Laudato Si’ Intent, Implementation & Impact Statement

Intent

At St Bernard’s RC Primary School, our mission “Believe, Grow, Succeed” includes a shared responsibility to care for God’s creation. Inspired by Pope Francis’s encyclical *Laudato Si’* and the Diocese of Salford’s environmental vision, we strive to foster ecological conversion—helping our children, staff and community to understand and act on their duty to protect our common home.
Our intent is to embed care for creation in every aspect of school life: curriculum, culture, and community. We want pupils to develop environmental awareness, emotional literacy, faith in action, and the confidence to lead change locally and globally.

Implementation

We implement our Laudato Si’ mission through:
• A curriculum that integrates environmental education across subjects—especially RE, Science, Geography, PSHE and Oracy.
• Regular opportunities for reflection, discussion and prayer focused on creation care.
• A pupil Eco‑Team who plan, lead and monitor projects such as recycling, energy reduction, biodiversity planting and local action.
• Engagement with Salford Diocese resources, including the Laudato Si’ Centre, to audit our impact and inspire new actions.
• Staff and pupil training on sustainability and environmental awareness.
• Partnership with parish, families and local community to promote joint stewardship and collective action.
• Monitoring progress through pupil voice, audits, and measurable indicators such as waste reduction and biodiversity improvements.

Impact

As a result of our work:
• Pupils demonstrate deep respect for creation and recognise their power to make a difference.
• Our school environment becomes greener, more sustainable and reflective of our faith in action.
• Children gain skills in collaboration, reasoning, and social responsibility.
• Our community contributes positively to the Diocese of Salford’s ecological goals.
• Pupil wellbeing, engagement and oracy improve through outdoor learning and environmental reflection.
• Measurable progress—such as reduced waste, lower energy use and increased biodiversity—shows the success of our approach.

Links to Catholic Social Teaching (CST)

Our Laudato Si’ work is rooted in Catholic Social Teaching principles:
• **Stewardship of Creation** – caring for God’s world as faithful stewards.
• **Common Good** – ensuring all people and creation can flourish.
• **Solidarity** – standing with those most affected by environmental damage.
• **Option for the Poor** – hearing the cry of the earth and the poor.
• **Participation** – empowering pupils to take responsibility for creation.
• **Dignity of the Human Person** – recognising every life as precious in God’s creation.

Conclusion

Through our Laudato Si’ mission, St Bernard’s RC Primary School lives out Pope Francis’s call to care for our common home.
We teach, model and celebrate stewardship as a core expression of our Catholic faith—helping all in our community to believe, grow and succeed as guardians of God’s creation.

“Live simply so that others may simply live.” – *Laudato Si’*

“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.” – *Psalm 24:1*