“Teaching is good, with some examples of outstanding teaching. Pupils are given a very good start in nursery and reception.”
– Diocesan Inspection
Subject Lead: Mrs Young
Intent
At St Joseph’s, we have designed a broad and balanced curriculum. As our pupils progress, we intend our children to learn about religion (AT1), learn from religion (AT2) and analyse and evaluate.
Our Religious Education curriculum aims to ensure that children:
- develop their responsibility to continually deepen their religious and theological understanding and be able to communicate this effectively.
- present an authentic vision of the Church’s moral and social teaching so that pupils can act with honesty in contemporary culture and society. Including the study of different faiths.
- show an awareness of the faith and traditions of other religious communities in order to respect and understand them
- To relate their Catholic faith to daily life, displaying honesty and friendship to others.
- show self- belief and believe they can do it!
Cultural Capital
The Religious Education curriculum at St Joseph’s will offer children the opportunities to draw upon skills, behaviours and knowledge. To be able to do this, all pupils are:
- Taught lessons that allow them to reflect and develop a depth of understanding
- Given the opportunities to plan, budget for and resource areas of the school (Fair Trade Tuck Shop)
- Able to make a difference to the wider world (Mini Vinnies)
- Through local visits, Synagogue and Mosque, and visitor experience, given opportunities to become increasingly aware of the opportunities available in the wider world through the study of Religious Education.
Implementation
At St Joseph’s children have discrete Religious Education lessons that equates to 10% of our curriculum time, this does not include Collective Worship. We believe Religious Education is the core of our school, therefore we have designed a broad and balanced curriculum. The whole school use a Catholic Primary Religious Education programme called ‘Come and See’. It is based upon the theological foundations of the Second Vatican Council, the Catholic Catechism and the revised RE Curriculum Directory and includes the Catholic attainment levels.
Within RE, topics are based around themes where children can build upon previous learning. Each topic begins with an ‘Explore’ element where children relate the topic to their everyday lives and experiences. In order to enable children to reflect a ‘Big Question’ is posed at the beginning of each topic and a class discussion held. At the beginning of each lesson key vocabulary will be shared with the children and explained. In the subsequent lessons children participate in the ‘Revel’ section. This enables children to explore, retell and discuss different Scripture passages, Christian belief and how it shapes our lives today. At the end of each topic children prepare a short Liturgy based around the topic. This gives them the opportunity to ‘Respond’ to their learning. This Liturgy is then carried out within class. At the end of the lesson children carry out self assessment of their learning. At the end of the unit, children identify what they have done well and what they would like to improve in the future.