St John Bosco R. C. Primary
SchoolReligious Education
Intent
St John Bosco children have a love for learning Religious Education which is enriched by our Mission Statement-
'With Jesus in our hearts, we love, pray, learn and play.’
Through our bespoke Religious Education Curriculum, we aim for our pupils to gain a deep and strong understanding of their faith, have a love of learning and skills which will carry them into the future, to have their potential fulfilled and their wellbeing (both physical and mental) supported and safeguarded.
We want to enable our pupils to ‘Let your light shine’, Matthew 5:16, through our four values which underpin every aspect of school life, spelling out the Hebrew word RUAH (Respect, Understanding, Affection and Humour) which means ‘breath of life’.
At St John Bosco, R.E is for ‘all’, It is a collaborative activity that respects and promotes the child's innate capacity for wonder, awe, reverence, imagination for the spiritual. It is our duty to see our mission and vision embedded across the RE Curriculum and the whole wider curriculum beyond. As a Catholic school, the RE Curriculum is central to the whole school curriculum and underpins all our teaching.
The aim of Religious Education is to promote a programme with objectives which consider / takes into account the religious and educational needs of our school community-
*those from supportive Catholic homes.
*those for whom the school may be their first and perhaps only experience of church.
*those from other Christian traditions.
*those from other faith backgrounds.
In Practice
St John Bosco’s RE curriculum coverage time of 10% of the weekly timetable is a non-negotiable and is followed by all staff in the school.
RE is a core subject and we follow the ‘Come and See’ scheme of work, This scheme is followed throughout school from Reception to year 6. It fulfils the requirements of the Bishop’s Conference and the Curriculum Directory for Religious Education, in addition to this, teachers extend their planning to reflect the events of the liturgical calendar, global events and the Catholic life of the Church.
We have weaved in Catholic Social teaching themes which call us to work for the common good, help build a just society, uphold the dignity of human life and work for justice and dignity of all our brothers and sisters, especially those in the greatest need – (through Caritas in Action). Children are challenged to relate Gospel stories (such as the Parable of the Good Samaritan) and Papal Encyclicals (such as Fratelli Tutti and Laudato Si) to modern events and consider how they can live out their beliefs.
We seek to inspire our pupils to take what they have learnt and, ‘Set the world on fire’ – to go forth and be change in their community and the world.
Each year group will study a number of units over the year. The units are developmental, building on previous knowledge and experience and taking into account of the children’s age and understanding. As well as covering the delivery of Catholic Education, ‘Come and See’ also contains the resources and units required for us to regularly teach children about other world religions, in order that they develop an appreciation for faith in a wider sense and are appreciative and respectful of the religious beliefs, practices and observances of others thus enabling them to be responsible and constructive members of the multi-cultural, multi-faith society in which they live. In the Autumn term, the whole school will cover Judaism and in the Summer term, the religions of Sikhism, Islam, Buddhism are taught through a rotation over the children’s time at St John Bosco.
Although preparation for the Sacraments of Reconciliation and First Holy Communion are completed outside of school within the Parish community, during Year 3, the RE curriculum also supports children in this journey towards fuller participation in the Mass and the life of the Church.
Our RE curriculum will include speakers from Catholic charities who also visit schools such as CAFOD /Caritas etc. Our pupils will be actively engaged in RE lessons through the use of a variety of sources such as religious stories, scripture, religious artwork, reflection, songs, music, drama, dance and religious signs and symbols. The life and work of key figures in the History of the people of God will be studied for example, lives of the saints. Pupils will actively participate in Mass, feast days, Holy days and celebration of the word which will involve religious actions and worship including the celebration of the sacraments. We have a very close relationship with our Parish Mount Carmel with St John Bosco. The use of visits and visitors in school further enhances the RE curriculum.
Cross – Curricular links:
As a core subject at the centre of our Catholic Life and mission, RE Plays an integral part in all areas of School life including the wider curriculum.
How Parents Can Help:
We believe that the school alone cannot undertake a child’s religious education.
The Baptismal ritual states that parents are “the first teachers of their child in the ways of faith.” This is echoed in the words of the Catechism: “parents have the first responsibility for the education of their children” (ccc 2223).
Religious Education begins at home at Baptism; the parents are the child’s first teachers and support the child with his/her first religious experiences. The school works in partnership with parents and parish to enrich the lives of our children.
Take them to Church!
Children who regularly attend Mass have a secure knowledge of the scripture that forms the basis of our curriculum. They hear the Bible narratives from a young age and begin to absorb the messages. At school, we can then build on this to deepen their knowledge and understanding, make links and consider how to live out their beliefs in a complex world.
Here are some websites and apps that you and your children can use to continue to develop your faith outside of the school.
Please do let us know if you find any other great sites to add to this list (or if you find any that no longer work). Enjoy!
https://www.themark10mission.co.uk/the-little-liturgies
https://dioceseofsalford.org.uk/youth/