Religious Education

 “Faith can move mountains”

Matthew 17: 20

The principles underpinning the spiritual development of our children are based on the gospel values of justice, compassion, forgiveness and reconciliation. Children learn to appreciate the love of God in their everyday lives and in the world about them.

BRW RE Policy

The life of the school is underpinned by the school’s Mission Statement, which is displayed in every room in the school building and on display in the hall as part of a whole school piece of artwork.  All school policies begin with carefully chosen Scripture extracts to ensure school life is driven and shaped by these values and the Catholic ethos.

The mission statement is:

We walk kindly in the footsteps of Jesus Christ as we live and learn.

Aims

To develop children’s:

• Knowledge and understanding of Catholic faith and life
• Knowledge and understanding of the response of faith to the ultimate questions about human life, its origin and purpose
• Skills to enable them to examine, question and reflect upon religious beliefs and practice.
• Ability to relate knowledge gained through Religious Education to their understanding of other areas of the curriculum
• Spirituality and personal relationship with God through a rich experience of liturgy
• Awareness of other cultures and beliefs, in order to respect and understand them
• Develop positive attitudes: eg, respect for truth, respect for the views of others; awareness of the spiritual, of moral responsibility, of the demands of a religious commitment in everyday life and especially the challenge of living in a multicultural, multi-faith society.

Curriculum Religious Education at BRW has the following outcomes:

“religiously literate and engaged young people who have the 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 in everyday life”

Bishops Conference of England and Wales

Religious Education is at the heart of the school’s curriculum. The broad areas it covers are God’s self-revelation, Church, Celebration and Life in Christ.  It is accorded the same status and taught with the same rigour as the core subjects of the National Curriculum.

Religious Education is developed and resourced with the same commitment as any other subject. In line with Bishops’ Conference recommendations, 10% of curriculum time is allocated to Religious Education, with additional time dedicated to Collective Worship. RE is led by our RE Lead, Mrs Hautenne.

The content of the RE Curriculum derives from the Religious Education Directory (RED), the church’s liturgical year, local, national and international events and children’s personal interests.

A thematic, knowledge, skills and experience- based approach to learning enables children to make connections and link ideas and areas of learning.

The children experience Religious Education through:

• Participation in a variety of liturgies
• Sacramental preparation
• Experience of prayer
• Service to the Wider Community

RE, in all forms, is celebrated on the school blog at https://www.brwacademy.com and on the school’s Facebook account.  Staff and children post blogs to share news, events and celebrations with each other, parents and the wider community.

Religious Education Directory (RED)

The Religious Education Curriculum Directory (3-19) for Catholic Schools and Colleges is used to guide and inform the teaching of Religious Education.  It guides the structure of the Religious Education Directory: To Know You More Clearly (RED).

Through the Religious Education Directory (RED), lessons nurture curiosity, deepen understanding, and inspire awe and wonder. Our inclusive approach ensures all pupils flourish and make strong progress throughout their time with us.

The RED follows a spiral curriculum, revisiting key themes each year to deepen understanding. The six curriculum branches (topics) are:

• Creation and Covenant
• Prophecy and Promise
• Galilee to Jerusalem
• Desert to Garden
• To the Ends of the Earth
• Dialogue and Encounter

These branches guide pupils through an evolving RE journey in Catholic schools.

Throughout these branches, children learn knowledge through ‘lenses’ of ‘hearing’, ‘believing’, ‘living’ and ‘celebrating’, whilst gaining skills in ‘understanding’, ‘discerning’ and ‘responding’.

Further information about our RED programme can be found below:

RED A Whole School Overview

World Faiths

The school recognises that children live in a multi-cultural, multi-faith society.   In this context children are introduced to the background and beliefs of people of other faiths so that prejudice and misunderstanding can be overcome and children learn to appreciate that many people hold religious convictions and beliefs that are different to their own.

Links are made with the experience of other faiths.  When the Christian understanding of a topic has been explored, the experience of another major world faith tradition is considered as and when it is appropriate. In line with the RED curriculum, pupils learn about other faiths in a planned sequence, as well as during key festival and celebration times throughout the year, as the below table outlines.