English Martyrs is a place with a strong Christian ethos and community.
We believe that it is the ethos which makes us a place that really aim to look after you not just academically but pastorally, emotionally, socially and spiritually.
Commonly asked questions:
If EMS6 is a Catholic college, do I have to be Catholic to enrol?
Absolutely not! We welcome people of all faiths - as well as those who do not profess a faith - and we pride ourselves upon the diverse set of beliefs we have within our college community.
What does being a Catholic college actually mean?
It means we provide opportunities for our students to embrace their faith if they so wish. For those who are not Catholic, however, it still offers a lot of benefits!! We strongly believe in the personal dignity of everyone and we really see ourselves as a family, a community, who all work together to create an environment of mutual respect and support.
Will I have to say a lot of prayers every day?
We do have a chapel where students are free and welcome to drop in and pray in private. Morning prayers are held during registration every day and Mass is celebrated on a Friday morning for those who wish to attend.
Tutor groups do present morning prayers on one day throughout the year but often groups choose societal and moral issues as a focus. As a college, we have a number of services throughout the year such as a Christmas Service and a Leavers’ Mass.
These opportunities to come together are very much focused on reflecting or celebrating.
Chaplain - Anne-Marie McKenna
Anne Marie helps lead a lot of our spiritual activities but she is also a great support to our students.
Her openness and friendliness makes her a firm favourite with us all.
MET Sessions
MET stands for Moral, Ethical and Theological study.
On your timetable you will find one lesson a week reserved for a compulsory lesson of MET. Here you will develop your independent thinking and debating skills on a range of contemporary topics linked to morals and ethics such as war and human rights.
Students are given the chance to share and debate the topics under consideration as well as developing an understanding of the issue from the point of views of other individuals and organisations.
The Key Skills Award associated with these MET sessions earns UCAS points which some universities will accept as a part of their standard offer.
Retreats & Youth Events
We organise and encourage our students to take part in retreats and youth events.
Retreats are scheduled throughout the college year. Some involve a day of fun and reflection whilst others have a residential opportunity built into them.
We work alongside the Youth Mission Team to deliver these retreats and students always have a great time!
In the lead up to the exams, we offer a chance to take some time out to relax at a retreat - students speak about how beneficial this is as part of their examination preparation.
