Our Lady Queen of Heaven Catholic Primary SchoolReligious Education
JOURNEYING TOGETHER WITH CHRIST
Our Mission Statement is central to the life of the school. As a Catholic School, working together with parents, we provide a Christian learning environment, where Christ is at the heart of the Community, where every member of the school is valued and where the presence of God in Sacrament and Word is regularly celebrated.
Our Intent
“At the heart of Catholic education is the person of Jesus Christ. The Catholic school provides an educational framework within which our young people can grow in their relationship with Christ in a way that takes account of their individual human development.” (The Diocesan Policy on Religious Education and Collective Worship 2014). We aim to instil in our pupils the aspiration to ‘journey together with Christ’ throughout their lives.
“Within the curriculum, classroom Religious Education’s main purpose is to engage pupils in a systematic study of the mystery of Christ which we believe holds the fullness of the truth that God has revealed.” Our aim is that, through our teachers’ creative lessons, our children should become “religiously literate and 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 are aware of the demands of religious commitment in everyday life.” (The Diocesan Policy on Religious Education and Collective Worship 2014)
All that we do in school is based upon the Gospel values of love, respect, self-discipline, self-control, perseverance, determination, a sense of fair play and thoughtfulness for others in school and in the wider community. We aim to develop our children’s knowledge and understanding of their Catholic faith and to enable them to engage with, and respond to, that faith.
Children listen, read and respond to scripture and religious stories, developing their familiarity with and understanding of those stories. They learn to make links between those stories and to see the connections between beliefs and their own lives. At a level appropriate to their age children explain meaning and purpose in scripture passages showing their understanding of scripture sources used. Children become confident in developing their range of religious vocabulary and in understanding religious signs and symbols. They have the chance to debate and express original points of view, helping them to grow in confidence, curiosity and resilience.
We aim to instil in our pupils the aspiration to remain steadfast on own their journey with Christ as their understanding of the links found between the scriptures and their own beliefs and lives become apparent. We also seek to show that the resilience of many key figures in the history of the people of God and in the world provide models for our children’s own resilience as they continue on their personal journeys, helping them to persevere in their search for Christ with growing independence.
We provide opportunities for quiet thought and contemplation in our RE lessons, worships, liturgies, outdoor lessons, walks etc encouraging children to be reflective. They have opportunities to experience the natural world, stimulating their curiosity and developing a sense of awe and wonder. We encourage them to ask wondering questions and to talk about their own feelings, experiences and things that matter to them. This helps children to develop curiosity and independent thought as well as resilience in realising that, although we should ask questions, we cannot always know the answers to them.
Through our RE lessons children understand that people act a certain way because of their religious beliefs. They compare other people’s ideas and work co-operatively interacting with others in meaningful ways. They also have the opportunity to learn about other faiths, fostering reflection, curiosity and tolerance and encouraging respect for one another. Children will develop an understanding of the demands of religious commitment in everyday life-in a multicultural, multi-faith society. We will invite speakers from Other Faiths and charities to speak about their belief and work.
At OLQH we aim to foster a reverence for God, deepening understanding of the mysteries of our Catholic faith and facilitating personal growth and development. RE lessons reflect a growing awareness of moral responsibility and a developing spirituality as children move forwards in their understanding of prayer and its importance in our lives.
We work collaboratively with parents and parishes to bring about a growing commitment to faith in our school family.
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