Religious Education
Intent
As a Catholic school, RE lies at the heart of our curriculum and school life. The teachings of the Gospels are at the centre of everything we do and we strive to ensure that the Christian values show themselves not only in the RE lessons but at all times. We are committed to the Catholic Faith, recognising and valuing every individual as special and unique in the image and likeness of God. Religious Education at St. Albert the Great Catholic School, respects and promotes each child’s innate capacity for wonder, awe, reverence and spirituality.
Throughout our RE Curriculum the pupils are taught about God’s love; they learn about their Christian responsibilities; pupils 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 pupils learn about their unique place within the home, school and parish community.
The intent of our Religious Education curriculum is to:
•Enable pupils to continually deepen their religious and theological understanding and be able to communicate this effectively;
•To present an authentic vision of the Church’s moral and social teaching so that pupils can make a critique of the underlying trends in contemporary culture and society;
•To raise pupils’ awareness of the faith and traditions of other religious communities in order to respect and understand them;
•To develop the critical faculties of pupils so that they can relate their Catholic faith to daily life;
•To stimulate pupils’ imagination and provoke a desire for personal meaning as revealed in the truth of the Catholic faith;
•To enable pupils to relate the knowledge gained through Religious Education to their understanding of other subjects in the curriculum;
•To bring clarity to the relationship between faith and life, and between faith and culture
•To encourage pupils to respect and be fully aware of the needs of others as equal members of God’s
Implementation
As a Catholic School, we devote 10% of curriculum time to the teaching of Religious Education in line with the expectations set forth in the Religious Education Curriculum Directory (RECD); this is separate from times of prayer and collective worship, such as assemblies, liturgies and class prayer which happen in addition to the taught curriculum.
We follow the scheme of work ‘Come & See’ as well as following guidelines from Diocese of Westminster. This programme is delivered throughout school from Nursery through to Year 6. This programme provides:
Opportunities for celebration, prayer and reflection in implicit and explicit ways.
Pupils 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 each child.
Appropriate materials about other faiths.
Academic respectability as in other curricular areas
As well as covering the delivery of Catholic Education, ‘Come and See’ also contains the resources and units required for us to regularly teach pupils about other world religions, in order for them to develop an appreciation for faith in a wider sense and to become appreciative and respectful of the religious beliefs, practices and observances of others. It is hoped that this will enable them to become responsible and respectful members of the multi-cultural, multi-faith society in which we live
In addition to the ‘Come and See’ scheme of work, a Catholic Social Teaching curriculum has been implemented using the ‘Caritas in Action’ books from the Diocese of Salford. This curriculum promotes spiritual, moral, social and cultural education and citizenship. Pupils from Nursery through to Year 6 are given the opportunity to access learning opportunities linked to seven themes of Catholic Social Teaching.
Catholic Social Teaching is based on the belief that God has a plan for creation, a plan to build his kingdom of peace, love and justice. It holds that God has a special plan for every single one of us, whoever we are. Our part in this plan isn’t just limited to things ‘spiritual’, or times when we do “religious things.” It involves every aspect of our lives, from the things we pray about, to how we live as a responsible global citizen. Our part in this story is a kind-of vocation for the common good, a call to treat everyone as our brothers and sisters. It is something that we all share.
The seven themes of Catholic Social Teaching are:
•Life and Dignity of the Human Person
•Call to Family, Community, and Participation
•Rights and Responsibilities
•Option for the Poor and Vulnerable
•The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers
•Solidarity
•Care for God’s Creation
Impact
Our RE curriculum will provide pupils with a deep understanding of Catholic faith and religion, helping them to gain a sense of identity, purpose, and the guidance they need for their life. Pupils are encouraged to develop positive and respectful attitudes towards people of different faiths and beliefs; appreciate the diversity within society, ethical issues, and political, cultural, and social attitudes. As a result, pupils can look beyond their immediate surroundings, contribute positively to their communities, and see themselves as active citizens. Additionally, pupils must have a strong moral ethic and a deep sense of the values that Catholic schools hold in high regard. Their richer experiences are developed into life-long learning practices.
Home/School/Parish Partnership
The school works in partnership with parents and parish to enrich the lives of our children.
We distribute a weekly newsletter to inform parents about the weekly Gospel theme and notify parents of Masses and liturgies both in the school and the Parish.
Our School regularly supports Parish events and fund raising e.g. CAFOD, SVP, Advent appeals, Lenten appeals.
We have a pupil led chaplaincy team, the Friends in Faith, who strive to create stronger links with our wider parish community through a variety of different initiatives such as our annual Harvest afternoon tea and Christmas cards.
Pease visit our RE News and Catholic Life pages of our website to find more information on how our faith is reflected in our school life.
Prayer and Liturgy
Our Catholic faith is central to day to day life of our school and all aspects of the curriculum, and pupils are encouraged to recognise the importance of their faith and they respond to all forms of liturgy and collective worship with respect and reverence.
We have a rich liturgical life in that the experiences we provide are wide ranging and take place in school, out of school, in Church and the wider community, and engage and involve pupils, parents, staff, governors and the parish.
The Celebration of the Eucharist and prayer are central in our school. Our Parish Priest regularly celebrates Mass in School. In addition, we aim to join our parish community at Mass at least once every term as well as for Holy Days of Obligation such as Ash Wednesday.
Below you can read our Prayer and Liturgy Policy.
Prayer-and-Liturgy-Policy-Autumn-2022
Come and See
We use ‘Come and See’: the Catholic Primary Religious Education program for Foundation Stage, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. It makes learning about our faith lively, interactive and relevant.
Come and See has been written by a group of experienced diocesan advisors. It follows on from successful trialling in schools in England and Wales and is based on the theological foundations of the Second Vatican Council, the Catholic Catechism and the revised RE Curriculum Directory and includes the Catholic attainment targets.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church addresses the search for meaning in life. God’s initiative in Revelation who comes to meet us and our response of faith. (cf. CCC26) This pattern guides the structure of the programme and informs the process of each topic, opened up through; Explore, Reveal and Respond.
The children also spend two weeks over the course of the year learning about other religions
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. This session may include:
- Exploring experiences through music, story, drama, dance or art
- Investigation and story telling
- Consideration of the Big Question
- Discussion
- Reflection
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. The process of this delivery will include:
- Meeting new knowledge of Religious Education
- Reflecting on the wonder of the mystery
- Research, collating information
- Asking searching questions
- Discussion
- Making links between Cristian understanding and the shared life experiences
- Acknowledging and respecting differences
- Being open to new perspectives.
Response
Respond (1 week) This is where the learning is assimilated, celebrated and responded to in daily life. This may be carried out through:
- Creating a quiet, prayerful atmosphere for reflection
- Reviewing work carried out throughout the topic
- Sharing thoughts and feelings
OTHER FAITHS and RELIGIONS
Judaism is usually studied in the Autumn term, however this can vary due to the needs of the school. The other religion to be studied is either Hinduism, Islam or Sikhism – the religion focus is carefully selected with consideration given to the most relevant and appropriate in light of each class and current local, national or world-wide events.
Below you can read our Religious Education Policy.
Religious-Education-Policy-Autumn-2022
Long Term Plan