St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School
Religious Education Policy
September 2015
Contents
GENERAL AIMS AND PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION 3
R.E. and the Aims of the School 3
Evangelisation, Catechesis and Religious Education 3
Religious Education in the Whole Curriculum 4
STRUCTURE AND MANAGEMENT OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION 5
Roles and Responsibilities 5
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION IN THE CLASSROOM 9
We recognise two aspects of Religious Education in our school: 9
Aims of the R. E. Programme at St. Joseph’s School 9
Objectives of the R. E. Programme at St. Joseph’s School 10
SPECIAL EDUCAITONAL NEEDS AND RELIGIOUS EDUCATION 11
ASSESSMENT AND THE R. E. PROGRAMME 12
The Way The Truth and The Life Programme (WTL) 14
P. S. H. E./Citizenship 15
COLLECTIVE WORSHIP AT ST. JOSEPH’S SCHOOL 16
Assemblies 16
Prayer in the Classroom 17
Liturgy in School and Classroom 17
Extra – Classroom activities at St. Joseph’s School 18
Spiritual and Moral Education 20
Moral Education 21
REVIEW AND EVALUATION OF THE R. E. CURRICULUM AT ST. JOSEPH’S SCHOOL 23
LONG TERM PLANNING 2014– 2015 24
GENERAL AIMS AND PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
R.E. and the Aims of the School
At St. Joseph’s Catholic Primary School our aim is “to teach and lead the children, within the school community, to a knowledge and practice of the love of God and neighbour, in their development as Catholics and to become integrated into Parish life.”
Through our Education Programme we aim to meet pupils where they are on their faith journey, and in the light and power of the Gospel, to accompany them on their way to a deeper understanding of what it is to be fully human, fully alive in Christ.
Evangelisation, Catechesis and Religious Education
Evangelisation
We aim to take the Good News into the lives of all who form the faith community, offering them a way to live and enjoy life to the full.
Catechesis
As St. Joseph’s School, Catechesis takes place within the whole faith community. It is a sharing of beliefs, ideas and values, which help us to develop our Gospel vision of life, and includes prayer and worship.
Religious Education
At St. Joseph’s School, Religious Education is seen as the comprehensive and systematic study of the teaching of the Church, the saving mystery of Christ, which the Church proclaims. Our aim is to develop religiously literate young people who have the knowledge, understanding skills appropriate to their age and development in order that they are able to think spiritually, ethically and theologically.
The basis of our study is through the Diocesan of Shrewsbury Programme, The Way, The Truth and the Life ( WTL).
Home, Parish, School
It is within the family that the child’s faith journey begins and it is the family that is universally acknowledged to be the key factor in the formation and development of faith. As St. Joseph’s School we aim to enable the children to appreciate this faith and let it grow. Throughout school life, and particularly through school and class liturgies, families find they are able to appreciate what they do for their children. This is particularly so at meeting held for the families of children involved in the Sacramental programme. Here a genuine experience of faith sharing takes place.
At St. Joseph’s School we have a shared vision from equal partnership between home, school and parish as we accompany our children on their faith journey.
Religious Education in the Whole Curriculum
Excellence in Religious Education is characterised by clarity of succinct religious learning objectives of key content, by appropriate methodologies, rigour, richness of resources, and achievement of identified outcomes and accurate methods of assessment.
As a subject of the school curriculum Religious Education is concerned with the development of knowledge, understanding and the ability to evaluate i.e. to learn about religion. It is also concerned with the development of the ability to reflect on meaning i.e. learn from religion.
We recognise our responsibility alongside the Church in providing an intellectually rigorous R. E. curriculum. At St. Joseph’s we also recognise the place of R. E. in the entire educational process. The beliefs and values it communicates inspire and unify every aspect of school life. Cross-curricular elements can be seen throughout the planning of the Way, the Truth and the Life programme (Referred to as WTL). These elements are also clearly visible in school and class liturgies and acts of worship. The religious dimension of this school gives shape to every aspect of school like, especially the spiritual and moral development.
