Further information on Jesuit education

The Society of Jesus was begun in 1540 by St Ignatius Loyola and his companions to strive especially for the defence and propagation of the [Christian] faith and for the progress of souls in life and doctrine. Soon after its foundation the Society was called upon to provide formal schooling for young people, opening its first College at Messina in Italy in 1547.

Jesuits first came to Scotland in 1542. An ecumenical school was opened in Holyrood House in 1688 under the protection of the king. It was a shortlived enterprise and the politics and religious controversies of the times permitted the founding of a successful school only many years later in 1859.

Today, St Aloysius' College, named after the Jesuit patron of young people St Aloysius Gonzaga (1568-1591), continues the tradition of Jesuit education for the improvement in learning and living to the greater glory of God and for the common good.

St Aloysius' College is a work of the British Jesuit Province, one of nine Jesuit schools and two university colleges in the UK, and part of a network of some two thousand Jesuit schools, colleges and universities worldwide, educating two million students in sixty-five countries. The aim and values of every Jesuit school are the same: the formation of people of competence, conscience and compassion, who learn to put their lives and talents at the service of others.

The success of Jesuit education is measured not solely in terms of academic performance but rather in terms of the quality of pupils' lives and formation. St Aloysius' College seeks to create a community shaped by the values of the gospel in which each pupil will recognise and develop their gifts and talents for the benefit of others.

While its historical origins and present commitment of service to the Church in Scotland mean that the College will continue to admit children predominantly from Catholic families, we also welcome applications from families of other faiths or Christian denominations, who find that the ethos of a Jesuit school affords a vision of education that they share and seek for their children.

St Aloysius' College operates under the Trusteeship of the Society of Jesus, which ensures that its particular character and way of proceeding as a Jesuit school is promoted and safeguarded in all it does. The many lay staff, parents and friends who share the Jesuit vision and method, are partners in the College's continued success.

St Aloysius' College shares many features with the best of Christian and secular schools but, as a Jesuit school, stands on its own distinctive tradition.

Jesuit education is inspired by the vision of St Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556) in which God reveals his love for us in all things. The aim of Jesuit education is the formation of people of competence, conscience and compassion, men and women for others.

A Jesuit school will be recognised by the characteristic values it promotes:

Finding God in all things
• a Jesuit school recognises that every aspect of its work can affirm the goodness and presence of God

Caring for the individual
• a Jesuit school focuses on the all-round formation of each person

Showing love in deeds
• a Jesuit school is characterised by generosity in service to others, particularly where human dignity is threatened

Building a Christian community
• a Jesuit school fosters a faith commitment to Christ and prepares pupils for a fuller participation in the life of Church

Engaging with the wider world
• a Jesuit school helps pupils to be sensitive to the strengths and weaknesses in contemporary society and to witness to Christ’s presence in that society

Encouraging excellence
• a Jesuit school is distinguished for its academic, religious and pastoral provision, through which it encourages the fullest possible development of talents

Co-operating in Jesuit mission
• a Jesuit school works in co-operation with other Jesuit schools and ministries in the light of the apostolic and educational aims of the Society of Jesus

To live in this way is to build the Kingdom of God. It is to engage fully with the world around us. The style of life and learning that is characteristic of St Aloysius' College seeks to bring concretely to the Church in Scotland a venerable and living tradition of the universal Church. It is the Jesuit ideal adapted to the circumstances of the people, place and times in which we live.

As a child progresses through the school he or she will become part of this tradition, experiencing at first hand its pattern of teaching, values and practices, informed by the Jesuit vision. It is our hope that each child will accept this rich heritage and make it his or her own and in so doing will be prepared for life, which is itself a preparation for eternal life.