Offering an alternative vision of education since 1881
A Catholic education for boys of all faiths and none
Offering an alternative vision of education since 1881
St Cuthbert’s Catholic High School is first and foremost a Catholic School and therefore offers the boys who attend a holistic Catholic education or formation. The Second Vatican Council heralded a review and reform of the Catholic Church in the 1960s.
It as concerned both with ressourcement “return to the authoritative sources” of Christian faith, for the purpose of rediscovering their truth and meaning in order to meet the critical challenges of our time. If ressourcement is about revitalization, renewal, then the oft mentioned, but often misunderstood concept, aggiornamento is essentially a question of a new and wider contextualisation, with the aim of finding new ways to rethink and reformulate the fundamental affirmations of the Christian faith in order to more effectively communicate the Gospel. Following the Second Vatican Council the Church published a document setting out what Catholic schools were about
For the Church, Catholic schools are, like the gospels, about promoting the growth and formation of human beings, the whole person; and that the identity and whole mode of operation of a school that calls itself Catholic must be rooted in the Gospel of Jesus:
The Church “establishes her own schools because she considers them as a privileged means of promoting the formation of the whole person, since the school is a centre in which a specific concept of the world, of human beings, and of history is developed and conveyed. . . . It is precisely in the Gospel of Christ, taking root in the minds and lives of the faithful, that the Catholic school finds its definition . . .
Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education
The Catholic School (1977) n.8-9
Our school is committed to ‘forming fine young men of integrity, men of competence, men of conscience, men of compassion and men of commitment’. Our curriculum upholds the key principles of Catholic education. Education is preparation for life, which is itself a preparation for eternal life. Catholic education is concerned with the ways in which pupils and students will make use of their formation in the service for others ‘for the praise, reverence and service of God’. We aim to instil a joy in learning and a desire to learn that will remain beyond the days in school.
At St Cuthbert’s our curriculum and therefore the quality of our education is based upon the following key principles.
Catholic Education is Instrumental"
Catholic education is instrumental. The Church teaches that education is not an end in itself but a means to the service of God. This is an important insight that must find explicit expression in the motivation of staff and the planning of all programmes of study.
Catholic Education is Pupil Centred"
Catholic education is pupil/student-centred. The goal of a Catholic education is to produce independent learners who internalise the skills of learning and eventually are able to act without the support of the formal educational environment. Catholic education is, therefore, adapted to the individual and, as far as possible, responds to the individual’s abilities, needs and interests. It emphasises the self-activity of the pupil and attempt to make the pupil the primary agent in the learning situation. In Catholic education the goal of the teacher is to decrease while the pupil increases in the direction of his own learning.
Catholic Education is Characterised by Structure & Flexibility"
In Catholic education, the organisation of the educational process is systematic and sequential ad aimed at a definite overall purpose. However, within the framework, significant freedom and adaptation is both expected and encouraged. The structure always includes a definite statement of objectives and systematic procedures for evaluation and accountability, for constant reflection on how to improve performance.
Catholic Education is Eclectic"
In Catholic education ideas and approach are derived from a broad and diverse range of sources. It draws on the best methods and techniques available and incorporates those methods that best help towards achieving its goals.
Catholic Education is Personal"
Catholic Education does not focus upon a superficial grasp or understanding of a wide range of ideas, but emphasises the importance of a profound insight and study of essential truths.
In accordance with the key principles and seeking to provide a holistic Catholic formation to all boys, we work to ensure that our curriculum has:
Our curriculum fulfils these through the following:
St Cuthbert’s Catholic High School, Gretna Rd, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE15 7PX
St Cuthbert’s Catholic High School is a proud member of the Bishop Bewick Catholic Education Trust. The Bishop Bewick Catholic Education Trust is a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales. Company Registration No. 7841435. www.bishopbewickcet.org