‘The primary purpose of Catholic Religious Education is to come to know and understand God’s revelation which is fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ.’ 

(Religious Education Curriculum Directory (3-19) for Catholic Schools and Colleges in England and Wales 2012)  

 

Our Lady’s is a Catholic school and as such Jesus Christ is at the heart of everything that we do, a foundation on which we build our faith. Through Religious Education, pupils study the Catholic tradition and come to an appropriate knowledge and understanding of the different religious dimensions of life. They are given the opportunity to examine their own religious attitudes and to respect the convictions of others. We teach tolerance and respect for other religions, traditions and cultures.  This not only applies to specific RE lessons but in the everyday interaction of school life, assemblies, meal times, play times and all the relationships that exist within Our Lady’s.

 

Religious Education at Our Lady’s aims to ensure that our children are ‘religious 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 (3-19) for Catholic Schools and Colleges in England and Wales 2012)  

 

The Religious Education Curriculum Directory, 2012 outlines four areas of study – Revelation, Church, Celebration and Life in Christ.  We primarily use the Come and See programme of study to deliver the teaching of the RE curriculum, supplemented with teaching materials from CAFOD to ensure that we meet the needs of our children.  We teach tolerance and respect for other faiths, races and cultures and teach three world faiths: Judaism, Sikhism and Islam.  All lessons are taught as part of a broad and balanced curriculum offering learning opportunities across the curriculum, including English, Art and Drama.

 

Religious Education is further enhanced and given expression through the liturgical life of the church by attendance and active participation in the Mass and the sacraments through the observance of religious services and festivals.   The Eucharist, worship and prayer are central to the life of our school. There is strong provision for school-based celebrations which are complemented by visits to our Parish Church and visits from our parish priests, Father Stephen and Father Henry.