The Catholic Life of the Sixth Form
As a Catholic sixth form, we seek to celebrate the presence of Christ in Word, sacrament and our community. Driven by Christ’s instruction to “Love one another as I have you”, we seek to develop a community in which academic excellence is pursued alongside service to others and love for our neighbour.
Mary Ward and Loreto Values
St. Michael's is a Loreto school. Along with our sister schools, we are guided by the distinctive spirit of Loreto education in England which has been shaped by strong women who were marked by courage, intelligence, vision and a love of God. We take inspiration from Mary Ward (1585-1645), a Catholic who dedicated her life to ensuring that girls could receive an education that promoted the Common Good and particular needs of individual students. The schools Mary Ward founded had a reputation for excellence with Mary Ward demanding high standards from her teachers and students. We look to continue the legacy of Mary Ward today by promoting the seven Loreto Values through all of our work at school:
- Excellence
- Freedom
- Internationality
- Joy
- Justice
- Sincerity
- Truth
Catholic Social Teaching
In our sixth form, we are committed to learning from the principles of Catholic Social Teaching. From the social teaching of the Church, which itself is based on the teachings and example of Jesus, we learn about the importance of recognising the inherent dignity in all human beings and the need to stand alongside our brothers and sisters in the fight for the Common Good.
Sixth formers aim to put their faith into action through following the 7 Principles of Catholic Social Teaching:
Liturgy
Sixth form life is punctuated by opportunities to gather together in prayer and worship. Sixth formers meet weekly, either in their year group or as a whole key stage, in assembly where the Word of God is proclaimed and opportunity is given for prayer and reflection.
Sixth formers join in with whole school Masses, often taking leading roles as readers, singers, musicians or extraordinary ministers of holy communion. The prayer life of a sixth form student culminates in the Year 13 Leavers’ Mass, held at St. Alban’s Church, where, alongside parents and school staff, thanks is given to God for his mercies to our school and sixth form.
Core R.E.
All sixth form students attend one lesson of Core Religious Education each week. Lessons are taught on a ‘carousel’ where students spend 5 weeks with a different teacher exploring the fundamental issues facing people of faith in contemporary Britain and the modern world. Highlights from the curriculum are below:
| Year 12 | Year 13 |
| Human rights and social justice | Catholic Social Teaching |
| War, conflict and peace | Love and relationships |
| Buddhism | Life after death |
| Arguments for the existence of God | The role of religion in modern society |
| Scriptural Reasoning and the celebration of faith | Philosophy from the Greeks to Aquinas |
| Science and religion | Human nature and moral responsibility |
| Religious experiences | Science and proof |
Lourdes
Every Summer, a team of Year 12 students volunteer as ‘Red Caps’ assisting pilgrims on the Archdiocese of Westminster Pilgrimage to Lourdes, France: https://rcdow.org.uk/pilgrimages/lourdes/
