RE Curriculum

Be who God created you to be and you will set the world on fire.

Our Mission Statement is the cornerstone of everything we do at St Catherine’s. Through our bespoke Religious Education Curriculum, we aim for our pupils to gain a deep understanding of their innate gifts, talents and skills. Every child deserves to flourish, physically, socially, emotionally, mentally and academically. We want to enable them to, ‘Be who God created them to be’.

At school we follow the ‘Come and See’ scheme of work for RE, which fulfils the requirements of the Bishop’s Conference and the Curriculum Directory for Religious Education, which sets forth the expectations for what should be covered by Religious Education teaching in Catholic Schools in England and Wales. In addition to this, teachers extend their planning to reflect the events of the liturgical calendar, global events and the life of the Catholic Church.

We supplement ‘Come and See’ with bespoke Enrichment Units. These are designed to teach our pupils about current issues relating to Catholic Social Teaching and Social Justice (e.g. about single use plastics, refugees and the Black Lives Matter Movement). Children are challenged to relate Gospel stories (such as the Parable of the Good Samaritan) and Papal Encyclicals (such as Fratelli Tutti and Laudato Si) to modern events and consider how they can live out their beliefs. We seek to inspire our pupils to take what they have learnt and, ‘Set the world on fire’ – to go forth and be change in their community and the world.

As well as covering the delivery of Catholic Education, ‘Come and See’ also contains the resources and units required for us to regularly teach children about other world religions, in order that they develop an appreciation for faith in a wider sense and are appreciative and respectful of the religious beliefs, practices and observances of others thus enabling them to be responsible and constructive members of the multi-cultural, multi-faith society in which they live.

Although preparation for the Sacraments of Reconciliation and First Holy Communion are completed outside of school within the Parish community, during Year 3, the RE curriculum also supports children in this journey towards fuller participation in the Mass and the life of the Church.

How can I support my child’s learning in Religious Education?

1. Take them to Church! Parents are the primary educators of our faith. Children who regularly attend Mass have a secure knowledge of the scripture that forms the basis of our curriculum. They hear the Bible stories from a young age and begin to absorb the messages. At school, we can then build on this to deepen their knowledge and understanding, make links and consider how to live out their beliefs in a complex world.

2. Ensure they complete Home Learning. As with all Core subjects, your child will be set regular Religious Education Home Learning – these will often be creative, project-based tasks. You can collaborate with your child and also take the opportunity to discuss their learning.

3. Monitor their RE Feedback Friday Targets. These will keep you informed about your child’s progress throughout each unit. You can do work with them at home to help them achieve their target.

Religious Education Curriculum Statement:

Intent:

We are a Catholic school and we are committed to the Catholic Faith, recognising and valuing every individual as special and unique, made in the image and likeness of God.
Religious Education at St Catherine’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.

Implementation:

The curriculum hours in RE are non-negotiable and will be followed by all staff in the school. This is monitored by the Senior Leadership Team of the school.
The Subject Leaders for RE will evaluate provision in order to ensure that teaching and learning in RE is strong. Where necessary, staff will receive coaching and training in RE.
We follow the ‘Come and See’ scheme of work which is approved by the Diocese of Westminster. It is fully aligned to Religious Education Curriculum Directory and it ensures consistency and progress of all learners.
Each year group will study a number of units over the year. The units are developmental, building on previous knowledge and experience and taking into account of the children’s age and understanding.
The RE curriculum will include guest speakers who are specialists in their area and representatives from charities will also visit school.
RE is taught individually but plays a central role in all areas of school life.
Success criteria in every RE lesson are set in order to guide children to achieve their potential. This ensures work is demanding and matches the aims of the curriculum.
High quality teaching responds to the needs of children. Teachers actively mark work in lessons in order to identify misconceptions early.
Children will be highly engaged in RE lessons through the use of a variety of sources such as religious stories, scripture, religious artwork, songs, music, dance and religious signs and symbols.
The life and work of key figures in the History of the people of God will be studied for example, lives of the saints.
Approaches will include whole class teaching, group activities and individual work. Children will have opportunities to work individually as well as cooperatively and collaboratively, developing their own knowledge and expertise as well as sharing experiences with others.
High quality input from experts and educational resources complement the delivery of specialist learning admirably. The idea of vocation will be developed in all year groups.
Pupils will participate in Mass, Feast Days, Holy Days, and Collective Worship which will involve religious actions and worship including the celebration of the Sacraments.
The use of visits and visitors in school will enhance the RE curriculum.

Impact:

Children are happy learners within RE. They experience a wide-ranging number of learning challenges in RE and know appropriate responses to them.
Through RE, children deepen their appreciation of their faith and fulfil their God-given talents
Visits within RE have enriched the lives of the children and they are able to discuss how the experience impacted their knowledge and understanding.
Children of all abilities and backgrounds achieve well in RE, reflected in strong progress that reveals a clear learning journey. Children talk enthusiastically about their learning in RE and are eager to further their learning in the next stages of their education.
There is a proven track record of success in assessments that reflects the impact of deep learning.
Clear outcomes focus and guide all RE development plans and drive improvement.
Fundamental British Values are evident in RE and children understand how RE can celebrate difference.
The children grow to know and love God, develop their moral and spiritual nature and deepen their faith.

Children live their faith in an active and positive way, always aware of the presence and love of Christ guiding them.
Children develop their relationship with God and become religiously literate.
Through religious practice, the church’s traditions of prayer and worship are upheld.

Faith plays a central role in the lives of the children and the decisions they make.
Children are confident, resilient and actively engaged in the wider society.
The school environment reflects and celebrates our Catholic faith.
Children are able to define, describe and discuss areas of RE. They confidently use skills such as retelling, describing, comparing, giving reasons, explaining the meaning of Biblical stories and considering the impact of beliefs.
Children reflect and consider important questions about RE.
Through Enrichment Units, children know about a wide variety of Saints, how we can learn from their example, and historical religious events and figures. They are able to make links between Jesus’ life and teaching and link it to their own lives, making links between different forms of Christian action, such as in rituals and charitable acts.