About Catholic Education
This school sees Religious Education as the Core and Foundation of the entire educational process. Because of this, each child is valued for what he/she is rather than for what he/she can do and every child is given equal opportunity for development to the highest potential. Through Religious Education we communicate the beliefs and values which should inspire and unify every aspect of school life and the Curriculum. This gives the Rosary its distinctive nature as a Catholic School.
Children who become part of The Rosary Catholic Primary School are enabled to be in touch with God, to know his Church and to know the meaning of Discipleship. We believe that Religious Education is not a subject among many but the foundation of the entire education process. In addition to studying the Life and Teachings of Jesus, the children study a variety of World Faiths. This enables our children to understand more about the larger community outside home and school. We show the similarities rather than the differences. We have a duty to foster these similarities because God made all men and women to dwell on earth in harmony.
We ensure that a minimum of 10% of Curriculum time is allocated for RE teaching across all key stages. The requirements of the RE curriculum are met through following the Religious Education Directory, 'To know you more clearly' set out by the Bishop’s Conference of England Wales. All requirements at The Rosary are met at a standard that equals or is better than those of Literacy at all key stages and Foundation stage.
Aims of RE
Our aims in Religious Education are for our children to:
- know and understand God's revelation through scripture and the teachings of the Church
- understand the meaning of being human and the relationship between faith and life
- understand the life, teachings, and significance of Jesus, and to encourage and enable a personal relationship with Him
- understand how Religious Education and faith can help to shape their understanding of the world, their moral decisions, and their commitment to social justice
- recognise the inherent dignity of every individual
- foster a sense of community and respect for others, especially those from different backgrounds, faith traditions or those of differing views, and engage in respectful dialogue
- to think critically about their faith and relate it to their daily lives
An Introduction to Catholic EducationReligious Education Overview 2024-2025
What is the Religious Education Directory?
What is the Religious Education Directory?
The Religious Education Directory details religious education in Catholic schools from EYFS to KS3 in a sequential and progression-based approach. It is a robust, rigorous and detailed programme rooted in the liturgical year. It not only imparts knowledge but also cultivates a genuine and enduring relationship with God, contributing to the overall spiritual development of our children.
The RED has four key components:
- knowledge lenses
- ways of knowing
- expected outcomes
- and curriculum branches.
Knowledge lenses – There are 6 knowledge lenses. Knowledge lenses set out the object of study/learning for our children and indicate what should be known by the end of each age-phase. The age phases are EYFS, age 5-7; age 7-9 and age 9-11.
The RED uses four lenses for the study of Catholicism (hear, believe, celebrate, and live). The names of these four lenses reflect the language of the Catechism itself which states that the mystery of faith which we hear and receive requires us to ‘believe in it’, to ‘celebrate it’ and to ‘live from it’ (CCC 2558)”. To Know You More Clearly, pg. 20
Two additional lenses (dialogue and encounter) indicate what should be known by the end of each age-phase for the study of other religions and worldviews.
Hear: this lens focuses on what we hear i.e. the Word of God. We study the human capacity for God, Divine Revelation (God’s plan of loving goodness realised in Christ for the benefit of all) and its transmission, Sacred Scripture, and the human response to God’s invitation.
Believe: this lens focuses on what we believe, the Church’s own profession of faith in the Creed. We study the mystery of the Trinity; Jesus, the Word incarnate; the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church; The Blessed Virgin Mary and the communion of saints; and Salvation and life eternal
Celebrate: this lens focuses on how we celebrate our faith: the Paschal mystery of Christ. For this lens, we study prayer; liturgy and sacrament; sacraments of initiation; the Eucharist; sacraments of healing; and other liturgies and sacramentals.
Live: this lens focuses on the impact of faith on Christians and the ways in which the disciples of Christ are called to live in the world. We study the Dignity of the Human Person, Freedom, conscience, and virtue; Law, grace, and sin, Catholic Social Teaching and Faith and Life
Dialogue: this lens focuses on the relationship between Catholicism and other Christian traditions along with Catholicism and other religions and worldviews. It is called ‘Dialogue’ as this is the only authentic way of living faithfully in a world that accepts difference.
Encounter: this lens encourages our children to engage in the study of other faiths, religions and worldviews. It focusses is on the importance of loving our neighbours and respecting other cultures and learning how to live peacefully with difference and for the common good of all humanity.
Ways of Knowing – these set out the skills our children develop as they progress through their religious education curriculum journey. The three Ways of Knowing are understand, discern and respond.
We want our children to understand – to have a deep understanding of the meaning of sacred texts, religious beliefs, sacred rites, and the lives of individuals and communities who are shaped by these texts, beliefs and rites.
We want our children to discern – to judge wisely the significance and implications of texts, beliefs, rites, and ways of life. In this way they can arrive at justified conclusions about what is true, what is good and what is beautiful.
We want our children to respond – to reflect personally and with integrity on what they have learnt and to consider the implications for action these may have their own lives and the world in which they live.
Expected outcomes Each age-phase (EYFS, 5-7, 7-9, 9-11) has a prescribed set of expected learning outcomes that indicate what our pupils are expected to know, remember, and be able to do. These expected learning outcomes come under the 3 ways of knowing headings i.e. understand, discern and respond.
Curriculum Branches The model curriculum presents the expected outcomes in six curriculum branches that correspond to the six half-terms of a school year. The six curriculum branches are: creation and covenant, prophecy and promise, Galilee to Jerusalem, desert to garden, to the ends of the Earth, and dialogue and encounter. Each branch has specific vocabulary to be taught.
Our children re-visit each of the branches annually. These branches guide our children on a journey grounded in the story of salvation, focusing on different aspects of Jesus’ life, deepening their understanding of His ministry and coming to a deeper understanding of Catholic belief and practice. The sixth branch focuses on working in unity with people of other faiths and worldviews.
Autumn 1- Creation and Covenant - Encounter the God who creates and calls all people with a focus on the accounts of Creation.
Autumn 2- Prophecy and Promise - Explore the expectant waiting for the Messiah through the Advent season.
Spring 1- Galilee to Jerusalem - Experience the ministry of Jesus and the Word of God. They will learn through parables, encounters, miracles and teachings.
Spring 2- Desert to Garden - Study the season of Lent and its culmination in the events of Holy Week.
Summer 1- To the ends of the Earth - Study the events that flowed from the Resurrection and Ascension in the coming of the Holy Spirit and the work of the apostles and early Church.
Summer 2- Dialogue and Encounter - Learn how Christians work together with people of different religious backgrounds, building an understand that all people work towards a common good and should respect all humanity.
