Policy for Religious Education This policy should be read in the light of our Mission Statement: Together we grow in God s love. Rationale of Religious Education The primary purpose of Catholic Religious Education at St Cross is to come to know and understand God s revelation which is fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ. In the person of Christ, the deepest meaning of what it is to be human that we are created by God and through the Holy Spirit united with Christ in his Incarnation is discovered. This revelation is known through the scriptures and the tradition of the Church as taught by the Magisterium. Religious Education helps the pupil to know and experience the meaning of this revelation in his or her own life and the life of the community which is the Church. 1 For some in the classroom, Religious Education may well be received as catechesis, deepening and enhancing their personal faith; for some it will be evangelisation, the first time they will have been presented, personally, with the truths of living faith. Nevertheless, its primary purpose is the step by step study of the mystery of Christ, the teaching of the Church and its application in daily life. The criteria by which it is to be judged are educational. 2 Religious Education at St Cross is planned, taught, assessed and monitored with the same rigour as other core curriculum subjects. The scheme we follow is In God s Name. The Aims At St Cross we proclaim the Gospel and invite all in our community to respond to the message of Christ. It is in this context that RE underpins all our activities as we strive to: present engagingly a comprehensive content which is the basis of knowledge and understanding of the Catholic faith; enable pupils continually to 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 make a critique of the underlying trends in contemporary culture and society; raise pupils awareness of the faith and traditions of other religious communities in order to respect and understand them; develop the critical faculties of pupils so that they can relate their Catholic faith to daily life; stimulate pupils imagination and provoke a desire for personal meaning as revealed in the truth of the Catholic faith; enable pupils to relate the knowledge gained through Religious Education to their understanding of other subjects in the curriculum; bring clarity to the relationship between faith and life, and between faith and culture. 1 Religious Education Curriculum Directory, Catholic Bishops Conference, 2012, p. 3 2 Religious Education in Catholic Schools, a statement from the Catholic Bishops Conference, 2000, p. 8-9 RE Page 1 of 6 September 2017
The outcome of Religious Education is religiously literate and 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 are aware of the demands of religious commitment in everyday life. 3 The Objectives At St Cross, we provide opportunities to: Develop knowledge and understanding of the mystery of God and of Jesus Christ, of the Church, and of the central beliefs which Catholics hold. Develop awareness and appreciation of Catholic belief, understanding of its impact on personal and social behaviour and of the vital relationship between faith and life. Encourage study, investigation and reflection by the pupils. Develop the ability to listen; to think critically, spiritually and ethically; to acquire knowledge and organise it effectively; to make informed judgements. Foster appropriate attitudes: e.g. respect for truth; respect for the views of others; awareness of the spiritual, of moral responsibility, of the demands of the religious commitment in everyday life and especially the challenge of living in a multicultural, multi faith society. Prepare for Mass through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Curriculum time allocation Religious Education is a core subject in a Catholic school. In line with Bishops Conference requirements, 10% of weekly curriculum time is allocated to Religious Education. This does not include Collective Worship or hymn practice. Programme of Study To fulfil the above aims and to address the 4 areas of study outlined in the Curriculum Directory Revelation, Church, Celebration and Life in Christ - In God s Name, a resource for Religious Education in Catholic Schools is followed. Parents are informed of the topics to be covered in a half termly RE Newsletter. Appropriate and regular (at least one piece per topic) homework is set for each topic. Process Our starting point in Religious Education is Revelation. God is always the initiator in the history of our creation and redemption; it is his revealing of himself that makes classroom religious education possible. To begin with revelation ensures that we respect the revealed nature of Christian faith. From revelation we move onto Church; in other words, we consider how revelation gives life to the Church. The Church is the bearer of God s revelation and the means by which human beings live out their response to revelation, enlivened by the Holy Spirit. 3 Religious Education Curriculum Directory, Catholic Bishops Conference, 2012, p. 6 RE Page 2 of 6 September 2017
From here we focus on two aspects of the Church s response to God s revelation; Celebration the liturgical and sacramental life of the Church and Life in Christ the moral life and the pursuit of holiness. However, attempts to make clear connections between the truths of faith and the pupils experience of life are essential. 4 Methodology Teaching in Religious Education.should help people be attentive to the meaning of their experiences, illumined by the light of the Gospel, so that they may respond to God more fully. Experience can also make the Christian message more intelligible. It serves in the examination and acceptance of the truths which are contained in the deposit of Revelation. 5 Religious Education is to play an important part in teaching children faith and the discipleship of Jesus Christ that are central to our Christian life. In addition, it involves pupils not only in the attainment of knowledge and understanding, but also in the acquisition and deployment of skills. Through RE lessons and living out the Mission Statement, pupils will develop a range of skills including: Investigation Skills Research Skills using IT Interpretation Skills Communication Skills Presentation Skills Critical Skills Social Skills Evaluation Skills Special Educational Needs (SEN) A variety of teaching and learning strategies are used from across the curriculum adapted appropriately to the needs and learning styles of pupils. Targets for children on the school SEN Register are taken into account to ensure learning opportunities are matched. Assessment, Monitoring, Recording and Reporting Assessment of standards is carried out according to Westminster Diocesan guidelines using the criteria in the Levels of Attainment agreed by the Catholic Bishops Conference. Each teacher keeps a class record of assessed work and records of pupils progress. The school portfolio of pupils work contains samples of work from each teacher for each assessed topic covering a range of abilities. 4 The Way, the Truth & the Life, Teacher Book 4, CTS, 2004, p. 4 5 Briefing, 26 May 1994, quoting General Directory for Catechesis, 74b RE Page 3 of 6 September 2017
