Catholic Social Teaching is ‘an aspect of the life and the thinking of the Catholic Church.’ It concerns what the Church has to say about social issues and the way in which Catholic faith should be lived out within society. These teachings are rooted in Scripture and especially in the teachings of Jesus found in the Gospels. Catholic Social Teaching helps us to understand how we are called to love God and our neighbour. At St. Joseph's, children learn that their faith should inspire them to work for justice, peace and the common good.

This short video explains more about Catholic Social Teaching https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNcBCPVbYDU 

Through our curriculum, Celebrations of the Word, fundraising and practical acts of service, pupils explore the principles of Catholic Social Teaching. We encourage children to become active citizens who recognise the needs of others and respond with compassion, generosity and hope. By putting faith into action, our pupils learn that even small acts of kindness can make a big difference.

There are 7 principles of Catholic Social Teaching and we are called to uphold them. To find out more about each principle please click below

• Dignity             

• Solidarity

• The common good

• The option for the poor

• Peace

• Care for creation

• The dignity of work and participation

At St Joseph's, our children learn that the principles of Catholic Social Teaching teach us to notice what is going on in our world, good or bad, and to think about it and choose how to act. 

We teach the names and meanings of the principles and link them the actions of our class saints to help children to develop their understanding. Catholic Social Teaching is at the heart of what we do as a school as we strive to help our children be who God created them to be and make a positive contribution to the world. The definitions and images below support our children's understanding of the Catholic Social Teaching principles.