RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
INTENT:
At St. Paul’s Catholic Primary School, we understand the importance of faith in our lives. Our faith and belief is not just words on a page, but is lived out in all that we do. We recognise and value every individual as special and unique in the image and likeness of God.
Religious Education at St. Paul’s respects and promotes each child’s innate capacity for wonder, awe, reverence and spirituality. Our Religious Education curriculum leads our children to aspire not to have more, but to be more; children are taught about God’s love; they learn about their Christian responsibilities; children are provided with experiences of church, Catholic and Christian traditions, as well as being taught to be respectful and understanding of people and traditions from other faith backgrounds. Through Religious Education our children learn about their unique place within the home, school and parish community. Central to our ethos are the opportunities for prayer and worship which lie at the heart of our faith. We will promote and encourage these at every level, together with the skills and attitudes necessary to live out the Christian message in the modern world.
IMPLEMENTATION:
RE is a core subject of the curriculum and all children will study RE for 2 hrs 30 mins per week. Children from Year1-6 also spend time each week focusing on a piece of relevant scripture to deepen their understanding of the Word of God. Class collective worship and whole school Celebration of the Word and school Masses are in addition to this. The curriculum hours in RE are non-negotiable and will be followed by all staff in the school. Fixed timetables are set each academic year and monitored by the Senior Leadership Team of the school.
We follow the ‘Come and See’ Religious Education Programme from EYFS through to Year 6.
This programme provides:
opportunities for celebration, prayer and reflection in implicit and explicit ways.
children with the language of religious experience
a 'literacy' in religious activities, places, stories, symbols and rituals, people and objects.
a 'systematic presentation of Christian event, message and way of life' in ways appropriate to the age and stage of development of the child.
that for its implementation and production it requires the adults involved to understand the underlying theological as well as educational principles.
appropriate materials about other faiths.
This carefully designed scheme of learning in RE ensures consistency and progress of all learners. To support that, high quality teaching responds to the needs of children and learning objectives are shared in order to guide children to achieve their potential. This ensures work is demanding and matches the aims of the curriculum.
Pupils also participate in Mass, feast days, Holy days, collective worship & dedicated prayer time, which involves religious actions and worship, including the celebration of the sacraments. We explore the religious dimensions of questions about life, dignity and purpose within the Catholic tradition. Links are made with the children's own experience and with universal experience. It will enable them to explore the beliefs, values and way of life of the Catholic tradition and where appropriate other faith traditions.
The Process
Search – Explore (1 week) This is the introduction to the topic where the children's life experience is explored, the questions it raises are wondered at, shared, investigated and their significance reflected on.
Revelation – Reveal (usually 2 weeks) This is the heart of the programme where knowledge and understanding of the Catholic faith is revealed through the Word, in Scripture, Tradition, doctrine, prayers, rites and Christian living.
Response – Respond (1 week) This is where the learning is assimilated, celebrated and responded to in daily life. The children then complete their Respond Booklets, were they have the opportunity to create and organise their class liturgy, based on their choices of scripture, prayers and learning from the topic.
Other Faiths and religions:
Judaism is studied in the Autumn term, with each year group focusing on a particular aspect of the Jewish faith. The other religion to be studied each year, is Islam.
IMPACT:
Through complete and rigorous Religious Education at St Paul’s, children are given the opportunity to develop and become brothers and sisters in Christ. Children of all abilities and backgrounds make progress in RE, as the grow in their journey of faith. The children talk openly about their Faith and reflect this in their everyday life. They show this learning through deep questioning, reflective responses, respect for all and treating others as God would want them too. The children live their faith in an active and positive way, always aware of the presence and love of Christ guiding them. They are happy and confident in their place in the community and have a clear understanding on their impact in it.