Religious Education

Religious Education at St Margaret Mary Catholic Primary School

Religious Education is central to the life of our school. On entry into Nursery the children are taught that they are unique and special, created in the image and likeness of God.

Across the curriculum we actively look for opportunities to allow all children to flourish, making links with specialist teachers to develop and enhance their gifts and talents. In this way every child is afforded the opportunity to shine.

At St Margaret Mary Catholic Primary School we follow the Religious Education Curriculum Directory set out by the Bishops of England and Wales. We provide the children with rich opportunities to learn about God and their faith, through our Religious Education curriculum, and through links across our creative curriculum.

Worship

At St Margaret Mary Catholic Primary School our children are given opportunities to open both their minds and hearts to God and where all children are given opportunities to encounter the Holy Spirit. Our school is a place where all children come together to experience our faith through the Eucharist. and where our children grow in grace through their faith formation.

St Margaret Mary Catholic Primary School is a school where children see and experience the importance of prayer in our every day lives and where the spirit of Jesus who is present when two or three gather in his name. Matthew 18: 20.

Wednesday Word

Parents as the first educators, play a crucial role in the development of their child's faith. We offer liturgical opportunities throughout the school year for parents to join us in worship.

Every Wednesday children receive the Wednesday Word. They can share the Gospel of the week with their families, taking the good news of Jesus Christ into their homes.

http://www.wednesdayword.org/home/childrens.htm

For more information look at our Catholic Life section of the website.

The Intent of our Religious Education Curriculum

At St Margaret Mary’s, Religious Education is central to the life of our school and is at the heart of everything we do.  The primary purpose of R.E is to come to know and understand God’s revelation, which is fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ. It is in the person of Christ that the deepest meaning of what it is to be human is discovered. Religious Education helps the pupil to know and experience the meaning of this revelation in his or her own life and the life of the community which is the Church.  RE is the step by step study of the mystery of Christ, the teachings of the Church, and its application in daily life. The outcome of Religious Education is religiously literate and engaged young people who have the knowledge, understanding and skills to reflect spiritually, think ethically and theologically, and who are aware of what it means to live out faith in everyday life. 

The beliefs and values studied in Catholic religious education inspire and draw together every aspect of the life of a Catholic school. We are committed to classroom RE, then, because all pupils have the right to receive an overall education which will enable them, in the light of the faith of the Church, to engage with the deepest questions of life and find reasons for the hope which is within them (1 Peter 3.15). Religious education is, then, the core subject in our Catholic school.

Our carefully planned Religious Education curriculum aims to:

• Present comprehension content based on the knowledge and understanding of the Catholic faith;
• Enable children to deepen their religious and theological understanding and be able to communicate effectively;
• Develop an authentic vision of the Church’s moral and social teaching;
• Raise children’s awareness of the faith and traditions of other religious communities to bring out respect and understanding;
• Develop children’s ability to relate their Catholic faith to daily life;
• Enable children to relate the knowledge they have gained from Religious Education to other subjects;
• Bring clarity to the relationship between faith and life, and between faith and culture.

The Implementation of our Religious Education Curriculum

At the centre of our whole school curriculum is Christ. We plan our RE curriculum with varied opportunities for children to become learned and wise.  Lessons engage, provoke and inspire as teaching guides, supports and challenges children to become the best versions of themselves.   

Religious Education Curriculum, Directory 2012- 2015

For 2023 - 24, Year 2,4,5 and 6 use the Bishop’s Conference Directory topics: Revelation, The Church, Celebration and Life in Christ as a basis for all our planning, which are also outlined in the Diocesan RE wheels which every teacher incorporates in to their plans. The Directory provides ‘valuable guidance for the RE curriculum to ensure that our teaching and learning truly reflects the vision and breadth of the teaching of the Church’. This revised Directory was published so that religious educators can continue to meet the needs of the pupils of today.

The ‘Come and See’ programme provides part of the basis of teaching religion, but many additional resources are used to give the children the best possible opportunities to deepen their understanding and challenge them in lessons which are engaging and make them think deeply through effective questioning. Teachers use CAFOD, The Way, the Truth and the Life, Caritas in Action and many other resources to ensure a rich and varied RE curriculum.

Other world faiths and important Liturgical celebrations are interwoven throughout the year as children are encouraged to question and reflect on their own lives and the religious lives of others. Class teachers plan for each topic ensuring that all children have the opportunity to master key skills and to think deeply and to question.

Religious Education Directory - To Know You More Clearly 2025:

In line with the Diocese of Lancaster support for planning; our Reception, Year 1 and Year 3 classes will deliver their Religious Education curriculum based on the delivery of the new RED. In Year 1 and 3, this will be supported by the 'Vine & Branches' Catholic Education Publication. All pupils will be invited to encounter Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ as the living person at the heart of their study in a way that respects their individual religious identity.

To ensure the children can be assessed accurately teachers ensure that the expectations of the Assessment Standards are integrated into the whole planning process. This will inform the teaching and ensure that expected standards are aspired to. The critical question to address at the planning stage is ‘what must I do, in this theme, to enable children to achieve the standard I know they can achieve?’

Teachers have the opportunity to share and evaluate pupils work with local schools and schools across the diocese.  This supports a consistent approach across schools and enables good practice to be shared.

Impact of our Religious Education Curriculum

At St Margaret Mary’s we view Religious Education as an integral part of learning and formation. The school environment reflects and celebrates our Catholic faith.  The children grow to know and love God, develop their moral and spiritual nature and deepen their faith.   Children are given the opportunity to live their faith in an active and positive way, always aware of the presence and love of Christ guiding them.

Children will develop their relationship with God and become religiously literate and produce good quality work across religion, which they are proud of.   

An indicator of success will be the amount of pleasure and knowledge gained by the children from the study of RE and a deepening of their personal knowledge, understanding and response to Christ through their service of others. This will support children to love themselves, love each other and love Jesus Christ so that they are ready when they reach the end of Year 6 to commence the next stage of their life journey. 

A further key indicator will be the way in which the children conduct themselves throughout our Catholic Life. As children attend Mass, receive the sacraments, build relationships etc. – with school or their families – children will be able use the knowledge from their Religious Education lessons to guide them.  The Church’s traditions of prayer and worship will be upheld