At St Patrick’s, we follow ‘The Way’ Catholic Primary Religious Education Programme. The Way is an extensive programme which covers a range of challenging themes from EYFS up to Year 6. In each branch The Way offers children the opportunity to explore, reveal and respond.
The programme has been developed to respond to the needs of children today in their faith journey, to enable them to grow in their religious literacy and understanding in a way that is coherent with current educational principles.
It is designed to support teachers in their delivery of religious education. It integrates the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the Catholic Levels of Attainment and the new Religious Education Curriculum Directory.
At the heart of the programme is the mystery of God’s self-revelation of love through Jesus Christ. The Way gives pupils the opportunity to explore the mystery of faith through Scripture and Tradition.
It is important to us that our children see themselves as part of a wider community.
RE Curriculum Statement
Intent
As a catholic school, the RE curriculum is central to the whole school curriculum and underpins all teaching. We strive to enable all pupils to acquire the skills, knowledge, attitudes and values needed to enable them to thrive by living out school motto “May Christ be Seen in Us.”
Implementation
We aim that the children receive an enriching experience which reflects our school motto. We follow the “The Way” scheme of work together with collective worship and attendance at mass.
- We also visit other places of worship.
- Invite members of other faiths to visit the children.
- Perform Nativity plays.
- More than Dance performances.
- Fundraising for a variety of charities as chosen by the children.
Impact
‘May Christ Be Seen in Us’ is our well established school motto, which is at the heart of everything we do at St. Patrick’s. We see this being lived out in our children’s school life through their responses to charitable work, their contributions to liturgy in school and in the reflective work recorded in their R E books.
The children know they have a responsibility towards one another and demonstrate respectful behaviour to all. They have a positive attitude to people of any religion and an understanding of cultural beliefs different to their own.
As they grow in faith, morality and spirituality they develop the skills needed to take a constructive place in the modern world.
Religious Education is at the heart of life at St. Patrick's Catholic Academy and is taught using The Way, the Religious Education curriculum developed by the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle in response to the new Religious Education Directory. The curriculum places Christ at the centre of learning and supports pupils in developing a rich understanding of the Catholic faith, Scripture, prayer, liturgy and the Church's mission in the world.
We recognise that every child is on their own unique faith journey. Through Religious Education, pupils are given opportunities to encounter God, deepen their knowledge of the Catholic tradition and reflect on how faith influences daily life. The curriculum promotes both catechesis and evangelisation, nurturing those already living their faith while providing opportunities for all children to explore life's big questions and discover the message of the Gospel.
Religious Education is a core subject and accounts for 10% of curriculum time. It is taught with the same high expectations and academic rigour as all other core subjects, while also providing opportunities for prayer, reflection, discussion and spiritual growth. Children are encouraged to think critically, ask thoughtful questions and make meaningful connections between faith and their lived experiences.
Through The Way, pupils engage with carefully sequenced learning that develops their knowledge, understanding and religious literacy as they progress through the school. The curriculum is rooted in Scripture and Catholic tradition, enabling children to understand God's plan for humanity and their place within it. Learning is age-appropriate and progressive, ensuring that pupils build upon prior knowledge and deepen their understanding year by year.
As a Catholic school, we strive to ensure that Religious Education not only informs pupils about faith but also inspires them to live out Gospel values, becoming compassionate, responsible and faith-filled members of their communities.