Religious Education

Religious Education at Our Lady and St Edward’s relates to 10 percent of the weekly timetable for each class. However, Religious Education is not a standalone subject. Teachers are able to integrate Religious Education into different lessons and parts of the school day. Religious Education also takes place through different assemblies each week where the children are able to explore Gospel values, hymns, key religious figures and Bible stories. During the year, pupils are able to explore different religions and take part in theme weeks where they are able to work on whole school topics.
The main teaching resource for Religious Education is, The Truth, The Way and The Life. The scheme is a starting point as teachers are encouraged to adapt the scheme ensuring all pupil’s needs are met and lessons are linked to their lives and the lives of the faith community. Teachers also ensure that when they teach Religious Education, they provide opportunities for the pupils to discuss, reflect and question what they have heard. Tasks in Religious Education will vary by class and by topic but can include writing tasks, construction, drama, art, music and discussions. Other areas of Religious Education are taught through Cafod topics so that pupils have an understanding of God’s Creation and their place in the world. Recently, we have further enhanced our curriculum by using resources created by Dr Margaret Carswell, these resources punctuate our curriculum at key liturgical points in the Church’s calendar, Advent to Christmas, Lent to Easter and Easter to Pentecost.
Religious Education is also taught through our community links where we welcome visitors, our priest and sister. Our clergy visit the school and take part in discussions with pupils, teach lessons, prepare reconciliation services and school masses.

Through Religious Education, we hope for our children to deepen their faith and that they are able to analyse, discuss, reflect and express their views and understanding so that they are well prepared for their next stage of their education. We expect pupil outcomes to reflect similar attainment achieved in other core subjects and for pupils to produce high quality work which they are proud of. We assess the pupils’ development and progress through their work and record this on our internal tracking system. We participate in internal and external moderation so that we can evaluate attainment using standards outlined in the Diocesan Assessment Framework. Internal moderation, includes discussion around attainment and progress. Teachers provide next steps marking to further challenge pupils’ understanding and pupils are expected to respond to marking. Parents are informed of their child’s progress in RE through Parents’ Evening and the end of year report. RE books are always available at Parents’ Evening. As well as showing attainment through their books, pupils demonstrate their learning through their class liturgies. Each term, parents are invited to share in the prayer life of the school as we celebrate learning through stories, poems, songs, prayers, drama and reflections.
We believe that pupil attainment is not the only outcome from Religious Education. We want the children to develop spiritually and morally with strong values which will enable them to grow as responsible, generous and loving members of the Global family united by Christ. ‘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).