Curriculum

INTENT

• A delivery of comprehensive content which engages pupils and is the basis of knowledge and understanding of the Catholic faith
• Children will meet the Diocesan Standards for Primary Religious Education, which will be taught by highly qualified staff who will engage children’s intellect, heart and imagination, inspiring enthusiasm and interest in RE
• Children continually  deepen their religious and theological understanding and  they are able to communicate this effectively
• Children are presented with an authentic vision of the Church’s moral and social teaching so that they can make a critique of the underlying trends in contemporary culture and society
• Children have an  awareness of the faith and traditions of other religious communities in order to respect and understand them
• Children will develop an awareness of God’s presence in their lives and the lives of others, developing the spiritual life of each child through prayer and reflection
• Children will develop a well-formed conscience allowing them to make sound moral judgements in the light of personal commitment to God
• Children relate the knowledge gained through Religious Education to their understanding of other subjects in the curriculum
• Children are educated in RE through a close and co-operative relationship between home, parish and school.
• In RE, children will develop the skills to make links and connections, engage and respond, analyse and evaluate using sources of evidence
• Children will develop a real understanding and appreciation of the world learning from a range of sources and experiences.

 IMPLEMENTATION

• The curriculum hours in RE are non-negotiable and are followed by all staff in the school; timetables are monitored by the Senior Leadership Team
• The staffing and resourcing devoted to RE is of the highest standard
• Mrs Vaughan our RE leader meets regularly with the Senior Leadership Team  to evaluate provision in order to ensure that teaching and learning in RE is of a high standard.  Where necessary, staff will receive coaching and training in RE
• Our pupils are inspired by exceptional teaching and consistent high expectations across the school through the ‘The Way the Truth and the Life’ scheme of work.
• 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 the children’s age and understanding
• The topics covered by each year group are as detailed on the curriculum long term plans, delivered on a two-year cycle
• The RE curriculum will include guest speakers who are specialists in their area and guest speakers from Catholic charities will also visit schools such as CAFOD and Canon Tim.  The use of visits and visitors in school will enhance the RE curriculum
• RE is taught as a discrete subject, but also permeates all areas of school life
• High quality teaching responds to the needs of children.  Spiral learning is a key focus of all formative and summative assessment with teachers actively marking work in lessons in order to identify misconceptions early and give immediate feedback
• 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
• In addition to the RE curriculum, pupils will participate in Mass, feast days, Holy days collective worship which will involve religious actions and worship including the celebration of the sacraments

IMPACT

• Children are happy learners within RE. They experience a wide-range of activities and complete work to a high standard
• 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 good or outstanding 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.
• Children are well prepared for the next stage of their education as confident and enthusiastic learners who are witness to Christ in their words and actions
• 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
• Children will grow to know and love God, develop their moral and spiritual nature and deepen their faith
• Children will live their faith in an active and positive way, always aware of the presence and love of Christ guiding them
• Children will develop their relationship with God and become religiously literate
• Through religious practice, the church’s traditions of prayer and worship will be upheld
• Children show compassion, justice, love and forgiveness in their relationships with others
• 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 will reflect and celebrate our Catholic faith
• Children will be able to define, describe and discuss areas of RE. They will confidently use skills such as retelling, describing, comparing, giving reasons, explaining the meaning of biblical stories and considering the impact of beliefs
• Children will be able to reflect and consider important questions about RE
• Through wider reading in RE, children will know about a wide variety of Saints, how we can learn from their example, and historical religious events and figures. They will be 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
• The vast majority of children are working at age related expectations by the end of EYFS, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2.