Religious Education
As a Catholic school, RE is classed as a core subject with equal importance to Literacy and Maths.
Religious Education Directory (RED)
Parents/carers have the right to withdraw their child from all or parts of Religious Education.
How RE is planned
From Key Stage One, 10% of curriculum time is devoted to Religious Education, excluding assembly and celebrations of the Word, as advised by the Bishops of England and Wales. This distinguishes RE from other subjects and so reminds us that RE is unique and special within our curriculum. In EYFS Religious Education can be taught in discrete lessons and accessed during continuous provision.
This ‘Meet in My Name’ scheme is rich with scripture and prayer, exploring the lives of saints and other religious people. A series of ‘Big Questions’ drive each topic. These questions provide the children with opportunities to explore and develop their thinking, challenge themselves and then return to the question at the end of the topic for reflection. The RED uses the knowledge lenses Hear, Believe, Celebrate and Live to help pupils understand Scripture, Catholic beliefs, worship, and how faith is lived out in daily life. It also uses Dialogue and Encounter to develop understanding and respect for people of other faiths and worldviews.
The Religious Education Directory consists of six branches, across each year group to allow children to discover, develop and deepen their understanding as they move through the school. The programme of study identifies precise knowledge which is built up over time. They follow a sequential narrative and are revisited with deepening theological complexity as students progress through each year group. The Knowledge Lenses dictate what students should look at and know by the end of each age phase. They ensure that every branch includes a mix of Scripture, Church doctrine, prayer, and lifestyle as children explore the religious understanding through the Hear, Believe, Celebrate and Live lenses. The “ways of knowing” act as the underlying skill framework, guiding how students process the theological information they learn as they Understand, Discern and Respond.
EYFS
In the Early Years Foundation Stage (Nursery and Reception), Religious Education is delivered through taught sessions, adult led activities and continuous provision, both inside the classroom and in the outdoor environment. Children are given the opportunity to explore aspects of faith through prayer times, circle time discussions and hands on explorative play opportunities such as re-enacting a Baptism or visiting the local church.
The children follow the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework, in which aspects such as PSED (Personal, Social, Emotional Development) and UTW (Understanding of the World) provide opportunities for teachers to embed aspects of the ‘Meet in my name’ themes into classroom activities in an age-appropriate way.
KS1 and KS2
In KS1 (Y1 and Y2) and KS2 (Y3-Y6) children learn about the churches’ feasts, festivals and Sacraments as well as having plenty of opportunities to study scripture. In KS1 children recognise religious scripture, describe and retell stories and events and reflect upon what they have learnt. In KS2 children comparing or by making links between scripture, explain signs and symbols, prayer, hymns. The programme of study identifies precise knowledge which is built up over time. Throughout KS1 and KS2 children discuss how they can apply and live out this learning in their everyday lives through our thoughts, words and actions. Throughout the curriculum, children encounter and explore faith through the lenses of Hear, Believe, Celebrate and Live, supporting them in developing religious knowledge, spiritual understanding, and a lived response to the Gospel.
