RE Curriculum
As a Roman Catholic school, the teaching of RE is our core purpose. The religious programme, ‘Come and See’ is the core RE scheme at St. Joseph’s. This scheme is used by most schools within the Diocese of Middlesbrough.
‘Come and See’ is an extensive programme which covers a range of challenging themes from EYFS to Y6. Each theme is divided into the following sections:
- Explore – the human search for meaning
- Reveal – God’s revelation
- Respond – response in faith
At the end of each theme children reflect on what they have learnt.
Links are made with the children’s own experiences and the curriculum is adapted to make it real and meaningful to our children.
It is important to us that our children see themselves as part of a wider community. To ensure we have real and lasting experiences we have a planned programme of visits to places of worship so that children can learn about the many similarities between major world religions. Two other world religions are taught following the programme of study in ‘Come and See’. These are Judaism which is taught in the Autumn term and Islam which is taught in the Spring and Summer.
Big Questions are used to encourage children to challenge children and to make the curriculum more compelling.
Alongside this formal teaching of RE, children take part in Acts of Collective Worship/Liturgical prayer each day. They also take part in class and whole school Masses and liturgies.
What does the Come and See offer?
Come and See offers the opportunity to search, to explore, to discover and to respond; this is part of what it is to be human.
- Children – Come and See the wonder of all that is within them and beyond.
- God – Offers the invitation to Come and See
- Teacher – Facilitates the opportunity for children to Come and See
Teaching and Learning with Religious Education at St Joseph’s
The teaching of Religious Education at St Joseph’s is governed by the following principles:
- Religious Education will be taught discretely and developmentally. Deepening of their knowledge and applying it to real life.
- Children offered ample opportunities to apply and use their knowledge and skills within cross-curricular links.
- Engage with their own and other beliefs.
- Engage with difficult questions of meaning and purpose, to enable them to think critically about their own questions.
To offer children a real sense of worth by belonging to a caring community and the commitment to this community as well as developing an awareness of the demands of religious commitment.
Outcome of Religious Education
As a school we endeavour to attain the following:
‘The outcome of excellent religious education is religiously literate and engaged young people who have the knowledge, understanding and skills – appropriate to their age and capacity – to reflect spiritually, and think ethically and theologically, and who are aware of the demands of religious commitment in everyday life’
Religious Education Curriculum Directory for Catholic Schools 2001
All our children are included regardless of their age and ability. The ‘Come and See’ programmes supports and enables the faith experience of all children because it starts with their real life experience and leads them to reflect upon and consider the Christian message in all its richness in that experience.
We are following the teachings and indeed the actions of Our Lord. When Jesus met the Samaritan woman at the well he spoke about first about the need for water, as he asked for a drink. This enabled him to tell her about the living water – which is himself (John 4:5-42).
Themes and topics across the school
Themes
The Church
- Autumn Term: Domestic Church (family) – Family
- Spring Term: Local Church (parish & diocese) – Community
- Summer Term: Universal Church (worldwide community) – World
Sacraments
- Autumn Term: Baptism, Confirmation, Ordination – Belonging
- Spring Term: Eucharist – Relating
- Summer Term: Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick – Inter-relating
Christian Living
- Autumn Term: Advent Christmas – Loving
- Spring Term: Lent, Easter – Giving
- Summer Term: Pentecost – Serving
The Come and See programme is developed through three themes based on the four constitutions of the second Vatican council, Revelation, Church, Christian living and Sacraments.
Each of the four constitutions are gradually explored each time in greater depth. The catechism of the Catholic Church addresses the human search for meaning, God’s initiative in Revelation who comes to meet us and our response to faith. This pattern guides the structure of the programme and informs the process of each topic, opened up through: Explore, Reveal and Respond.
- Within Explore –children begin to look at and focus on the experience with their own lives – concerning themselves, their relationships and the world. (This usually takes one week to complete)
- Within Reveal – The heart of the process where knowledge and understanding of the catholic Faith is revealed through the Word, in Scripture, Tradition, doctrine, prayers, rites and Christian living. (This usually takes two weeks to complete)
- Within Respond –this is where the learning is assimilated celebrated and responded to in daily life. (This usually takes one week to complete)
Click on the links below to view the Come and See term planner and the Big Questions grid for each topic and year group:
