life lies God, its creator. Indeed, without acknowledgement of God as the source and destiny of human life, efforts at education will always fail to reach beyond the pragmatic.                                                                                                                     Archbishop of Westminster Vincent Nicholas (2005)

It is recognised that

‘…the first educators in the faith are parents. By their example in the home and the participation in the Mass and other sacraments, the foundations of life-long faith and discipleship in their children are laid down.’                                                                                                     Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales  (2000)

The Catholic vision of Education promotes the dignity and freedom of every person as created in the image and likeness of God. This vision inspires and encourages the beliefs and values that are lived out in the daily life of the Catholic school. Within this vision, Religious Education is very much a journey of formation involving every member of the school community, together with a pupil’s family and parish community.

At St Edmund’s School, Religious Education is considered to be the core of the core subjects. It is a rigorous academic discipline, and as such it is to be taught, developed and resourced with the same commitment as any other subject.

For those not already engaged in the journey of faith, Religious Education may be the first opportunity to hear the good news of the gospel. At St Edmund’s we aim to develop

• The knowledge and understanding of Catholic faith and life; the mystery of God and of Jesus Christ, of the Church, and of the central beliefs that Catholics hold.
• The knowledge and understanding of the response of faith to the ultimate questions about human life, its origin and purpose; to develop awareness and appreciation of Catholic belief, understanding of its impact on personal and social behaviour and of the vital relationship between faith and life, life and faith.
• The skills required to engage in examination of and reflection upon religious belief and practice.
• The formation of responsible and committed Catholic citizens encouraging our children, as they grow towards the highest standards in academic achievement, social responsibility and personal development.
• An awareness and understanding of other faiths and the multi-faith society in which we live.