Religious Education

As a Catholic school, Religious Education is a central part of our curriculum. The purpose of Religious Education at St Richard’s is to nurture the development of the Catholic faith and its teachings for our pupils. Through our Religious Education curriculum and our school ethos, we aspire to encourage all children to develop a better relationship with God and others around them.

Religious Education is the core of our curriculum and we currently teach the following:

Early Years Foundation Stages (EYFS), Years 1,2, 5 and 6 

The Early Years Team and Years 1,2, 5 and 6 have already been working with the diocese on the new Religious Education Directory (RED). It has been prepared by the department for Catholic Education and Formation. This new curriculum, places religious education at the very heart of the curriculum in our school. In addition, it is intended to help parents, priests and teachers to hand on the Deposit of Faith in its fullness to an new generation of young people so that they may come to understand the richness of the Catholic faith and thereby be drawn into a deeper communion with Christ in His church.

Each half term covers a theme:

Autumn 1- Creation

Autumn 2 - Prophecy and Promise

Spring 1 - Galilee to Jerusalem

Spring 2 Desert to Garden

Summer 1 To the Ends of the Earth

Summer 2 Dialogue and Encounter

Years 3 and 4  

Year 3 and 4 continue to use the Come and See Scheme of Work, which we supplement as appropriate to ensure coverage of current events, and liturgical celebrations. Come and See is developed through three topics, three distinctive starting points which are based on the Second Vatican Council. This means that a theme can be explored through a different topic. The content is structured so that there is cohesion and progression in what children do and learn. For each topic, there are clearly stated learning outcomes, achievable learning objectives and a variety of experiences and activities for each of the learning objectives. In addition to this, each lesson is linked into the Curriculum Directory and it is delivered through a process recognised in the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

• Explore: by exploring their life experience to discover value and significance
• Reveal: by hearing, understanding and reflecting on the Christian message
• Respond: by bringing it to mind, by celebrating and by applying it