Religious Education Department

Subject Outline / Aim

Why are we here?

Christ is at the centre of all that we do and teach in RE, guided by the school’s commitment to the fundamental principles of Catholic education. We endorse the belief that every individual is unique and loved by God and that human love is ultimately to be valued and treasured.

We work with young people in a way that always enhances self-esteem and self-worth and which encourages the dignity of every individual. We use a variety of learning experiences to enable students to enquire into matters of faith, belief, truth, justice, respect, freedom and religious commitment. Religious Education has a key role in pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural education and impacts on learning in other subjects. We work with the chaplaincy, pastoral teams, and other organisations to promote the development of the whole person. We recognise the diversity of the students in our school community in background, experience, ability and religious faith and promote a culture of respect through our work and studies.

Students say they enjoy RE at Holy Family because “You get to discuss difficult questions”, “there are lots of debates and people can express their opinions and beliefs” and “no one judges”. When asked why it is important to study RE students say “As well as being a Catholic school, RE helps us to grow in faith, it opens our minds and gives us morals to live by.”

Follow the link to read a statement from the Catholic Education Service on Religious Education in Catholic Schools.

Religious Education in Catholic schools (catholiceducation.org.uk)

My Future. My Career. My RE. - TrueTube

KS3

In Key Stage 3 we study the foundations of Catholic Christianity to prepare the groundwork for GCSE. This includes the beginnings of Christianity and the historical development of the Church. We study the life, death and resurrection of Jesus and what this means for believers. The unit of work on Creation links to stewardship and respect for all life. We also study Hinduism and Islam to enable students to be aware of a variety or religious traditions and to be prepared to live in a multi faith and inclusive society. Students also have an introduction to Philosophy and Ethics with a focus on Virtues and Catholic Character education.

Please click on the links for an overview of the curriculum in years 7, 8 and 9.

Year 7

Year 8

Year 9