Religious Education

"To Know You More Clearly." 

Curriculum Intent

Why do we teach this? Why do we teach it the way we do?

At St Joseph's, Religious Education (RE) is the heart of all we do as a Catholic school and permeates through every aspect of the curriculum and school life. We aim to provide the very best Catholic education for our pupils. St Joseph's is a learning community underpinned by a Catholic ethos based upon Gospel values. We aim to celebrate the uniqueness of every child, enabling each to reach his or her potential spiritually, morally, academically and socially. Religious Education is the core of the core curriculum. 

We achieve this aim through the everyday routine and prayer life of the school, as well as Religious Education and to achieve high standards and encourage pupils to make the most of the opportunities we offer them.

In the daily living out of our Catholic faith, we aim to ensure that RE and spiritual development is threaded through every aspect of the curriculum, so that it is explicit and implicit within the taught curriculum. Rooted in prayer and lived out in the daily life of the school, the children are supported, through the curriculum, to grow in faith and deepen their relationships with God and each other. 

The Aims of Religious Education

• To present a comprehensive content which engages pupils and is the basis of knowledge and understanding of the Catholic faith;
• to enable pupils continually to 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.

Implementation: Planning, Teaching and Learning

What do we teach? What does this look like?

Our curriculum is shaped by our school mission and values. 

We ensure that a minimum of 10% of curriculum time is allocated for RE teaching across all key stages. We have moved to using a new scheme for the teaching of RE called 'The Vine and Branches' for Years 1-4. We have been directed to follow this scheme by the diocese.

Planning is detailed and there is a sharp focus on knowing and understanding religious vocabulary. Teaching ensures that there are regular planned opportunities to re-visit, review and consolidate prior learning. In classrooms you will see RE working walls displaying key vocabulary and current learning. There are also knowledge organisers in RE books to support the retention of previous learning. There is a consistent approach to re-visiting learning from previous units throughout the school. 

This academic year, children in Year 1,2,3 and 4 will be taught using 'The Vine and Branches' and children in EYFS, Year 5 and Year 6 continue to follow 'The Way, the Truth and The Life' scheme as advised by the diocese.

The ways of knowing describe the skills that pupils develop as they progress through the religious education curriculum. We refer now to ways of knowing rather than standards or levels, since progress in religious education is not only something that concerns performance and summative assessment. They are called ways of knowing since they describe the holistic ways human beings experience education: as a growth in understanding, as a creative and critical assimilation, and as a recognition of the application of learning to one’s own life. The three ways of knowing are ‘understand’, ‘discern’, and ‘respond’. 

'The Vine and Branches' meets the  requirements of the Religious Education Curriculum Directory set out by the Bishop’s Conference of England and Wales. The schemes provide the basis for teaching the doctrines of the Catholic Church. We ensure that this programme of study is enriched with a variety of activities that include Drama, History, Geography and Art.

Please click here to view the Religious Education Directory. 

We recognise that the school has a special part to play in supporting parents who strive to develop a lasting faith commitment within their child. Together we guide them to a meaningful relationship with God, with Jesus, the Word of God, and with the Holy Spirit, who guides our every action.

In school, we do this in three main ways;

• by creating an atmosphere which pervades the whole life of the school, where the unique value of each person is recognised and respected. The most powerful agent in this process is the example of Christian behaviour and attitudes shown by all members of staff through their actions and words, and in the relationships they foster.
• by creating a structured liturgy appropriate to the age and ability of the children. In partnership with our parish priest, opportunities are created for prayer and worship closely matching the liturgical calendar. School liturgy of the words, assemblies and services are all important elements in our liturgy.
• by delivering a planned programme of Religious Education.

Pupil's explore the religious dimensions of questions about life, dignity and purpose within the Catholic tradition. Links are made with the pupils’ own experiences and with the other faith traditions.

We proudly proclaim our faith and invite all to join us on our journey, but we welcome children and families of other faiths to our community, and we learn about other faiths and cultures.

Impact

Through their RE learning, the children are able to make links between their own lives and those of others in their community and in the wider world. The children are developing an understanding of other people’s cultures and ways of life, which they are then able to communicate to others.

Through regular moderation and monitoring of lessons and books, we can be sure that progress is made across all year groups. Evidence in RE is not just collated through books. Children's knowledge and understanding is demonstrated through art, drama and thoughts and actions. 

RE offers our children the means by which to understand how people choose to live and to understand why they choose to live in that way.

Right to Withdraw

Parents and carers have the right to withdraw their child from all or part of the Religious Education curriculum. This request should be submitted to the headteacher.