Faith Life

Faith Life

As a faith and learning community, Christ is at the centre of what we do at St. Andrew’s and St. Bride’s High School. We provide a programme centred on gospel values, which contributes to the growth of the whole person. We work closely with our school chaplain, Father Francis Dougan our local parishes, and with families to foster excellent home-school-parish links.

Our school community is an extension of family life and we aim to support parents as they strive to provide their children with a stable framework of values and attitudes with which to confront the pressures and problems of their daily lives.

We aim to create a climate which nurtures faith and we celebrate that faith by way of our acts of worship - Masses, prayers, religious services, Rosaries, assemblies, faith groups and retreats. Our values and our faith are communicated through personal relationships and expressed in the service of others.

We maintain an impressive Oratory, and have an active Chaplaincy Team who plan liturgical events and services, as well as organising fundraising for Mary’s Meals and SCIAF. Each year we have a group of pupils who participate in the Caritas Award, which encourages young people to take an active role in their parish and school communities (see our RMCE page for more information on this).

Pupils from S1-S4 have three periods per week devoted to Religious Moral and Citizenship Education (RMCE). Our fifth and sixth year have two periods of RE with a programme of visiting speakers and consideration of topics of religious and ethical relevance. RMCE classes also visit the oratory several times throughout the year for:

  • November services for the dead

  • Advent services and opportunities for the Sacrament of Reconciliation

  • Lenten services and opportunities for the Sacrament of Reconciliation

  • May Rosary services

We utilise our school assembly programme, to supplement learning in RMCE, to support pupils to develop in faith and love.

Our School Chaplain

We are delighted to have Father Francis Dougan as our Chaplain; he leads Mass in the Oratory, attended voluntarily by pupils, staff, and families.

Mass times in our school oratory during ordinary time are:

  • Wednesday 12.30

  • Friday 08.20

CARITAS

The Pope Benedict XVI CARITAS AWARD encourages and promotes the ongoing faith journey of young people. It recognises that some are already active and committed within their homes, schools, parishes and dioceses and it invites others to respond to God’s call of love. It supports and celebrates the faith witness which young people give within their communities.


Introduced in 2011, as part of a legacy of the UK visit of Pope Benedict XVI in September 2010, this award asks young people to use their faith learning as a starting point for further faith reflection, leading to actions which show their faith witness. Participants in the Caritas Award will be supported in deciding how they can develop and use their gifts in a way that witnesses to God’s love (“Caritas”) in their communities.


Any pupil in their final year of school can be enrolled to participate in the CARITAS AWARD. Parishes may nominate young people for the award, where no Catholic school is available to do so. The award is designed to be inclusive of all young people and is open to all pupils who can meet the succes criteria for the award. Pupils can choose how they would like to record and share their learning, reflection and witness from a number of formats. Pupils studying at all levels will be able to achieve the requirements for the award.

ORATORY

Our Oratory is a place where our school community can come together in prayer, in quiet reflection and to celebrate Holy Mass in the heart of our school.

Mass is celebrated at the following times every week:

Wednesday - 12.30

Friday - 08.20


A CHARTER FOR CATHOLIC SCHOOLS IN SCOTLAND

​A charter for Catholic schools in Scotland


The mission of the Catholic school is to develop as a community of faith and learning, providing the highest quality of education, and offering formation through the promotion of Gospel values, through celebration and worship, and through service to the common good.

All Catholic schools in Scotland, in honouring Jesus Christ as the Way, the Truth and the Life, will feature the following characteristics:

a commitment to the integrated education and formation of the whole person, in close partnership with parents as the first educators of their children;

an inclusive ethos which aims to honour the life, dignity and voice of each person, made in the image of God;

a commitment to the search for wisdom in life and to the pursuit of excellence, through the development of each person's unique God-given talents;

a commitment to the spiritual formation of the school community, through the shared experience of prayer and liturgy, and in partnership with local parishes;

the provision of religious education programmes which will enable young people to develop their understanding of Gospel values and of how to apply them to life;

a commitment to uphold the moral teaching, faith tradition and sacramental life of the Catholic Church;

a commitment to communicate Catholic social teaching and thereby to promote social justice and opportunity for all;

a commitment to ecumenical action and the unity of Christians;

the promotion of respect for different beliefs and cultures and for inter-faith dialogue;

a commitment to support the continuing professional and spiritual development of staff.


All staff appointed to a Catholic school are expected to support and promote the aims, mission, values and ethos of the school, as illustrated in this Charter.

OUR SCHOOL PRAYER

Lord Jesus

Thank you for all the gifts you give us.

Help us to care for the world we live in,

And see the goodness in it.


Give us the strength to help others.

Guide us in everything we do.

Lord Jesus, thank you.


St. Andrew and St. Bride

Pray for us.