Religious Education

Intent:

At St Francis Religious Education is a central part of our learning and it encompasses all that we do. God’s teachings and the beliefs and values of the Catholic faith guides how we teach, learn and interact with each other throughout the school day. The 5 W’s are evident throughout our daily life at St. Francis. We provide opportunities to become knowledgeable about and show respect for other faiths and cultures by building upon our understanding throughout the school.

Implementation:

We follow ‘The Way the Truth and the Life’ scheme throughout the school; it is based on the Gospel values and the teachings of the Catholic Church and follows the Religious Education Curriculum Directory.  The scheme covers the teachings and practises of the Catholic Church. Children’s experiences are explored and built upon to help them relate what they are learning to their own lives .The scheme incorporates attainment targets: learning about the Catholic faith (AT1) learning from the Catholic faith (AT2) and analysis and evaluation (AT3). Each year group have a different focus topic every half term, which are outlined below:

We also follow the ‘Caritas in Action’ program, which looks at the social teachings of the church.

RE is also taught throughout other subjects such as PSHE where children are given opportunities for personal development, well-being and community cohesion by promoting mutual respect and tolerance in a diverse society.

We currently cover the teaching of other faiths by celebrating festivals throughout the year. Every class celebrates the same festival as close to the festival date as we can. It is a time children can develop their knowledge of other religions and compare them to not only the Catholic religion but other religions they have learnt about. Children are provided with lots of fun and practical opportunities to explore different festivals and develop upon their knowledge of them as they move throughout the school.

Impact

As a result of our broad and balanced, creative and engaging RE curriculum, our children are happy learners within all RE lessons. They produce high quality work which showcases the depth of their understanding through the application of key skills and knowledge. Children are able to define, describe and discuss different areas of RE. They can confidently use skills such as: questioning, retelling, describing, comparing, making links, explaining the meaning of Biblical stories and the impact of beliefs. Children are also able to talk about their own feelings and experiences, enabling them to express a point of view and give reasons. Furthermore, through exploring different religions and their celebrations, our pupils develop an understanding of different faiths which ensures they are informed and respectful of the diverse cultures that surround them. Our RE curriculum enables pupils to ask questions, explore the answers and formulate their beliefs. This helps shape them into well-rounded, informed citizens who develop a deep-rooted relationship with God and understanding of their Catholic faith.  It also develops our pupils into ambassadors of Christ who are ready to go out into the world and proclaim the Gospel confidently, building the Kingdom of God through compassion, justice, love and forgiveness in their relationships with others. From the opportunities provided children progressively take ownership of prayer and worship and actively take part in society to promote a better world and contribute to the common good.