Rationale 

“Teaching has an extraordinary moral depth and is one of humankind’s most excellent and creative activities, for the teacher does not write on inanimate material but on the very spirit of human beings.”

The Catholic School on the Threshold of the Third Millennium,

Religious education lies at the very heart of the Catholic Church’s Mission in education and therefore at the very heart of our curriculum at St John XXIII Catholic Primary School.

The RE policy at our school, with this Mission in mind, is set out by governors and staff in order to to put Christ and the teachings of the Catholic Church at the centre of the educational enterprise alongside an understanding of our position as part of a wider, multi-faith community.

Religious Education at St John XXIII aims to foster:

• The content of the Curriculum Directory for Religious Education
• A platform to meet and understand Christ more deeply.
• Knowledge and understanding of The Catholic Church
• Pupils with an understanding of their Catholic faith, a love of God and the foundation for a life of faith
• Knowledge and understanding of the response of The Catholic Church to the ultimate questions about human life, its origin and purpose
• The skills required to engage in examination of and reflection on religious belief and practice
• A degree of understanding and awareness of other major world religions
• An understanding of the Mission of our school and the life and teachings of our school saint: St John XXIII

Outlines of study

• To provide opportunities for spiritual growth and development through participation in a variety of forms of worship and all forms of prayer – formal, informal, spontaneous, private, shared, petitionary and meditative.
• To foster a catechetical community involving children, staff, parents, school governors and the parish.
• To inspire a sense of responsibility, to witness to the Gospel in word and deed.
• To develop an authentic understanding of the requirement to be of aid to those in need.
• To develop knowledge and understanding of the mystery of God and of the person of Jesus Christ as well as of the Church and the central beliefs which Catholics hold.
• To develop awareness and appreciation of Catholic belief and an understanding of its impact on personal and social behaviour by encouraging children to explore and reflect on the Scriptures with the teachings of the Catholic Church.
• To develop the ability to listen; to think critically, spiritually, ethically and theologically; to acquire knowledge and organise it effectively and to make informed judgements in the light of the Catholic faith.
• To engender the Gospel values of love, peace and justice, that influence all our activities and relationships in a caring, yet challenging manner.
• To foster appropriate attitudes; for example, respect for truth, respects for the views of others; awareness of the spiritual, of moral responsibility, of the demands of religious commitment in everyday life, and especially the challenge of living in a multi-cultural, multi-faith society.
• As priests, parish assistants, governors, parents, teachers and support staff of the school, we are called to reach out and respect the school community whatever stage they are at in their journey of faith. (General Directory for Catechesis 1997: Congregation for the Clergy 23)
• To demonstrate visibly that St John XXIII is a Catholic school by the evidence of sacramental objects, posters, prayer tables, etc. around the school.

Conclusion

At St John XXIII we aim to allow all children to become religiously literate in order to develop an authentic love for God, and to make the most of their talents – with and understanding that we are all created in the image of God.

The outcome of excellent religious education is religiously literate and consciously 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 recognise the demands of religious commitment in everyday life.

The Religious Education Directory 2023