In Catholic schools, as in any school, Religion is taught as an academic subject: but this is not enough. The whole life of a Catholic School has to be an expression in practice of Catholic belief and Catholic tradition. Children are not only ‘taught’ their faith, it is ‘caught’ from home and from school. As they grow, the children are encouraged to put their faith into practice in their own lives.
In class, the children help to prepare and participate in weekly Celebrations of the Word and assemblies. Not only in the teaching, but also in the daily practice of the faith, our children are helped by the personal example of the staff.
However great the opportunities given and examples set, they will have little lasting value without the support and encouragement of parents. We try hard in school, but we can only back up what you do at home. In handing on the faith, parents are the first and best teachers. No trouble, that a parent or teacher may take to become proficient in teaching the Catholic religion, is too great.
By working together for the children; parents and teachers make this school a place which we can truly say:
‘Growing together, Learning together, Achieving together in Christ’
We believe that the school alone cannot undertake a child’s religious education. Religious Education begins at home at Baptism; the parents are the child’s first teachers and support the child with his/her first religious experiences. The school works in partnership with parents and parish to enrich the lives of our children.
We distribute a weekly newsletter to inform parents about the weekly Gospel and notify parents of Masses and Celebrations of the Word both in the school and the Parish.
Our School regularly supports Parish events and fund raising e.g. CAFOD, SVP, Advent appeals, Lenten appeals.
Our Catholic faith is central to day to day life of our school and all aspects of the curriculum, and pupils are encouraged to recognise the importance of their faith and they respond to all forms of collective worship with respect and reverence.
The experiences we provide are wide ranging and take place in school, out of school, in Church and the wider community, and engage and involve pupils, parents, staff, governors and the parish.
The Celebration of the Eucharist and prayer are central in our school. Our Parish Priest regularly celebrates whole school Masses throughout the year.
The whole school gather weekly to listen and act upon a weekly statement to live by. Pupils participate in the assembly by reading the statement and thinking of ways they can follow it.
The resource is rooted in nine guiding principles which support the distinctive nature of Catholic schools. The statements make the Catholic values of the school explicit, promote a positive and caring Christian ethos that is understood and communicated to everyone, promote emotional literacy and contribute towards community cohesion and the common good. They ensure that children and young people are given opportunities to:
Each week a different statement such as ‘I try to be just and fair’ is displayed in every classroom and around the school, and introduced and explained to the children, usually through an assembly. Children are encouraged to think about the statement at the beginning of the school day, it is reinforced throughout the day, explored in collective worship and circle times (written specifically for each statement) and reflected upon before going home. Rewards are linked to the statements and certificates are presented to those children who have lived the statements well that week.
The children prepare for the reception of the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Communion on a yearly basis. Children learn about the importance of the Sacraments through drama, storytelling, writing, singing and dancing.
The children are supported in their preparation and celebration of the Sacrament by the school, parents and the parish.
We use ‘Come and See’: the Catholic Primary Religious Education programme for Foundation and Key Stages 1 and 2 published in July 2012. It makes learning about our faith lively, interactive and relevant.
This easy to use, teacher-friendly material has been written by a group of experienced diocesan advisors. It follows on from successful trialling in schools in England and Wales and is based on the theological foundations of the Second Vatican Council, the Catholic Catechism and the revised RE Curriculum Directory and includes the Catholic attainment levels.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church addresses the search for meaning in life. God’s initiative in Revelation who comes to meet us and our response of faith. (cf. CCC26) This pattern guides the structure of the programme and informs the process of each topic, opened up through; Explore, Reveal and Respond.
The children also spend two weeks over the course of the year learning about other religions – one week each on Judaism and Islam. See below for a brief overview on what each class covers:
Judaism:
Islam:
A range of teaching strategies and learning methodologies are employed depending on the needs and abilities of the children and the nature of the activities being undertaken.
Approaches include whole class teaching, group activities and individual work. Children have opportunities to work individually as well as co-operatively and collaboratively, developing their own knowledge and expertise as well as sharing their experiences with others.
All work involves thought provoking reflection and discussion, encouraging the children to develop their moral and spiritual consciences.
Teachers are encouraged to make cross curricular links when planning R.E., incorporating opportunities for speaking and listening, art and design, ICT and extended writing where appropriate.
The Governors are required to inform parents of their rights of withdrawal of pupils from religious education and worship. Parents are also reminded that our school exists to give a ‘Catholic’ education to its pupils. It is therefore expected that parents be in sympathy with the aims and objectives of the school.
The Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Education Trust is an exempt charity. It is a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales under company registration number 07890590. The registered office address is Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Education HQ, Barmston Court, Turbine Business Park, Nissan Way, Washington, SR5 3NY
