Religious Education
Curriculum Intent
At St Joseph’s, the RE curriculum is designed to develop our pupils’ knowledge of Catholic faith and life. We recognise children’s prior learning in RE, provide first hand worship and prayer experiences to allow the children to develop spiritually, and explore Revelation, the Church, Catholic celebration, and life in Christ. Children at St Joseph’s learn to listen, to think critically, spiritually and theologically and make informed judgements. They develop appropriate attitudes such as respect for truth and the views of others, and develop moral responsibilities and responses to the challenge of living in a multicultural, multi-faith society.
Every child is recognised as a unique individual, with their own beliefs and passions. We celebrate and welcome differences within our school community. The ability to learn is underpinned by the teaching of basic skills, knowledge, concepts and Christian values. We also use the Catholic Pupil Profile to explore the values and virtues of our Christian faith.
We provide enhancement opportunities to engage in learning and we believe that childhood should be a happy, investigative and enquiring time in our lives, where there are no limits to curiosity and there is a thirst for new experiences and knowledge. The skills that pupils learn in other literary subjects can be applied to RE and pupils should be encouraged to investigate the faith with the same enthusiasm and rigour as other subjects. Religious Education is never simply one subject among many, but the foundation of the entire educational process;
“The beliefs and values studied in Catholic RE inspire and draw together every aspect of the life of a Catholic school… Pupils have a right to receive an overall education which will enable them, in the light of the faith of the Church, to engage with the deepest questions of life and find reasons for the hope which is within them.”*
*Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, Statement on Religious Education in Catholic Schools, Low Week, 2000, paragraph 4
Curriculum Information
As a Catholic School, RE is taught twice a week, in addition to daily collective worship. The coverage of our RE lessons takes many formats including art, drama and writing.
The scheme of work for Religious Education is based on the "Curriculum Directory for Catholic Schools" and the "Learning and Growing as People of God" strategy produced by the Archdiocese of Birmingham. The children also follow the Ten:Ten Relationship and Sex Education Programme throughout the school and there is a programme to develop the awareness of and respect for other faiths.
The children are also prepared to receive the sacraments of Reconciliation and First Holy Communion in Year 3 and Confirmation in Year 6. The programmes involve parents, school and the parish working together to support the children as they develop in their journey of faith.
The children have regular opportunities to attend Mass and to develop their prayer life through collective worship, class liturgies, class prayers and other opportunities such as using our Prayer Room. We also participate in Mass, at least twice a term as a whole school, and Years 4, 5 and 6 also celebrate Mass at our beautiful Church – Sacred Heart in Droitwich once a term. Also, our Parish Priest regularly leads Class Masses, in school, based on the Catholic Pupil Profile.