Inspiring Future Generations Through Catholic Social Teaching

At St Dominic Savio, we are dedicated to inspiring future generations to follow Catholic Social Teaching and care for our common home. Guided by Pope Francis' message in Laudato Si’, we encourage our students to be responsible stewards of the environment and take meaningful action to protect God’s creation.

Our commitment is reflected in our student-led Eco Council, which includes a representative from every year group, empowering children in leadership roles to drive positive environmental change. They take active steps such as turning off lights, implementing sustainable initiatives, and raising awareness within the school community.

As part of our whole-school approach, we have developed an Eco Charter and a Climate Action Plan, demonstrating our dedication to sustainability and ecological responsibility. Through education, advocacy, and action, we nurture a culture of care and responsibility, ensuring that our students grow into compassionate leaders who value and protect the world around them.

As Pope Francis urges us: "The Earth is our common home and all of us are brothers and sisters. Let us be ‘protectors’ of creation." (Laudato Si’, 2015).

Early Years
In Early Years, children learn to care for their common home through interactive and engaging activities in Geography and DT.

• In Geography, they explore their local area, discussing different modes of transport and their environmental impacts.
• In DT, children learn about growing vegetables, focusing on those that can be grown locally. This activity fosters a hands-on understanding of seasonal produce and the benefits of reducing food miles.

Year 1

• In science, children plant seeds and monitor their growth, learning the importance of plants in providing oxygen, food, and habitats.
• In Geography, they explore weather and how to dress sustainably for different climates.
• In PSHE they learn how to look after our environment including how to be responsible citizens

Year 2

• Science lessons focus on how living things depend on each other and the environment to survive.
• In DT, children examine the importance of reducing waste and making more sustainable food choices when cooking e.g. eating seasonal vegetables, not buying vegetables in single use plastic
• In RE we look at the role of us as God’s Stewards and our responsibility to care for our common home
• We write our own letter based on Laudato Si, calling to action the rest of the world to support our common cause
• In geography we examine the differences between the urban and rural landscapes

Year 3

• In science year 3 children deepen their understanding of sustainability by exploring renewable energy sources and their benefits. A sustainable focus in science is life cycles and seasonal changes. The children discuss how season and weather patterns may change due to climate change.
• Within Geography, the children learn about changes over time and how they may continue to change in the future
• In DT the children learn about eating seasonally. They focus on how they can care for their common home and continue to look after and cherish God’s creation.

Year 4
In Year 4, the children study ecosystems and pollution. They discuss ways to sustain our planet and how the world has changed over time and continues to change.

• Geography lessons explore rivers, particularly the River Thames and the impact of pollution on aquatic life.
• The children learn about the sustainability of their local area and how it has adapted to change. They discuss how Reading can become more sustainable. This is compared to the sustainability of London and ways we impact our environment.
• In PSHE, year 4 discuss the importance of looking after our world/the environment as God’s creation. We discuss not dropping litter and other ways of being environmentally friendly in our lesson on Rights and Responsibilities. We also do a lesson on Money Matters and discuss people’s spending habits and how these can impact people and the planet.
• In science we study units on Electricity and Ecology. In Electricity we learn how scientists invented new ways of lighting homes and streets which were cheaper, longer-lasting and safer for people and the environment (less harmful gases etc). We relate this briefly to newer developments today such as LED bulbs, solar/wind power to generate electricity, rechargeable batteries etc.
• In the Ecology unit we learn about ecosystems, how they are a complex web with many inter-dependents. They learn about how humans impact positively and negatively on ecosystems – particularly the human threat of air pollution and the negative effect this has on the environment/ecosystems. They conduct a local area study to understand the human impact (positive and negative) on their local area.

Year 5
Year 5 investigates climate change and its global impacts.

• Science lessons delve into the carbon cycle and the role of forests as carbon sinks. We also look at the life cycle of plants and how they contribute towards the removal of carbon from the atmosphere.
• Geography lessons focus on deforestation and the importance of preserving rainforests. During our local study, we assess the sustainability of our school including how much power we use and the effectiveness of the newly installed solar panels. This topic also looks at the effect of litter in our playground, calculating the average amount per square meter. Over years, we have built up a collection of data which allows the children to see a trend in the amount of litter being discarded.
• During our class texts, we uncover the issues with landfills and the need to recycle as much as possible.
• Through Catholic Social Teaching, we explore the idea of stewardship and that all of God’s creations must be cared for.

Year 6
Year 6 explores sustainability in-depth, preparing them for their role as future stewards of the planet.

• In English, children write persuasive speeches which include sections on sustainability.
• In RE, lessons are taught about the Pope’s encyclical “Laudato Si” in which he appeals to the people of the world to take care of our common home.
• In geography lesson are taught, within the unit British Geographical issues, on waste, air pollution and litter in the UK as well as climate change.

Eco-Council with the Junior Chaplains

With the help of the Junior Chaplains, the Eco-Council have delivered a reflective worship about caring for our common home and how we, as the future generation, need to continue to care for God’s creation as he entrusted us with it. This Celebration of the Word refers to Laudato Si’.