Magna Carta
The Magna Carta was a document signed over 800 years ago. It helped establish important ideas that still shape Britain today:
- Treating people fairly
- Respecting others
- Taking responsibility
- Having a voice
- Working for the common good
- These are not just British values.
As a Catholic school, we believe every person has God-given dignity and deserves to be treated with respect. We believe in serving others, helping our communities and using our gifts to make a positive difference. The Magna Carta Award celebrates these same qualities. although Edward the Confessor did not directly create the Magna Carta. He died in 1066, almost 150 years before the Magna Carta was sealed in 1215. The connection is that the barons and church leaders behind the Magna Carta looked back to the laws and traditions associated with Edward the Confessor as an example of good and just government. They believed that English kings should rule according to established laws and customs, rather than by personal power alone.
In fact, one of the ideas underpinning Magna Carta was that the king should respect the ancient "laws of Edward", which became a symbol of fairness, justice and the rule of law.
The St Edward's Magna Carta Award brings these two traditions together. It combines the Christian values of St Edward the Confessor with the enduring values of Magna Carta, encouraging students to participate, contribute and lead in service of others.
