Keyham Barton’s Religious Education Curriculum Statement
Intent
At Keyham Barton we believe that, as a Catholic school, we are all called to be disciples of Christ and stewards of creation. Through our Mission statement we aim to encourage children to answer God’s call to come to know Jesus through their experiences and interactions. Through their experiences in school, we aim to nurture an understanding that the children are part of a global community united through the values of the Gospel. With Gospel values, virtues and ‘Laudato Si’ as our inspiration, the children develop an understanding of their role in caring for our common home and caring for one another. We aim to provide an environment where the children will learn about the mission of Christ through careful study and immersion in scripture, which is rooted in experience. Through our curriculum, the children learn how Christ showed tolerance, compassion, justice, love and forgiveness to those most in need and are encouraged to think and ultimately act this out in their own lives by being who God intended them to be.
We develop children’s understanding and knowledge of other faiths and cultures, respecting and appreciating alternative viewpoints. We recognise the social, moral, spiritual and cultural diversity of our communities, and encourage curiosity, tolerance and respect, inspiring pupils to understand how life in Britain and the wider world is changing around them.
Implement
At Keyham we currently follow the ‘’Come and See’’ Religious Education programme in line with guidance from the Plymouth Diocese however we are in the process of implementing the new Religious Education Directory (RED) curriculum which will be fully implemented by 2025. "Come and See" is followed in all year groups except Foundation and Year 3 who are currently trialling the new RED curriculum. Both curriculum programmes provide:
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Opportunities for celebration, prayer and reflection in both implicit and explicit ways.
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A systematic and age appropriate presentation of Christian events, messages and ways of life
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An understanding by the adults involved of the underlying theologies as well as the educational principles.
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An understanding of places, stories, symbols, rituals, people and objects important in the Christian, and other, faiths.
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Success criteria and knowledge organisers are used in order to guide children to achieve their potential. This ensures work is demanding and matches the aims of the curriculum.
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High quality teaching responds to the needs of children. Spiral learning is a key focus of all formative and summative assessment with teachers actively marking work in lessons in order to identify misconceptions early.
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Pupils will participate in Mass, collective worship, classroom worship, ‘prayer and praise’ and have the opportunity to take part in the celebration of the sacraments.
We believe that the impact and measure of this is that our children :
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Achieve consistently well in all areas of Religious Education and make exceptional progress.
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Are happy, well rounded individuals who have developed a deep-rooted relationship with God and understanding of their Catholic faith.
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Are ambassadors for Christ who are ready to go out into the world and proclaim the values and virtues of the Gospel and ‘Laudato Si’ confidently, building the Kingdom of God through compassion, justice, love and forgiveness in their relationship with others.
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Understand that they are part of the family of God and know how they can play their part in this Global family united by Christ.
The 'Come and See' RE curriculum is followed throughout our school and is split up into nine themes, as well as units on other faiths, which are revisited and developed each year to support the faith development of the children.
Our Catholic Ethos and Mission Statement underpin every aspect of the holistic development of the children within our school. Our RE curriculum along with regular acts of worship and the celebration of Mass explore and nurture the children’s relationship with God and their journey in faith, thus supporting the children’s learning throughout the curriculum. This is achieved by supporting the children’s emotional, moral, personal and spiritual development as a whole and allowing them to grow in confidence as people in themselves, in the relationship they have with others and foremost, in their relationship with Christ.
Parents and the wider community are invited to attend and celebrate alongside us.
Our Parish Priest, Father Appollos, joined us in March 2023. and is already an integral part of the children’s on-going Catholic education. Over the year Father Appollos has worked weekly supporting classes with understanding the celebration of Mass, the administration of the sacraments, curriculum and spiritual support. He also offers pastoral care of pupils, parents and staff.
We celebrate the start of the week with a Liturgy based on the Sunday Gospel. From this we identify a theme and a value to unpick with the children throughout the week. The theme is explored in greater depth during key stage assemblies and in class. Children are encouraged to look out for others who put the Gospel message into practice and individuals are recognised in our weekly celebration assembly a Friday: they are rewarded for the service given to our school family and present as a role model to others. Opportunities present themselves within acts of worship for children and adults to better understand their relationship with God and at which stage they are at in their own journey in faith. Personal, Social, Moral and Emotional aspects of learning are often developed here and the children are given a chance to reflect on things that affect their relationships with themselves, others and Christ.
Our RE Provision is supported by the scheme of work Come and See.
Our journey with Christ begins at different points along the road and we recognise that the faith and understanding of the children within our care may be beyond that which they can articulate. We recognise, as a school, that through striving to live the Gospel Values as carers and educators, we can create an atmosphere of nurture that impacts on all areas of our children’s school life.
Our Journeys in Faith
We have been creating 'Big Books' of our learning in RE over the past three years.