Religious Education
At St John the Evangelist Catholic Primary School we aim to give children a deeper knowledge and understanding of the Catholic faith. We give the religious, spiritual and moral education of our children the highest priority. We regard Religious Education as more than a curriculum subject. It is something that guides every area of our school. As a Catholic school, we aim to educate the whole child, and our ethos is inseparable from the curriculum.
The Religious Education within the school promotes awe, wonder, reverence and spirituality within every child. As children are taught about God’s love, they discover their Christian responsibilities and how they should pray and care for others through the Church’s moral and social teaching.
Children follow the RE curriculum scheme ‘The Way, The Truth and The Life’ from Reception to Year 6. Each year, children cover topics linked to the liturgical year. We teach tolerance and respect for other faiths, races, cultures and communities within each of these topics. The children also study 3 other major World Faiths during each year.
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 liturgy and collective worship with respect and reverence.
Religious Education is further enhanced through our close relationship with the parish of Mary, Mother of God. Here we follow the liturgical life of the church by attendance and active participation in the Mass and the sacraments through the observance of religious services and festivals.
We have a rich liturgical life in that the experiences we provide are wide ranging and take p
lace in school, out of school, in Church and the wider community, and engage and involve pupils, parents, staff, governors and the parish.
Implementation
As RE is a core subject, it is taught for 10% of the curriculum, in line with the Bishops’ Conference recommendations. Collective worship is in addition to this. We follow ‘The Way, The Truth and The Life’ Religious Education Programme from Reception through to Year 6.
- The curriculum hours in RE are non-negotiable and will be followed by all staff in the school. Fixed timetables will be set before the academic year and monitored by the Senior Leadership Team of the school..
- The Subject Leader for RE will evaluate provision in order to ensure that teaching and learning in RE is outstanding. Where necessary, staff will receive training in RE.
- Carefully designed schemes of learning in RE ensure consistency and progress of all learners. We follow the agreed syllabus from the Leeds Diocese ‘The Way, The Truth and the Life’.
- 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 of the children’s age and understanding.
- The topics covered by each year group are as detailed on the curriculum overview.
- RE is taught individually but plays a central role in all areas of school life.
- Success criteria in every RE lesson are set in order to guide children to achieve their potential. This ensures work is demanding and matches the aims of the curriculum.
- High quality teaching responds to the needs of children.
- 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.
- Pupils will participate in Mass, feast days, Holy days collective worship which will involve religious actions and worship including the celebration of the sacraments.
- The use of visits and visitors in school will enhance the RE curriculum.
Impact
As a result of these strategies, children at St John the Evangelist Catholic Primary:
- Are happy, well-rounded individuals who have developed a deep-rooted relationship with God and understanding of their Catholic faith.
- Are ambassadors for Christ who are ready to go out into the world and proclaim the values of the Gospel confidently, building the Kingdom of God through compassion, justice, love and forgiveness in their relationship with others.
- Understand that they are part of the family of God and know how they can play their part in this Global family united by Christ.
- Are well prepared for the next stage of their education as confident and enthusiastic learners.
- Produce good quality work, which they are proud of.
- Achieve consistently well in all areas of Religious Education and make exceptional progress.
This policy is monitored, evaluated and reviewed by the Local Academy Council, SLT and staff and updated every 2 years
Religious Education Curriculum Overview
Here at St John the Evangelist, we follow The Way, The Truth and The Life RE scheme, as recommended by the Diocese of Leeds, alongside supplementary materials, to encourage our pupils to be actively involved in their learning and to develop curiosity, creativity and independent thought. It runs from Reception to Year 6 and each half term has a new topic.
This documents shows the overview of the topics through each year group.
Further information can be found in the half termly newsletters that come home or you can find them on
the website.
RE Knowledge and Skills Framework
World Faiths
Religious Education should introduce children to the background and beliefs of people of other faiths so that prejudice and misunderstanding can be overcome from an early age.
At St John the Evangelist, we give pupils the opportunity to develop an appropriate knowledge, understanding and respect for the religious beliefs of others. Please take a look at our provision map below.
Take a look at some of our fantastic work on Judaism below.
