Intent

We believe that we are called to be disciples of Christ and share his love in our homes, school, parish and our wider community, using the gifts and talents God has given to us. The aim of our curriculum is for the children to grow in their own spirituality and faith, through their love for God and one another. 

Through their lived-out experiences in school, we aim to nurture an understanding that the children are part of a global community united through the values of the Gospel.  With the Gospels and 'Laudato Si' as our inspiration, the children develop an understanding of their role in caring for one another and the wider world. We aim to provide an environment where the children will learn about the mission of Christ through careful study and emersion in scripture, which is rooted in experience.  Through our curriculum and the Catholic life of the school, the children learn how Christ showed tolerance, compassion, justice, love and forgiveness to those most in need and are encouraged to act this out in their own lives. 

We develop children's understanding and knowledge of other faiths and cultures, respecting and appreciating alternative viewpoints.  We recognise social, moral, spiritual and cultural diversity of our community and encourage curiosity, tolerance and respect, inspiring pupils to understand how life in Britain and the wider world is changing around them. 

We aim to develop the children in

• placing scripture at the heart of their worship and prayer 
• engaging and responding to the challenge of the modern world in the context of the Gospel
• thinking critically about their role as followers of Christ
• developing their knowledge and understanding of their faith

Implementation

Religious Education is at the centre of everything we do as a Catholic school and permeates through every aspect of the curriculum and school life.  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 'Come and See' which in turn meets the requirements of the Religious Education Curriculum Directory set out by the Bishop's Conference of England and Wales. 

Through the high standard and teaching of RE, pupils are inspired to become critical thinkers to reflect deeply upon their own faith journey. They are challenged through the topics taught, to think about how they put the teachings of the church and Jesus into practise in their own daily lives.  The children are encouraged to continually think about their own spirituality and teachers plan opportunities for children to explore this through discussion, lesson, prayer and different forms of Collective Worship.  A high priority is given to the formation of pupils in their understanding of, involvement in and service to building the Kingdom of God and taking care of the world in which we live. 

Each year group uses the RE age-related descriptors to assess the attainment of the children and their progress is tracked on a half-termly basis throughout a topic.  Teachers assess performance across topics and over time.  This enables both class teachers and the subject leader to monitor coverage and identify progress made throughout the pupils' time with us. 

The process for delivering the topics in 'Come and See' has three stages - Explore, Reveal and Respond, which enable the pupils to develop knowledge, skills, understanding and foster attitudes.  The sequence is as follows:

Explore 

This is the introduction to the topic, where the children's life experience is explored, the questions it raises are wondered at, shared, investigated and their significance reflected on.

Reveal

This is the heart of the programme where knowledge and understanding of the Catholic faith is revealed through the Word, scripture, tradition, doctrine, prayers, rites and Christian living.

Respond

This is where the learning is fully understood, celebrated and responded to in daily life. 

Other Religions 

Judaism is usually studied in the Autumn term.  The other religions studied are either Hinduism, Islam or Sikhism. 

Impact 

As a result of our RE provision, children at St. Joseph's;

• are 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]
• are happy, well-rounded individuals who have developed a deep-rooted relationship with God and understanding of their Catholic faith 
• are ambassadors for Christ who are ready to go out into the world and proclaim the values of the Gospel confidently 
• understand that they are part of the family of God and know how they can play their part in this family, united by Christ