STRUCTURE AND MANAGEMENT OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
Roles and Responsibilities
The Headteacher – to give leadership to the school community of St. Joseph’s through direction and example.
The R. E. Co-ordinator
· To ensure that the programme of Religious Education is delivered through the classroom to each child.
· To foster an ethos of a Christian community blending together the equally important role of home, parish, school.
a) To support the Headteacher in all matters relating to Religious Education, to act as an exemplar in the knowledge and application of good practice, and show willingness to adapt and revise approaches in accordance with new development.
b) To support staff in their planning of the WTL programme.
c) To organise school based and Diocesan led INSET
d) To maintain and co-ordinate a resource area for R. E. ensuring its proper use and return of resources.
e) To lead the R. E. team.
f) To oversee the updating and renewal of R. E. resources timing financial restrictions.
g) To organise the timetable for assemblies, liturgies, class and whole school masses.
h) To organise the timetable for Sacramental and non-Sacramental liturgies.
i) To liaise with the R. E. team, class teachers, Headteacher and Clergy with regard to the form and content of liturgies.
j) To liaise with the Clergy with regard to the school’s participation in parish life.
k) To attend INSET as provided by the Diocesan R. E. Team and report back to the Headteacher and staff about any new developments.
The Classroom Teacher
· To deliver the R. E. programme, being aware of the implicit and explicit opportunities for nurturing Gospel values.
· To plan and prepare schemes of work.
· To keep WTL file to include:-planning, worksheets, assessments and any materials provided by coordinator.
· To plan and prepare assemblies, collective worship and liturgies.
· To make full use of resources as appropriate to the Key Stage and where identified in medium-term planning.
· To attend school led and Diocesan led INSET.
· To assess and record pupils progress. One topic a term to be assessed and using tracker sheet record pupil levels.
· Cycle 1:- topics 1,3,5 (2013-2014), Cycle 2:- 2,4,6 (2014-2015) in accordance with Diocese of Shrewsbury guideline.
· This will be passed to coordinator with examples of pupils work. Which will be kept in assessment folder.
The role of the whole staff in worship and liturgy
· To prepare classes by discussing the theme before hand in the classroom.
· Through example, show how worship and liturgy are valued.
· Reinforce the message of liturgy in the classroom.
· When appropriate, in liaison with the co-ordinator and clergy, plan, prepare and present acts of worship/liturgy.
Communication
The co-ordinator meets regularly with the Headteacher to discuss issues and developments and identify priorities within the whole school improvement plan/school self-evaluation.
The co-coordinator regularly liaises with Parish Clergy.
The co-coordinator holds regular meetings with the R. E. Team
When appropriate, the co-ordinator organises time at weekly staff meetings to discuss with/inform staff of any new developments.
In order to plan ahead for school masses and liturgies, meetings with FS2 Phase 1 and Phase 2 staff are called as appropriate.
Requisition
Purchasing is on-going using a variable budget. Materials are purchased from various resources to implement and extend the materials in WTL. Wherever resources are used they are expected to form part of the medium/short term planning.
Monitoring
The Way the Truth and the Life governs long term planning.
Medium term planning involves year group teachers working together to plan their WTL programme.
A copy of planning is handed to the co-ordinator to be kept in a central file.
Teachers develop medium term planning in short term lesson planning. The teacher keeps this but is readily available to the Headteacher.
Samples of assessed work to be passed to the Co-ordinator for monitoring on a termly basis. An end of year summative assessment sheet to be complete and given to coordinator
The R. E. co-ordinator will observe teaching and learning within classes.
Class assemblies, which fall at the end of the each topic, should reflect work done.
Parish Links
Parish clergy are represented on the school’s governing body. They make regular visits to school. These visits include seeing staff and children at work in their classrooms. Parish Clergy lead Sacramental and Non-Sacramental liturgies throughout the year. They make themselves available for school-based R. E. INSET.
The school supports the Parish throughout the year. We play an active role in the Christmas Carol Service and any other celebrations/liturgies that arise.
