Religious Education

"The outstanding effectiveness of classroom religious education has led to excellent religious literacy in pupils from Foundation Stage to the end of Key Stage 1." 

Westminster Diocese Inspection Report June 2016 

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Intent

At the Convent of Jesus and Mary Catholic Infant School & Nursery we endeavour to nurture everyone’s intellectual, physical, spiritual, moral, social and emotional development so that we can all grow, flourish and become the people God wants us to be.

Our school community is concerned about the environment. Our pupils live in urban London with many unable to access the enriching experiences the outdoors can provide. Therefore, our curriculum aims to ensure our pupils understand the impact of our way of life in the world we live in. As such, we undertake to support Pope Francis’s message in his encyclical – ‘Laudato Si’ which found inspiration in Saint Francis of Assisi ‘Canticle of the Sun’; a beautiful prayer to celebrate God’s creation. We see our children as stewards of the earth; therefore, our curriculum explores big questions about the environment and Pope Francis call for action.

Our curriculum is intrinsically linked to the school’s beautiful garden, our concern with the local and global environments and our responsibility to ensure our pupils and the school community understand that we are being called to raise awareness and take action towards healing our world. Therefore, we start the academic year by looking at climate change and the impact of our actions and way of life on our world. In Spring we think about what God is calling us to say and do and what our responsibility is as disciples, and in the Summer we fulfil our call to serve by taking action and claiming the healthy world our pupils have the right to grow up in, we pray for hope and possibility, we ask God for blessings, and wish for a better world.

In the pursuit of excellence, the British values are deeply embedded within our curriculum framework which aims to encourage our pupils to develop an understanding of the world around them and beyond. Promoting a spirit of charity, social justice, global awareness, and concern for others leading to a culture of tolerance, where people of diverse identities are recognised, welcomed, respected and cherished. This underpins the inclusive character of Catholic Education which respects and engages with people of all beliefs and heartens the religious development of all in their own faith. Our curriculum ensures our children learn, enjoy and achieve making strong contributions to the common good of society. 

Implementation

We have designed a curriculum that is exciting, meaningful and fulfils the requirements of the core subjects of the National Curriculum. As a Catholic school, Religious Education and the values of the Gospel remains at the core of everything we do - making Christ known to all, serve the local church and the community and assist parents as the primary educators of their children.

The RE Margaret Carswell programme of study is arranged to cycle through the life of Jesus as the Catholic Church does, the resource is framed around the Liturgical Year. Over three years the resource prioritises hearing the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, while it moves through the seasons of Advent, Lent, Easter and Ordinary Time. Links between resources develop naturally; theologies introduced in one unit are consolidated in another. 

The programme of study is arranged to cycle through the life of Jesus as the Catholic Church does, the resource is framed around the Liturgical Year. Over three years the resource prioritises hearing the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, while it moves through the seasons of Advent, Lent, Easter and Ordinary Time. Links between resources develop naturally; theologies introduced in one unit are consolidated in another. 

Impact

AT 1. Learning About Religion

• Here pupils will be learning about what people believe,
• About the faith they hold and how that helps them to make sense of the world.
• They will learn about the teachings of different religious traditions and the answers those traditions give to questions of meaning and purpose.
• They also will learn about the sources that different traditions use to guide them in their understanding of faith, belief and practice; they will learn how to engage critically with such source material.
• Pupils will also be looking at the ways in which faith is celebrated.
• How that takes different forms in different times and for different traditions.
• They will be able to explore different liturgies (the public worship of the Church) and different rituals (such as the festivals of a different tradition) and the place of actions, words and symbols within them.
• They will learn about the significance of these celebrations for believers and see how the spiritual life can be analysed and expressed.
• Pupils will learn about the ways behaviour is influenced by what people believe, whether that is in religious practice (e.g. actions) or their general way of life, for example the ways in which the Catholic Christian interacts with the world.
• They will learn about the ways in which religious belief shapes their lives and the way they see and interpret society and the world; they will learn to understand the religious and moral basis for certain belief systems.

AT 2. Learning from Religion

• Pupils will be reflecting on beliefs and values; by talking, exploring, discussing, thinking, responding and questioning, pupils will be increasingly able to structure and articulate their thoughts.
• They will be able to listen attentively to others and come to understand and empathise with others’ views, beliefs and values.
• They will develop the ability to engage critically with their own and others’ religious beliefs and world views.

‘Faith is not a problem to be solved, but a gift to be discovered.’ Cardinal Vincent Nichols

The Diocese of Westminster was established in September 1850 and it is one of the smallest Dioceses in England and Wales in geographical area, but the largest in terms of Catholic population (around half a million) and priests (366). The Diocesan boundaries include the London Boroughs north of the River Thames, between the River Lea to the East, the Borough of Hillingdon to the West, including the County of Hertfordshire to the North.

The Westminster Diocese is led by the Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Vincent Gerard Nichols and the Auxiliary Bishops, John Sherrington, Nicholas Hudson, and Paul McAleenan. The Diocese comprises of 23 Deaneries and 214 Parishes.

