Religious Education

Curriculum Intent

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

At St Patrick’s Primary School, 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 Patrick’s Catholic School 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.

We STRIVE to achieve this aim through the everyday routine /general 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 religious education and spiritual development will be 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. We have strong links with Shrewsbury Cathedral Catholic Primary Schools and Nursery.

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

What do we teach? What does this look like?

Our curriculum is shaped by our school vision, to STRIVE to be the best we can be for the Glory of God.

We ensure that a minimum of 10% of Curriculum time is allocated for RE teaching across all key stages. The requirements of the RE curriculum are met through the scheme ‘The Way the Truth and The Life’ which in turn meets the requirements of the Religious Education Curriculum Directory set out by the Bishop’s Conference of England & Wales. The scheme provides 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, art and ICT.

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, Fr Alban, opportunities are created for prayer and worship closely matching the liturgical calendar. School Masses, assemblies and services are all important elements in our liturgy.
• by delivering a planned programme of Religious Education.

The children 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.

Curriculum Overview

Years 1- 6 use the RE level descriptors from the Bishops’ conference to assess the attainment of the children and their progress is tracked on a termly basis. Teachers also highlight ‘statements’ which reflect the children’s learning across a unit on the front cover. The Foundation Stage use the assessment profile to assess. Children are assessed on their individual, group and oral work through each topic. This enables both class teachers and the subject leader to monitor coverage and identify progress made throughout the pupils’ time at school.

Impact

What will this look like?

By the time children leave St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School children will:

• Live out the Gospel values and virtues such as love, peace, courage, honesty, forgiveness and justice.
• Have a deeper appreciation of their faith and fulfil their God-given talents.
• Have respect for themselves and others.
• Be well prepared for the next stage of their education as confident and enthusiastic learners
• Produce good quality work which they are proud of.
• Achieve consistently well in all areas of Religious Education and make good progress.
• Be happy, well rounded individuals who have developed a deep-rooted relationship with God and understanding of their Catholic faith.
• Be ambassadors for Christ who are ready to go out into the world and proclaim the values of the Gospel confidently, building the Kingdom of God through compassion, justice, love and forgiveness in their relationship with others.
• Understand that they are part of the family of God and know how they can play their part in this Global family united by Christ.

We hope that as children move on from St Patrick’s to further their education and learning that they continue to access fundamental skills including:

• Having thought about their own spiritual development.
• Being trusted when interacting and working with others.
• Increased resilience to continue trying and improving through a process of
• self-reflection.
• An inquisitive nature to ask questions to explore their own beliefs.
• Being valued both individually and as part of a team.
• A sense of exceptional achievement.