St. Mary's Catholic Primary Schools Trust

Religious Education 

We ensure that the school's curriculum for Religious Education is a faithful expression of the Religious Curriculum directory. The programmes of study Lighting the Path, in the Infant School and 'Come and See' in the Junior School are used imaginatively and creatively to enhance the children's understanding of their faith.  Our curriculum is a knowledge-based curriculum that enables the children to learn the teachings of the Catholic Church whilst also allowing them to base their knowledge and understanding on their own life experiences, and gain an understanding of other faiths and beliefs. Our leaders have a regular timetable for monitoring to ensure that the Religious Education we provide is of the highest quality and encompasses both breadth and depth. 

Intent

Religious education in each class is based upon the Diocesan supported programme, ‘Come and See’ and Lighting the Path. We support parents through our Relationships and Sex education programme, Ten:Ten, which is approved by the Diocese, and books and other materials are freely available for parents to help them in this task as part of the personal and social education of children.

We also teach our children about other faiths because we live in a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic world and we value the contributions these groups make to our society. We strongly believe in the tolerance of different faiths and beliefs.

Implementation

RE is a core subject of the curriculum and all children will study RE for 2hrs 30 mins per week in Reception to Key Stage 2.  Collective worship is in addition to this. 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.

We follow the 'Come and see' (in the Junior school) and Lighting the path (in the Infant school)  schemes of work which are programmes that have been developed to respond to the needs of primary children in their faith journey. It integrates the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the new Religious Education Curriculum Directory. 

The following strategies and aims underpin the effective delivery of religious education:

• Religious Education will be taught discretely and developmentally.
• It will include the deepening of knowledge, and understanding of key theological ideas and their application.
• Ample opportunities will be offered for children to apply and use their knowledge and understanding in cross-curricular studies.
• Opportunities to engage with their own and others' beliefs as this will develop positive attitudes and dispositions.
• Opportunities to develop a sense of self-worth through their experiences of belonging to a caring community and an awareness of the demands of religious commitment to everyday life.

Inclusion 

 

St Mary’s Primary School Trust recognises Religious Education as an inclusive subject that enables all pupils to explore beliefs, values and ways of life, and to understand their own place within a diverse and multi-faith world. Through the Come and See and Lighting the Path schemes of work, we believe that every child, regardless of background, faith, language, ability or need, should be able to access religious knowledge, develop curiosity about faith and meaning, and build the skills needed to reflect, question and respond with confidence.

Our Religious Education curriculum is designed to remove barriers and support success for all learners by:

Providing multiple entry points to learning:
Key religious concepts are introduced through a range of approaches including storytelling, scripture, art, music, role play, discussion and reflection. Drawing on Come and See and Lighting the Path, pupils encounter religious teaching in meaningful, engaging and accessible ways that support different learning styles and needs.

Supporting language and vocabulary development:
Subject-specific vocabulary is explicitly taught, modelled and revisited. Opportunities for structured talk, partner discussion, sentence stems and visual prompts support pupils with SEND or EAL to express their ideas, ask questions and participate confidently in dialogue about religion and belief.

Adapting teaching, not expectations:
All pupils engage with the same ambitious RE curriculum. Teachers use scaffolding, modelling, adapted tasks and targeted support to ensure that every child can access theological concepts, make links and reflect deeply, without reducing the richness or challenge of the content.

Responsive teaching and timely support:
Ongoing assessment and reflection activities allow teachers to identify misconceptions or gaps in understanding. Pre-teaching, targeted questioning and additional support ensure that all pupils are able to engage fully and keep pace with the curriculum.

Representation and relevance:
Through Come and See and Lighting the Path, pupils encounter a range of faiths, cultures and lived experiences. This ensures that children see their own identities and beliefs respected, while also developing empathy, respect and understanding for others in a diverse society.

This inclusive approach ensures that Religious Education is accessible, reflective and aspirational for all pupils, enabling every child to develop religious literacy, a sense of identity and belonging, and the ability to engage thoughtfully with questions of meaning, purpose and belief.

Impact

• 'The outcome of excellent religious education is religiously literate and engaged young people who have knowledge, understanding and skills-appropriate to their age and capacity -to reflect spiritually, and think ethically and theologically, and who are aware of the demands of religious commitment to everyday life.'  Religious Education Curriculum Directory for Catholic Schools 2012.

• We assess impact through pupil voice, evidence in books and regular formal assessments.

IMPORTANT  LITURGICAL DATES 

 

 

 

All Saints

 

The commemoration of all the faithful departed (All Souls)

 

Our lord Jesus Christ, universal King

ADVENT

 

The Immaculate Conception of the blessed virgin Mary

 

Christmas Day, The nativity of the lord

 

The holy family of Jesus, Mary and joseph

 

 

 

 

The Epiphany

Ash Wednesday

Lent

Maundy Thursday

Good Friday

Palm Sunday

Easter Monday

 

 

 

The Ascension

Pentecost

St Mary’s Feast Day

 

Right to withdraw from Religious Education

At St Mary’s Catholic Infant and Junior Schools, our Catholic faith is central to the life of the school. It is reflected in our values, relationships, curriculum and behaviour expectations, and in the way we seek to live out love, respect, peace and care for others. Religious Education (RE) is taught as a distinct subject and is an important part of every pupil’s education.

Parents and carers have the right to request that their child is withdrawn from all or part of RE. They do not have to give a reason. We ask parents or carers who are considering withdrawal to contact the Headteacher so that we can explain what is taught and discuss how the request can be put into practice. We will respect the request and agree arrangements for the pupil’s supervision during the relevant RE lessons.

Because our Catholic faith is woven through school life, a request to withdraw from RE does not automatically mean withdrawal from other curriculum subjects, school values or the behaviour policy. Religious themes or questions may arise naturally in other lessons, and our Catholic ethos informs how we treat one another and our community. We will discuss the scope of any request with parents or carers so that arrangements are clear and understood.