Intent

At Holy Family, Religious Education is the heart of all we do as a Catholic school and permeates through every aspect of the curriculum and school life. We aim to provide the very best Catholic education for our pupils. Holy Family is a learning community underpinned by a Catholic ethos based upon Gospel values. We aim to celebrate the uniqueness of every child, enabling each to reach his or her potential spiritually, morally, academically and socially. Religious Education is the core of our core curriculum. 

We aspire to achieve this aim through the everyday routine and prayer life of the school, as well as Religious Education and to achieve high standards and encourage pupils to make the most of the opportunities we offer them.

In the daily living out of our Catholic faith, we aim to ensure that RE and spiritual development is threaded through every aspect of the curriculum, so that it is explicit and implicit within the taught curriculum. Rooted in prayer and lived out in the daily life of the school, the children are supported, through the curriculum, to grow in faith and deepen their relationships with God and each other.

How does our Religion curriculum link with our school values?

 We grow in faith and learn how we each have a responsibility to make a difference in our world.

 We develop our thinking so that we are able to discern how our faith helps us grow.

 We learn from the bible, following the example Jesus sets us about how we should treat others.

 We develop respect and tolerance for others by learning about the views of others including other religions and cultures.

How do we teach the Religion curriculum at Holy Family?

Our curriculum is shaped by our school mission and values. We ensure that a minimum of 10% of curriculum time is allocated for RE teaching across all key stages. We are currently in a transitional period where we are moving towards a new scheme for the teaching of RE called 'The Vine and Branches'. We have been directed to follow this scheme by the diocese of Shrewsbury. Planning is detailed and there is a sharp focus on knowing and understanding religious vocabulary. Teaching ensures that there are regular planned opportunities to re-visit, review and consolidate prior learning. In classrooms you will see RE working walls displaying key vocabulary and current learning.  There is a consistent approach to re-visiting learning from previous units throughout the school. 

This academic year, children in all year groups will be taught using 'The Vine and Branches' and children in EYFS have been introduced to the 'ways of knowing' from the new RE Directory, but continue to follow 'The Way, the Truth and The Life' scheme as advised by the diocese.

The ways of knowing describe the skills that pupils develop as they progress through the religious education curriculum. We refer now to ways of knowing rather than standards or levels, since progress in religious education is not only something that concerns performance and summative assessment. They are called ways of knowing since they describe the holistic ways human beings experience education: as a growth in understanding, as a creative and critical assimilation, and as a recognition of the application of learning to one’s own life. The three ways of knowing are ‘understand’, ‘discern’, and ‘respond’. 

'The Vine and Branches' meets the  requirements of the Religious Education Curriculum Directory set out by the Bishop’s Conference of England and Wales. The schemes provide the basis for teaching the doctrines of the Catholic Church. We ensure that this programme of study is enriched with a variety of activities that include drama, history, geography and art. 

They also enjoy the creative elements of RE lessons. As a school we provide a variety of opportunities for children to demonstrate their religious knowledge and understanding. For example, through our school GIFT team who take ownership to plan and deliver collective worship sessions with other classes. 

Learning about other faiths

Children at Holy Family understand the significance of learning about other faiths. Learning about the religion and cultures of those who do not share the Catholic faith is one of the ways in which Catholic schools embody the call to love one’s neighbour. Our pupils live in a diverse area of Trafford and some of our pupils are practicing members of other faiths or of no faith and therefore our school is a place of hospitality for all children. It is an act of respect and courtesy that our curriculum helps them to reflect on the nature of their own religious identity. It prepares the pupils for life in modern Britain, giving them an understanding of the beliefs of others.