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION IN THE CLASSROOM
We recognise two aspects of Religious Education in our school:
a) Explicit or structured Religious Education, i.e. those timetable and planned periods of time given to an explicit consideration of Religious Education in the classroom. It is the policy of our school to provide the following coverage in line with the recommendation on 10% curriculum time.
“The Way the Truth and the Life” [WTL] – actual teaching time 2 hours 20 minutes for Phase 1 and Phase 2 and 2 hours for Foundation Stage.
Assemblies }
School Celebration Masses } 1 hour per week
Liturgies }
b) Implicit or unstructed Religious Education, i.e. those opportunities arising in the course of the school day, which leads pupils through curriculum content or through relationships to a religious understanding of their implications. It is the policy of our school to use such opportunities as they arise.
Aims of the R. E. Programme at St. Joseph’s School
To fulfil the aims and objectives we follow the “WTL” programme of Religious Education as prescribed by the Diocese of Shrewsbury and approved by the Bishops of England and Wales with which we are in complete agreements and whose objectives we echo.
The aim of this programme is to explore the religious dimension of question about life, dignity and purpose within the Church tradition. Links are made with the pupil’ own experiences and with the universal experience. Links are also made with the experience of other faith traditions.
We recognise that all our children come from different faith backgrounds and that they each have their own faith story. Our aim is to support them in deepening and enriching their understanding and living of their faith.
Our programme therefore aims to take into account the religious and education needs of children from supportive Catholic homes and of children for whom school may be their first, and perhaps only, experience of church.
Objectives of the R. E. Programme at St. Joseph’s School
Religious Education is for all. It is a collaborative activity, which respects and promotes the child’s innate capacity for the “spiritual.” The Religious Education Programme at St. Joseph’s School will promote this by:-
1. Providing opportunities for celebration, prayer and reflection.
2. Providing children with the language of religious experience.
3. Presenting a systematic presentation of the Christian event, message and way of life – in ways appropriate to the age and development stage of the child.
4. Including aspects of other faith traditions.
5. Ensuring rigour and equality with other curriculum areas and utilising appropriate strategies.
6. Being respectful of the different pastoral needs and practices in the Shrewsbury Diocese.
Methodology
The Religious Education programme, WTL is delivered by the class teacher in ways, appropriate to the age and experience of the children and the subject matter of the lesson.
Effective and well-planned differentiation provides individuals with opportunities to make education progress, irrespective of their level of ability. Differentiation is therefore delivered in a variety of forms:-
· Differentiation by teacher time and support.
· Differentiation by classroom organisation – children will be engaged in activities on a whole class/individual/partners/group basis.
· Differentiation by presentation – tasks are presented to meet the needs of different kind of learners.
· Differentiation by outcome.
· Differentiation by task.
· Differentiation by resources.
Recording takes the form of discussion, writing, drawing. Painting, modelling, drama, music and I. T.
Children in Year 3 are also introduced the Sacraments using WTL and other Sacramental Resources. This supports the preparation for the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Communion.
Each year, class teachers plan and prepare schemes of work for 6 topics. This planning covers the Broad Areas of Attainment in Religious Education. A copy of planning is handed to the R. E. co-ordinator and kept in a central file.
SPECIAL EDUCAITONAL NEEDS AND RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
“Our commitment to Christ’s ministry and to the uniqueness of each individual leaves Catholic Schools ideally placed to respond with imagination and sensitivity to those needs. Essential to that task will be a proper respect for the gifts and needs of each individual”
At St. Joseph’s School all children are accepted and respected and encouraged to develop their abilities. We encourage and co-ordinate good practice through differentiation, as outlined on page 7 of this policy document, in order to address the needs of all pupils.
ASSESSMENT AND THE R. E. PROGRAMME
Assessment is an essential aspect of the art of teaching and is related to overall Religious Education aims and objectives and specific learning intentions of themes and topics.
Teacher assessment is on going and undertaken by the teacher within normal classroom activities.
· Through continual, informal, professional assessments of professional assessments of individual pupils.
· Through end of task review.
· Through end of lesson review.
· End of topic/module assessment.
· Through marking and commenting on work.