St Cuthbert's Catholic Primary School

Religious Education

Our mission, “Love one another, as I have loved you” permeates all areas of the curriculum and aims to develop the whole child in every aspect of their spiritual, academic and personal life. We recognise that every child is unique and created in the image and likeness of God.

Religious education is a core subject and covers 10% of the curriculum at St Cuthbert’s. RE lessons are taught using the Scheme of Work for Religious Education produced by the Birmingham Diocesan Education Service, ‘Learning and Growing as the People of God’, from the Nursery class to Year 6. This Scheme of Work is based on Gospel Values and the teachings of the Catholic Church.

The scheme provides teachers with a range of suggested cross-curricular activities which can be differentiated to suit the learning needs of all children in order for them to explore the Catholic faith and achieve the learning outcomes.

It is divided into a number of units for each year group which cover four main areas of study:

·        The Liturgical Year: Children learn about the significance of each season, such as Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter and Pentecost; its particular signs and symbols and the liturgies celebrated throughout each season.

·         Scripture: Children study scripture in the Old Testament and New Testament in order to explore and understand how Catholic beliefs are rooted in what Scripture reveals to us.

·         The Sacraments: There is a strong Sacramental focus in each year group. The children in Year 3 prepare to receive the Sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist. Children in Year 6 prepare for the Sacrament of Confirmation.

·         Living as Christians: The children learn about what it is to live as Christians today, how the Church is organised from global to parish level and the opportunities which exist for them to participate in the life of the Church.

As a Catholic school, the RE curriculum predominantly focuses on Christianity and Catholicism. However, each Year focuses on Other Faiths throughout the year. Aspects of other faiths are covered and celebrated in school through work within the classroom, during assemblies, via educational visits to places of worship out of school and through inviting visitors into school.

Other Faiths Focus:

Nursery – Celebrations: Diwali

Reception – Celebrations: Diwali

Year 1 – Celebrations: Hanukah

Year 2 – Celebrations:

Year 3 – Hinduism

Year 4 – Sikhism

Year 5 – Judaism

Year 6 – Islam