We CARE following in the footsteps of Christ.

By enabling and empowering all in our academy family to do this, we can all truly live out our academy motto:

To Love and Serve the Lord

We do this in many different ways through the formation programme we have here. 

Spiritual Formation and Development

As a Catholic academy Spiritual Formation is of prime importance. Some of the many opportunities for this can be seen in our Collective Worship section. However, growing spiritually also means coming to the awareness that there is more to life than the physical realities about us. This awareness helps lead all members of our community to develop insights, principles, beliefs, attitudes and values which are guided by the centrality of our Gospel Values and supported by our CARE values, to give us a true sense of who we are, where we are and where we are going. Therefore, for many pupils at St Edmund’s, these will properly converge in their religious faith and observance and their developing relationship with God

In order to help all to grow spiritually, we promote the self-esteem, self-worth, and dignity  of all students and staff as children of God, by valuing and commending their contributions to the life and mission of the academy, their achievements, and helping them to reflect about their inner being.

It is vital that we encourage our students to grow and be formed by the use of their  imaginations and feelings to help light in them a fire to reflect, question, ponder, discuss and exchange views about deeper ideas such as the nature of life, existence, and death and beyond.

By giving opportunities for reflection, introspection, questioning / inquiry, observation, empathy, imagination, prayer, wonder and awe, and through many curriculum areas, prayer and enrichment activities, such as our Eco-Club and gardening, we engender in students a contemplation and appreciation of the mystery and beauty of life and the natural world, encourage them to think deeply about their human vocation and purpose: what they are called to be and to become. 

Moral Formation and Development

Growing morally means coming to an awareness of right and wrong: – that some actions detract from our God-given dignity and that of others, as human beings, while other actions enhance it. For St Edmund’s, this awareness is rooted in Gospel values, in a religiously developed conscience and in the teaching of the Church. The family is where students are first schooled in moral development, parents are, after all, the first and most important teachers of the faith to their children. At St Edmund’s, we contribute to this development by teaching:

• The importance of truth and honesty
• The importance of observing rules and undertaking responsibilities
• The importance of compassion and of tact
• The importance of affirming and protecting other people’s rights
• Respect for the environment – both at school and in the wider world.

We shall know that students are developing morally through their:

• ability to recognise the difference between right and wrong and to act on this understanding in their own lives
• ability to understand the impact of the consequences of their actions on themselves and on other people
• Showing interest in and awareness of moral issues and developing informed views about them

In Brief:

Deliberation, reasoning, reflection, evaluation, practical wisdom, development of virtue

Social Formation and Development

Central to our mission is the belief  that ALL human beings are made in the image of God. Therefore, we emphasise the importance of a sense of connectedness and belonging. St Edmund’s is both a school community and a community of God which has shared values and sees itself as a family. In order to re-enforce this development we encourage inclusion of all people of different backgrounds. We also:

• Enable everyone to feel secure, confident and supported in the learning environment
• Encourage a spirit of cooperation and the ability to balance individual and collective needs
• Celebrate others’ achievements while also affirming the weak
• Develop sense of connectedness to the wider community
• Provide opportunities to participate in community service and charitable activities.

Cultural Formation and Development

Cultural development entails coming to an awareness of that which distinguishes one community from

another. Our primary community is Britain which is also made up of other subsidiary communities such as belonging to the universal Catholic Church, other religions and cultural units. Culture is encapsulated in things such as: historical heritage, the values of a society, customs, dress, food, aesthetic achievements (music, art, works of literature and architecture) , sport and language… to mention but a few.

At St Edmund’s we shall help pupils and students to develop culturally by:

• Providing opportunities for creativity, sport and aesthetic appreciation
• Engendering a love for language which is rich with a variety of works of literature, drama, film and prayer – such as our multilingual rosary rally each May and October.
• Developing a passion for the nation’s history and Church history
• Developing an interest in the cultures of the world and an acceptance of cultural differences within St Edmund’s community and celebrating these.

Below you will see many examples of the ways in which we form our students and encourage their development as sharers in our Catholic Life and Mission. You can also see an overview of the many and splendid opportunities we give to all our students on their faith journey by clicking here.