St. Paul’s CBS Secondary School is an all-boys Catholic voluntary secondary school with a Catholic ethos under the trusteeship of the Edmund Rice Schools Trust. ‘Catholic Ethos’ in the context of a Catholic voluntary secondary school means the ethos and characteristic spirit of the Roman Catholic Church, which aims at promoting:
a) the full and harmonious development of all aspects of the person of the pupil, including the intellectual, physical, cultural, moral and spiritual aspects; and
(b) a living relationship with God and with other people; and
(c) a philosophy of life inspired by belief in God and in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus; and
(d) the formation of the pupils in the Catholic faith,
and which school provides religious education in accordance with the doctrines, practices and traditions of the Roman Catholic Church, and/or such ethos and/or characteristic spirit as may be determined or interpreted from time to time by the Irish Episcopal Conference.
In accordance with S.15 (2) (b) of the Education Act, 1998 the Board of Management of St. Paul’s CBS Secondary School shall uphold, and be accountable to the patron for so upholding, the characteristic spirit of the school as determined by the cultural, educational, moral, religious, social, linguistic and spiritual values and traditions which inform and are characteristic of the objectives and conduct of the school.”
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The characteristic spirit of our school is based on the vision and values of the Edmund Rice Schools Trust Charter. The five characteristics of an Edmund Rice school underpin the operation of Edmund Rice Secondary School, namely:
- Nurturing faith, Christian spirituality and Gospel-based values,
- Promoting partnership,
- Excellence in teaching and learning,
- Creating a caring school community,
- Inspiring transformational leadership.
For further information on the Edmund Rice Schools Trust and the ERST Charter, see www.erst.ie
In St. Paul’s CBS, Secondary School, the Edmund Rice Schools Trust Charter values are underpinned by a philosophy of education that has at its centre the unique dignity of the human person as a child of God. We see the interaction of people from different backgrounds—spiritual, ethnic, language, special needs—as a gift that will enrich the community of the school and promote the growth and learning of all. We value each student and their family. We welcome and are sensitive to each one, seeking to respond to their individual needs through:
The Curriculum: We provide a broad range of subject areas, encouraging students to take increasing responsibility for their own learning and decision-making.
Pastoral Care: We support and challenge our students to make the most of their time in school. Each year we endeavour to provide a range of in-school and after-school activities including Behaviour for Learning support; study skills workshops; homework help; language support; life skills support; personal counselling; chess club; table tennis club, etc. As a school community, we work to develop our links with students’ families and our local community. In supporting our students, we strive to work in partnership with parents/legal guardians.
Faith Development: We have a special commitment to development of the spiritual dimension of the lives of our school community. Faith formation and the Religious Education programme play a key role.
- Students follow the State programme in Religious Education which is suitable for students of all faiths and those of no faith
- The school celebrates the major Christian feasts, and the major feasts of other faiths are acknowledged and celebrated in an appropriate way.
- We have a Sacred Space in our school which can be used by students of all faiths for times of prayer and reflection.
We hope that the gospel values inherent in the culture of the school will be internalised in the values, attitudes and behaviours of all members of the school community and will find expression in their respect and care for one another.
The school is open to and welcomes all who share this vision and wish to benefit from it.