Religious Education
Religious Education is at the heart of St.John Bosco Catholic Primary School. It seeks to lead our children to an awareness of God in their lives and is designed to assist them to be able to make an informed and mature response to God in faith and to nurture that faith.
At St. John Bosco, we follow 'The Way' to deliver our Religious Education programme. This is an exciting and ambitious curriculum that aims to deepen our children’s knowledge and understanding of their faith, while helping them to encounter and respond to the Word of God.
The Way is built around six branches: Creation and Covenant, Prophecy and Promise, Galilee to Jerusalem, Desert to Garden, To the Ends of the Earth, and Dialogue and Encounter. Each branch explores different aspects of the Catholic faith through carefully selected passages and stories from the Bible, helping children to develop a rich and deep understanding of Scripture. The spiralling nature of the curriculum encourages the retrieval of knowledge from the previous year and from the previous branches to build a coherent and progressively sequenced understanding of religion, set in the context of Catholic Christian beliefs and traditions, to provide a model for exploration.
Through the four lenses of Hear, Believe, Live and Celebrate, our children are encouraged to explore Scripture, understand and articulate what the Church believes, consider how faith shapes the way we live, and celebrate our faith through prayer and worship.
The study of other faiths and world views is carefully woven throughout the RE and wider curriculum, giving children opportunities to develop respect, understanding and appreciation for the beliefs and experiences of others.
Through The Way, we want our children not only to know about their faith, but to encounter it, live it and grow in their relationship with God.
Religious Education in the curriculum:
10% of our teaching timetable is dedicated to Religious Education. Please refer to the curriculum map and termly leaflets for more information on what the children are learning and how you can support them. The content of Religious Education at St. John Bosco Catholic School offers a systematic programme of study which comprehensively covers all the strands and requirements of The Religious Education Curriculum Directory (3-19). This ensures that the teaching and learning of Religious Education at our school reflects the vision and breadth of the teaching of the Church outlined in the Catechism.
At our school, Religious Education (RE) is a core subject and reflects the Catholic ethos and mission of the school. It forms an integral part of the curriculum and contributes to the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of all pupils.
However, in accordance with legislation, parents and carers have the right to withdraw their child, wholly or in part, from Religious Education lessons. Any parent wishing to exercise this right is encouraged to speak with the Headteacher to discuss their concerns and the nature of the provision that will be made for their child during these times.
Where a child is withdrawn from RE, we will make appropriate alternative arrangements for supervision, though we are not required to provide alternative curriculum content.
How you can help:
As the first educators of your children, it is important that they see you taking part in religious life. By attending Mass regularly and supporting them in their school work, we can work together to provide a spiritually rich environment which enables them to grow in the light and love of God.
Bosco Bear’s RE Journey through school
