RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

The Religious Education Directory (RED 2023) makes the aims of Religious Education explicit:

· to engage in a systematic study of the mystery of God, of the life and teaching of Jesus Christ, the teachings of the Church, the central beliefs that Catholics hold, the basis for them and the relationship between faith and life;

· 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 to provide pupils with a sure guide for living and the tools to critically engage with contemporary culture and society;

· to give pupils an understanding of the religions and worldviews present in the world today and the skills to engage in respectful and fruitful dialogue with those whose worldviews differ from their own;

· to develop the critical faculties of pupils so to bring clarity to the relationship between faith and life, and between faith and culture;

· 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.

The outcome of excellent religious education is religiously literate and consciously engaged young people who have the knowledge, understanding, and skills – appropriate to their age and capacity – to reflect spiritually, and think ethically and theologically, and who recognise the demands of religious commitment in everyday life. (RED 2023 p6).

At St Mary’s, we use our Diocesan Scheme of Work ‘The Way’ to deliver our Religious Education.

Our religious curriculum is ambitious, challenging, and creative. We always endeavour to plan for outstanding knowledge, understanding, progress and attainment. Learning includes;

· review of prior knowledge.

· topic specific vocabulary to ensure understanding.

· high quality resources.

· creative and engaging tasks

· open-ended questioning to check for understanding and to move learning further.

· strong subject knowledge from teachers

· high aspirations and challenge

· timely and structured feedback to promote and secure learning and understanding

We also incorporate Catholic Social Teachings through CAFOD’s resources and Pope Francis’ Laudato Si. It is important for our pupils to understand their rights and responsibilities both to themselves and the Common Good. This will also allow them to develop a sense of identity, find their place in the world, and make positive contributions to society. Children are encouraged to be resilient and develop the knowledge needed to keep themselves and others safe, make well-informed decisions using their learning as a moral compass, be respectful and tolerant, and uphold the British Values and the Values of the Gospel.

Substantive Knowledge in Religious Education enables pupils to learn about what people believe, about the faith they hold and how that helps them to make sense of the world. They will learn about the teachings of different religious traditions and the answers those traditions give to questions of meaning and purpose. They also will learn about the signs, symbols and traditions used to guide them in their understanding of faith, belief and practice. Pupils will also explore the ways our faith is celebrated and the Church’s Liturgical seasons. They will be able to explore different liturgies (including liturgical prayer, Mass and daily prayer) and the place of actions, words and symbols within them.

Pupils will learn about the ways in which religious belief shapes their lives and the way they see and interpret society and the world; they will learn to understand the religious and moral basis for certain belief systems.

Disciplinary knowledge in Religious Education allows children to reflect on beliefs and values; by talking, exploring, discussing, thinking, responding, and questioning. Pupils will be increasingly able to structure and articulate their thoughts. They will be able to listen attentively to others and come to understand and empathise with others’ views, beliefs, and values. They will develop the ability to engage critically with their own and others’ religious beliefs and world views.

Assessment & Monitoring

Throughout each unit of work, we use timely feedback to ensure children understand what they have done well and what are the ‘next steps’ in their learning. Feedback is an integral part of planning and teaching, so as to ensure all children make progress and are challenged to reach high aspirations. During each unit of work children are provided with a range of tasks which are used to evaluate their knowledge and understanding. We moderate children’s work in school, with our local catholic schools and within our diocese to ensure expectations are clear across every year group and standards are consistently high.