Intent
As a Catholic school, Religious Education is a central part of our curriculum. The purpose of Religious Education at St. Vincent’s is to nurture the development of the Catholic faith and its teachings for our pupils. Through the Religious Education curriculum and our school ethos, we aspire to encourage all children to develop a better relationship with God and others around them.
For more information, please click here for our Religious Education Policy .
Implementation
Our curriculum is structured using the six-component structure outlined in the Religious Education Directory ‘To Know You More Clearly’ (2023) Model Curriculum section 2.4. Each component is known as a ‘branch’. The branches focus on a core theme, inviting pupils to learn about an aspect of scripture or revelation, key Catholic doctrine and belief, an exploration of how these beliefs are expressed in Catholic tradition and the impact of belief on life.
The six curriculum branches and their themes are:
- Creation and Covenant: In this branch, pupils will encounter the God who creates and calls a people.
- Prophecy and Promise: In this branch pupils will explore the expectant waiting for the Messiah through the Advent season and how this speaks to Christians today as they wait for Christ.
- Galilee to Jerusalem: In this branch, pupils will experience the ministry of Jesus, the Word of God. They will learn about the life of Jesus and his revelation of the Kingdom of God through parables, encounters, miracles, and teachings.
- Desert to Garden: In this branch, pupils will study the season of Lent and its culmination in the events of Holy Week.
- To the Ends of the Earth: In this branch, pupils will study the events that flowed from the Resurrection and Ascension in the coming of the Holy Spirit and the work of the apostles and early Church.
- Dialogue and Encounter: In this branch, pupils will learn how Christians work together with people of different religious convictions and all people of goodwill towards the common good, respecting the dignity of all humanity.
The Religious Education curriculum is further supplemented through the coverage of key and current events in the life of the Catholic Church such as Jubilee years, the inauguration of the Pope and other liturgical celebrations within the local or global community. The supplementary materials provided by the Diocese of Westminster are recommended to be used by teachers for this purpose.
Catholic Social Teaching
‘Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth’. 1 John 3:18.
Formed by the wisdom of Church leaders and shaped by the daily experience of Catholics everywhere, Catholic Social Teaching (CST) provides a moral compass to live out the Catholic faith.
CST is based on a tradition of episcopal and papal writings on political, economic and social issues facing our time. CST provides Catholics with a structure on how to encompass and apply these reflections to our daily lives. More importantly, it guides us on how we should respond to our faith as individuals, and actively respond to God’s call to work towards a common good.
CST at St. Vincent’s is delivered using Caritas Westminster ‘Rooted in Love’ materials. The ‘Rooted in Love’ programme aims to equip pupils with a strong understanding of CST and how they can put their faith into action in their daily lives. CST enables the children to think about social justice issues across the globe and in their local community and how to act on these.
An essential part of the Catholic faith, the key values of Catholic Social Teaching are found at the core of the Gospel. The ‘Rooted in Love’ programme delivers these key values through six themes:
- Autumn 1: Care for Creation
- Autumn 2: Preferential Option for the Poor
- Spring 1: Solidarity and Peace
- Spring 1: Community and Participation
- Summer 1: Dignity of workers
- Summer 2: Dignity
Click here to see the Religious Education Curriculum Directory: To Know You More Clearly
Click here to see the Religious Education Progression Map
Our Religious Education curriculum includes the teaching of least two other religions per year. 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. As the Church says, “The love for all men and women is necessarily also a love for their culture. Catholic schools are, by their very vocation, intercultural.” (Congregation for Catholic Education p61).
Impact
Please click here to see our most recent Religious Education news posts, celebrating all the Religious Education learning that is taking place in the school.
Withdrawal from Religious Education
At St. Vincent’s Catholic Primary School, our Religious Education (RE) and Collective Worship programmes are central to the Catholic mission and identity of our school. Through them we strive to help pupils grow spiritually, morally and socially, developing understanding, respect for others, and a knowledge of the Catholic faith as well as other world religions.
However, the Diocese of Westminster — following the guidance of the Catholic Education Service — recognises that parents and carers have a legal right to request that their child be withdrawn from all or part of Religious Education.
If you are considering this:
- Please contact the Headteacher in writing with your request. The request may specify withdrawal from the entire Religious Education programme or only particular parts.
- Following receipt of your request, the Headteacher will invite you to have a discussion to ensure you understand the content, aims and importance of our RE curriculum (including how it fosters knowledge of the Catholic faith and of other world religions), and to clarify exactly which activities you wish your child to be withdrawn from. We hope this conversation may help you reconsider the request; however, your right will be respected.
- If withdrawal is confirmed, we will put in place appropriate arrangements for your child during the time of Religious Education— for example, supervised work elsewhere. The school is not required to provide alternative teaching or incur additional cost.
- Please note that withdrawal applies only to Religious Education lessons; it does not apply to other subjects of the curriculum (e.g. History, PSHE, English), even if religious themes arise during teaching.
- If you wish to request withdrawal for your child, or to discuss this further, please write to the Headteacher.