RE at St Edwards
At St Edward's we follow the Archdiocese of Birmingham’s Curriculum Strategy for Religious Education in Catholic Schools called “Discerning Disciples”. The strategy clearly lays out the steps to be taken in RE at each stage of the Primary Years. We then adapt this in order to make our lessons enjoyable and challenging for our children. As part of the strategy the children learn about what it is to live as Christians today, how the Church is organised from global to parish level and also the opportunities which exist for them to participate in the life of the Church.
Through Religious Education, we deepen our relationship with Jesus Christ, grow in faith and understanding, and learn how to live as faithful disciples in God's world to form Christ-centred pilgrims of hope with kind hearts, questioning minds, a thirst for knowledge, and a hunger for justice.
Intent
As a Catholic school, Religious Education plays a central and vital part at St Edward’s Catholic Primary School. At the heart of Catholic Education lies the Christian vision of the human person. This vision is expressed and explored in Religious Education. Therefore, Religious Education is never simply one subject amongst many, but the foundation of our entire educational process.
The beliefs and values studied in Catholic Religious Education inspire and draw together every aspect of the life of a Catholic school. We are committed to classroom RE, then, because all pupils have the 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. Religious Education is therefore, the core subject in a Catholic school.
Parents/Families as Educators
The first educators in the faith are parents. It is they, above all others, who establish in their children the first sensitivity and responsiveness to the presence of God, to the practise of prayer and to the patterns of life in the community of faith, the parish. The foundations of life-long faith and discipleship in their children are laid down in the home.
Prayer and Liturgy
At St Edward’s, we come together in our key stages and as a whole school for Celebration of the Word. This consists of a group of people coming together at an appropriate time, in an appropriate place, intentionally to focus upon things of worth and value for the group.
Prayer and Liturgy gives us:
A sense of special time
A sense of special place
The intention of focusing on matters of worth ‘beyond the everyday’
A sense of occasion
Times of prayer and liturgy are educational, planned learning experiences. They contribute to the education of the pupils and facilitate spiritual growth and respect of each other’s religious beliefs and practises. This may be done by evoking the sense of beauty, awe, wonder or feelings of pride, pity, sharing or by exploring the spirituality of life and experience.
Implementation
Discerning Disciples is the curriculum strategy for Religious Education in the Diocese of Birmingham.
The RE strategy provides a curriculum that addresses pupils' intellect, hearts and imagination. It covers a systematic study of Catholic faith and life and makes learning about our faith lively, interactive and relevant.
Its content also provides the foundations for a partnership between school, home and parish, a partnership that lies at the centre of Catholic Education.
Impact
Through RE, children deepen their appreciation of their faith and fulfil their God-given talents.
The children will grow to know and love God, develop their moral and spiritual nature and deepen their faith.
Children will live their faith in an active and positive way, always aware of the presence and love of Christ guiding them.
Children will develop their relationship with God and become religiously literate.
Through religious practice, the church’s traditions of prayer and worship will be upheld.
Faith plays a central role in the lives of the children and the decisions they make.
Children are confident, resilient and actively engaged in the wider society.
The school environment will reflect and celebrate our Catholic faith.
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.
Through wider reading in RE, children will know about a wide variety of Saints, how we can learn from their example, and historical religious events and figures. They will be able to make links between Jesus’ life and teaching and link it to their own lives, making links between different forms of Christian action, such as in rituals and charitable acts.
Throughout the year, our children also learn about the Liturgical Seasons and have opportunities to link learning to prayer and reflection.
