'Do everything for the glory of God.'
Corinthians 10:31
Introduction
Formal RE is delivered through the scheme The Way the Truth and the Life, which is followed according to the Shrewsbury Diocesan guidelines and implemented from Early years through to year 6. At St Hugh’s Catholic Primary School we want every child to follow in the footsteps of Jesus and to be happy and enthusiastic learners of RE. We want them to do everything for the glory of God and for them to be eager to achieve their very best in order to fulfil their God-given talents. We firmly believe that the key to success is high quality, creative and inspiring first-wave teaching in RE, which is central to the life of our happy and caring school.
Intent
Our principal aim is that children leave St. Hugh’s Catholic Primary School with a wide range of happy and rich memories in RE; formed through interesting and exciting experiences driven through an engaging and comprehensive curriculum. This is the basis of knowledge and understanding of the Catholic faith, enabling them to develop a living and personal faith in Jesus Christ and allowing them to know and love God. RE is the foundation of the entire education process and permeates all areas of the curriculum and school life. Parents, family members, friends (of whatever faith) and parishioners will attend Masses and religious celebrations within both school and our Church and pupils will participate in parish activities outside of school time; promoting good links with the Parish of St Hugh’s. Children, and their parents, will develop their knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the Sacraments. At St Hugh’s, pupils will be prepared for life in a multi-faith society by fostering respect for and understanding of rich cultural diversity. In RE, children will develop the skills to make links and connections, engage and respond, analyse and evaluate using sources of evidence.
Implementation
Each year group will study 6 units over the year. The units are developmental, building on previous knowledge, skills and experience and taking into account the children’s age and understanding. The topics covered by each year group are as detailed on the curriculum overview. Carefully designed schemes of learning in RE ensure consistency and progress for all learners. RE specialists from our partner secondary school, Loreto Grammar School, are and will continue to be integral to the planning, teaching and learning. This will aid transition to Key Stage 3. Children will be highly engaged in RE lessons through the use of a variety of resources such as religious stories, scripture, artefacts, 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. Particular focus will be given to St Hugh and to the four House Saints. Pupils will participate in Mass, feast days, Holy days collective worship, Reconciliation Services, liturgical singing which will involve religious actions and worship including the celebration of the sacraments.
Impact
Children are happy learners within RE. They experience a wide-ranging number of learning challenges in RE and know appropriate responses to them. Children of all abilities and backgrounds achieve well in RE, reflected in outstanding progress that reveal a clear learning journey. Children talk enthusiastically about their learning in RE and are eager to further their learning in the next stages of their education. Clear outcomes focus and guide all RE development plans and drive improvement. The children will grow to know and love God, develop their moral and spiritual nature and deepen their faith. Through studying other faiths children will develop an appreciation of the diverse world we live in and will become more tolerant of people. Children will know they are unique and made in the image of God; they will have understanding that we are all different but special and unique in our own way. Children will be able to define, describe and discuss areas of RE. They will confidently use skills such as retelling, describing, comparing, giving reasons, explaining the meaning of biblical stories and considering the impact of beliefs.
Cultural Capital
The rich, creative and cross-curricular nature of RE enables all the children at St Hugh’s to develop the cultural capital they need to succeed in later life. The cultural experiences and knowledge the children gain through the RE curriculum will enable the children to play a full and active part in society in later life. Their tolerance, deep sense of social justice, stewardship and care and concern for their global neighbours means that children leave St Hugh’s with a deep-rooted faith and willingness to serve and put others needs before their own. The many and varied opportunities the children have been given through all their cross-curricular work enables the children to have a deep appreciation for the arts as a whole.
British Values
Christ is at the centre of all we do at St Hugh’s and the children’s learning is rooted in the Gospel values set out at the beginning of this document. Our children, through Gospel values and British values, have a deep-rooted sense of what is right and wrong. They have an understanding of democracy, the rule of law and individual liberty. They are taught to understand that God has given them the freedom to choose to make the right choice in terms of how they behave. Our Catholic faith is built on love, respect and tolerance and by following in the footsteps and guidance of Jesus our children show respect of one another. Our work on Judaism and other faiths means that our children are tolerant of others. They know that they are unique and made in the image and likeness of God and they appreciate the rich and diverse world that they are part of.