GIFT ‘Growing in Faith Together’ Team

At St Joseph and St Bede we have a dedicated group of pupils called the GIFT team who have a vital role to play in enhancing the Religious Life of our school. Our GIFT team are easily identified in school by their special purple jumpers. They meet weekly to plan liturgical events and ways to develop the faith life of our school.

Members of The GIFT team have a very important job to spread the Word of God throughout our school and the school community. It is their mission to interpret scripture so that children can better understand stories from the Bible and relate them to their own lives. The GIFT team help to lead prayer, prepare prayer areas, deliver collective worship and organise liturgical events.

Pupils will be entrusted with the responsibility of:

• Giving joyful witness of Christ in our school, being missionary disciples.
• Providing support in the delivery of the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of all pupils across the curriculum.
• Peer pastoral care – being role models for all
• Working with the local high schools to develop the prayer life of the school
• Assisting with the delivery and development of the prayer life of the school, supporting assemblies, worships, class prayer times and prayer groups.

Developing the use of sacred spaces around school, including the Croi, Peace Pole, Prayer Garden, Mary’s Sacred Space and the outdoor cross.

Caritas Ambassadors

At St Joseph and St Bede we have a group of dedicated Caritas Ambassadors. They are leaders of social action in our school, and responsible for sharing what they have learnt with those around them. Caritas Ambassadors are easily identified in school by their special red jumpers.  They share their increased understanding of the issues faced by our local and global community, and how they and their fellow pupils can address these to create a fairer society.

The Caritas Ambassadors develop their own ideas, and taking responsibility for creating and running their social action projects themselves, looking at how they can give their time and skills to act to support those in need, and sharing this work with others through charity work and fund raising.

Our Caritas Ambassadors put their faith into practical action. They are responsible for developing outreach work and supporting local charities. They will be a voice for change and social action.  They bring the love of God to others through their actions. Caritas Ambassadors are showing us all, by example, how we can make our world a better place.

We work towards supporting the Seven Catholic Social Teaching themes –

• Dignity of the human person
• Family and community
• Solidarity of the common good
• Rights and responsibilities
• Option for the poor and vulnerable
• The dignity of work
• Stewardship

The ambassadors work hard by demonstrating “faith in action,” they can raise aware of Caritas within the Salford Diocese and work hard to support global, national and local charities.

Our School Council

At St Joseph and St Bede, we have a dedicated school council who are vital members of our school pupil leadership teams. School council members are voted for by their peers. Their roles around school involve the following:-

• Making decisions: Helping to make decisions about how the school is run or organised
• Supporting learning and development: Taking on projects that support the children’s learning and development
• Representing the school: Representing the school at internal and some external events
• Being a role model: Following the school rules and being a role model to other pupils
• Communicating: Actively participating in meetings and providing feedback to peers after meetings
• Being respectful: Being respectful and listening to others
• Being responsible: Being responsible and working hard to get things done
• Being open-minded: Having an open mind to new ideas
• Enjoying teamwork: Enjoying teamwork

Our school council aims to help students develop leadership skills, learn about governance, and practice effective communication.

Laudato Si Team

Our Laudato Si Team focus on environmental stewardship and caring for our common home, inspired by Pope Francis’ encyclical, “Laudato Si’.” These students lead initiatives to promote sustainability, reduce waste, and educate their peers about the importance of looking after God’s creation. They are passionate advocates for creation, reminding us all of our responsibility to protect and cherish the world around us and to be guardians o life and creation.