The Diocese of Westminster and the Catholic Education Service provides professional support to schools. A wide range of resources can be found on the Diocese of Westminster Website.

Religious Education Curriculum

Margaret Carswell

‘In God's Name’ is an online resource created by Margaret Carswell and used as the basis for our curriculum planning in Religious Education. Drawing on its foundation documents,  the Religious Education Curriculum Directory and the Bishop's Conference of England and Wales Levels of Attainment, ‘In God's Name’ presents a Catholic world view through learning about the Traditions of the Church, Human Experience, Creation and Scripture, named as the sources of revelation in Dei Verbum.

‘In God's Name’ offers a whole school approach to Religious Education, one in which all pupils explore a common theology or practice at an age-appropriate level. Believing that the best resource a pupil can access is an informed, engaged, teacher, Key Information for Teachers (KIT) necessary for the teaching of the content, is provided in every resource. Further, professional learning, through online videos, and staff meetings together with shared planning, resourcing and collegial 'at the water fountain' conversations, are encouraged. Differentiation becomes a shared task; cross-age learning becomes a possibility.

The programme of study is arranged to cycle through the life of Jesus as the Catholic Church does, the resource is framed around the Liturgical Year. Over three years the resource prioritises hearing the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, while it moves through the seasons of Advent, Lent, Easter and Ordinary Time. Links between resources develop naturally; theologies introduced in one unit are consolidated in another. 

Written by Dr Margaret Carswell, the resources bring together contemporary research in Religious Education and Theology. Using the structure of the Composite Model, the resources preference the Catholic story while acknowledging a multi-faith world.

The Composite Model is an educational process which contains three consecutive steps.

• Step 1: Prepare to Hear the Word aims to prepare both the teacher and the pupil, so they are ready to work with the chosen Scripture passage.
• Step 2: Hear and Encounter the Word brings pupils into direct contact with the chosen passage so that they can first learn about it and, then, from it.
• Step 3: Respond to the Word completes the process by asking pupils ‘So what?’ This section takes pupils from the realm of education into the realm of invitation, where knowledge of the story of Christian faith transforms and informs our perception of ourselves, the world and the God who is with us. 

The Composite Model was design to ensure:

• Scripture should be taught and not simply used as the instrument of the curriculum topic or theme. It should be presented in a manner which does not limit its interpretation to the theme of the topic.
• The presentation of Scripture should enable pupils to make a valid interpretation. It should be in keeping with the principles articulated in Church documents.  Passages should be presented whole, the genre of the passage should be identified, the historical and literary features of a passage should be acknowledged and respected, individual authors works should be kept distinct, fidelity to the passage should be of paramount importance.
• One of the aims of RE should be to educate and skill pupils about Scripture so that they can access it themselves. Pupils should, therefore, have contact with the actual author’s words.
• Examination of a Bible passage should always precede its interpretation.
• Teachers deep understanding of scripture is key.

ASSESSMENT in RE

Levels of Attainment

AT 1. (i) Learning About Religion

Knowledge and understanding of beliefs, teachings and sources

Here pupils will be learning about what people believe, about the faith they hold and how that helps them to make sense of the world; they will learn about the teachings of different religious traditions and the answers those traditions give to questions of meaning and purpose; they also will learn about the sources that different traditions use to guide them in their understanding of faith, belief and practice; they will learn how to engage critically with such source material.

Please click here to download an explanatory document concerning AT 1. (i)

AT 1. (ii) Learning About Religion

Knowledge and understanding of celebration and ritual

In this strand pupils will be looking at the ways in which faith is celebrated; how that takes different forms in different times and for different traditions; they will be able to explore different liturgies (the public worship of the Church) and different rituals (such as the festivals of a different tradition) and the place of actions, words and symbols within them; they will learn about the significance of these celebrations for believers and see how the spiritual life can be analysed and expressed.

Please click here to download an explanatory document concerning AT 1. (ii)

AT 1. (iii) Learning About Religion

Knowledge and understanding of social and moral practices and way of life.

Pupils will learn about the ways behaviour is influenced by what people believe, whether that is in religious practice (e.g. actions) or their general way of life, for example the ways in which the Catholic Christian interacts with the world; they will learn about the ways in which religious belief shapes their lives and the way they see and interpret society and the world; they will learn to understand the religious and moral basis for certain belief systems.

Please click here to download an explanatory document concerning AT 1. (iii)

AT 2. (i) Learning from Religion

Reflection on Meaning – engagement with own and others’ beliefs and values.

Throughout this strand pupils will be reflecting on beliefs and values; by talking, exploring, discussing, thinking, responding and questioning, pupils will be increasingly able to structure and articulate their thoughts; they will be able to listen attentively to others and come to understand and empathise with others’ views, beliefs and values; they will develop the ability to engage critically with their own and others’ religious beliefs and world views.

Please click here to download an explanatory document concerning AT 2. (i). Please note that this has not been formally approved and is a draft.