What is R.E.?
RE is the core subject that is at the heart for everything we do here at St Cuthbert's. It is about the Christian Vision of the human person. Religious Education is the study of:
In Religious Education we also explore other faiths from around the world, we will learn about the traditions of these faiths and their symbols.
We consider RE to be at the ‘Core of the Core’ of everything we do here at St Cuthbert's.
Why is RE important
Religious Education plays a vital role in our life here at St Cuthbert's. The beliefs and values we will study will contribute to our children's personal development and overall well-being and we will promote mutual respect and tolerance of our diverse society. It encourages our children to develop their sense of identity and belonging and plays an important part in preparing our children for adult life , employment and lifelong learning. It will enable our children to develop a respect and sensitivity towards others, in particular those whose faith and beliefs are different from their own.
How is RE taught at St Cuthbert's
Our RE teaching is based on the Curriculum Directory for Religious Education and as a school we follow the Come and See programme. In any faith school 10% of the curriculum teaching time is dedicated to RE and it is taught discreetly and developmentally. Here at St Cuthbert's our teaching focuses on the children’s understanding of theological ideas and how to apply them in their life. We give our children ample opportunity to apply this knowledge and skills in cross curricular studies to deepen their understanding of religious truths and allow them to think creatively. We deliver our RSE teaching through the TenTen programme. We provide our children with superb resources to immerse them in their learning and Fr Curley is a regular visitor to our school to enhance the curriculum and we visit our Parish Church to suitable our RE Curriculum regularly.
Aims and objectives of curriculum RE:
Religious Education is a core subject and is taught for at least 10% of the weekly timetable.
Our Religious Education curriculum is based on the delivery of the Curriculum Directory supported by the Come and See scheme of work which is used as a guide for the teaching and learning of Religious Education throughout the school. Our RE curriculum enables the children to explore key questions of life from the Christian tradition and how to put what they have learnt into context. We work closely with our local Parish to prepare liturgies and we value the partnership between home, school, parish and the wider community.
The primary purpose of Catholic Education is the step by step study of the mystery of Christ, the teaching of the Church and its application in daily life, therefore the principal aims of the school in terms of the Religious Education which it provides are:
to lead the children to a deepening knowledge and understanding of the Catholic Faith.
to provide opportunities for the children to develop a loving relationship with God and their neighbour.
to encourage children to respect and be fully aware of the needs of others as equal members of God’s creation.
Come and See
At St Cuthbert's we follow 'Come and See', which is a Catholic Primary Religious Education programme for Foundation and Key stages 1 and 2.
Come and See is a programme that has been developed to respond to the needs of children today as they progress upon their faith journey, enabling them to grow in their religious literacy. At the heart of the programme is the mystery of God’s self-revelation of love through Jesus Christ. Come and See gives all children the opportunity to explore the mystery of faith through scripture and tradition. The programme supports and enables the faith experience of all children because it starts with their real life experience and leads them to reflect upon and consider the Christian message in all its richness in that experience.
Come and See is developed through three themes which are gradually explored every term, each time at greater depths. These three themes are Church, Sacrament and Christian Living.
Each year group from Foundation 1 to year 6 have their own list of focus topics to consider throughout the academic year. The topic will coincide with the church calendar however, the depth in which the topic is explored is dependent upon the respective age of the child. For example, during Lent, whilst all children will learn about the plight of Christ, our Early Years children will consider the importance of growing and new life; Key Stage 1 children explore the effect of change and opportunities, with Key Stage 2 children considering the importance of self-discipline, sacrifice, death and new life.
Each unit lasts for four weeks, except the World Faith units. Each unit follows the same sequence:
Engage (1 lesson) à Reveal (6 lessons) à Respond (1 lesson).
Each topic is split into 3 sections-
Explore
Children learn through shared experiences and make connections between their life experiences and their friends.
Reveal
At the heart of the programme is the mystery of God’s self-revelation of love through Jesus Christ. Come and See gives pupils the opportunity to explore the mystery of faith through Scripture and Tradition.
Respond
Children remember and celebrate what they have learnt and apply their knowledge individually.
Children learn through shared experience and make connections between life’s experiences and the gospel teachings. Teaching methods stimulate activities resulting in a response from the ‘heart’ of the child, developing attitudes of respect and reverence and an understanding that following Jesus is a call to holiness and wholeness of life.
Children are taught in as creative a way as possible, using for example, role play, hot seating, drama, art, music, reflection; the children learn and live through experiencing living faith.