An Agreement Trialling meeting is held every term for standardisation. The school portfolio of assessed samples of work is available for inspection. The monitoring of teaching and learning regularly takes place with the carrying out of lesson observations and work scrutinies. Planning and assessment are monitored each term. Progress and achievement in Religious Education is reported to parents/carers in a written report in the Spring term of each academic year. Teaching of Other Faiths Our Catholic Church teaches that, while living out our Christian faith, we are called to listen to and be ready to learn from other faiths, many of whom may, in our multicultural society, be our neighbours. With this in mind all pupils from Year 1 to Year 6 study Judaism for one week in the Autumn term. Another faith (Hinduism, Islam or Sikhism) is also taught for a week during the Spring or Summer term. Liturgy and Worship Prayer and reflection is central to school life at St Cross. Here are some of the ways it is encouraged: The Chaplaincy Team is involved in preparing/delivering key stage assemblies. Focused on the Gospel, using role play and music, the children are made aware of their responsibility as disciples at home and at school. Whole school assemblies can highlight the role they play in the wider church. In the classroom, daily class worship takes place. Using the classroom prayer table, children are encouraged to pray spontaneously and also taught the traditional prayers of the Church. Choosing from a set of resources, children initiate, plan and deliver acts of worship for their class. A box is provided centrally for children s personal prayers and these petitions are offered up during Chaplaincy Team prayer time. Linking School, Home and Parish The links between Home, School and Parish underpin our School Community. We have many occasions during the year to which there is an open invitation for Family, Governors and Friends to visit our school. The Friends of St Cross Committee assists in the organization of events each term which foster good relationships within the community. We play an active part in Parish life. Our Parish Priest visits a class most weeks, which is a valuable link for the children and parents. Father Philip celebrates Mass in School during the course of the year and we also attend mass at our Parish Church of St. Augustine on Holydays of Obligation and RE Page 4 of 6 September 2017
other celebrations, together with our neighbouring school, St Augustine s. Parish and School work together on many occasions and some examples of this partnership are: The Crowning of Our Lady Procession First Holy Communion celebration Church visits Parish/School Harvest Tea Remembrance Sunday wreath laying Sharing of Masses/School and Priest Mass with neighbouring community A class attending a weekday Mass. Preparing the children for Mass by teaching them about Holy Communion and providing opportunity for Reconciliation in Lent. The Way of the Cross reflection The Big Brew Fairtrade awareness Class Masses in Key Stage 2, prayer services in Key Stage 1 Easter passion play Advent Carol Service Nativity Play Resources A wide variety of resources are used in the teaching of RE. Some of these are kept centrally in the RE resource area, such as posters, Jewish and Sikh artefacts, and some resources are kept in classrooms, eg. drapes liturgically coloured and artefacts. Resources for school Masses are stored in the Chaplaincy cupboard. There are 2 sets of bibles in Key Stage 2 classrooms and there is also a section within the school library containing books of a religious nature. Each class has a Prayer table which follows both the Liturgical colours and the class topic. The Prayer Table in each classroom includes: Candles Crucifix Statue of Our Lady Age appropriate Bible Rosary Class prayers All teachers have access to online resources for The Way, the Truth and the Life, which includes planning, Powerpoints, images and video footage to support their teaching. RE Page 5 of 6 September 2017
Policy review This policy will be monitored, evaluated and reviewed by the RE Subject Leader and updated annually as needed. Management of the subject Mrs Kate Daynes, the Subject Leader has responsibility for leading, managing and supporting the delivery of and training in Religious Education. APPENDIX 1 The Role of the Subject Leader for Religious Education The Religious Education Subject Leader will be responsible for: Working with senior leaders on monitoring teaching and learning, planning and standards through lesson observations and work scrutinies according to school practice. Organising and maintaining the school portfolio of pupils work. Organising agreement trialling/moderation of standards meetings and attending moderation meetings at deanery and diocesan level. Self-evaluation to identify strengths and areas for development. Ensuring the curriculum offered is appropriate, suitable and relevant to pupils needs and interests. Attending appropriate training and keeping up to date with current thinking, policy and developments and feeding back to staff. Organising and leading in-house staff training and development. Identifying training needs of staff to ensure their suitability to teach effective Religious Education. Supporting and advising colleagues in the delivery of Religious Education. Liaising with the Headteacher, Governors, parents, the Office for Education & Schools on matters relating to Religious Education. Auditing, managing and developing resources within a given budget. Liaising with Parish Priest Co-ordinating creative worship and Masses Providing RE newsletters, planning and assessment pro-forma for teacher use RE Page 6 of 6 September 2017