The School Curriculum for Religious Education
We base our curriculum on The Religious Education Curriculum Directory for England and Wales and we use 'The Way, the Truth and the Life' as our main scheme, and a starting point to our RE teaching. We also teach the children about other religions, as part of their Religious Education.
Relationships and Sex Education (SRE), is taught to all classes using the Ten Ten scheme
Link to The Way, The Truth and The Life
The Way, The Truth and The Life overview
Early Years
The Reception Class
Autumn 1:
FS1 God’s World
This term the children will discuss the story of creation and the world God made. They will name some of the things God created. There is a focus on the need to care for the plants and animals in God’s world. We will discuss how we are all different and special to God. There is also a Mass for parents to welcome them to the school.
Autumn 2:
FS2 God’s Family
The children will discuss how they are special to their families and learn that through Baptism they are part of a wider family, the family of God. They will role play how to be kind and helpful and reflect that when we make others happy we are pleasing God. The children will hear about the class saint St. Elizabeth of Hungry and how her kind actions helped others. The term will conclude with a celebration of the Nativity story that Reception leads for the whole school and to which parents are invited.
Spring 1:
FS3 Getting to know Jesus
The term will begin by hearing and retelling the story of the Epiphany. Through role play the children will talk about times when they have shared and showed love towards each other. We will reflect on our class charter and how it is important to be kind to our friends. Reception will attend the whole school celebration of Mass at the parish Church on Ash Wednesday and think about how they can be close to God during Lent. The children will hear stories about how Jesus cured people who were ill, for example the man at the pool of Bethzatha. They will write get well cards for people they know. We will discuss the need to pray for those who are ill and that in doing so we are showing our love for them. The children will retell the story of the Wedding at Cana and begin to understand how this shows us Jesus is the Son of God.
World Faiths: Judaism
The children will explore the faith of Judaism by hearing the story of the oil lamp in the Temple. They will learn about Hanukkah and how Jewish families celebrate this festival. They will create their own menorah and play with a Dreidel dice as a way of discovering the ritual objects of the Jewish faith.
Spring 2:
FS4 Sorrow & Joy
The children will discuss the need to say sorry when they have hurt others. We will explore how Jesus can help us to say sorry and take part in an Act of Worship in the classroom asking Him to support us in being kind to others. We will read the story of St David and reflect on how he followed the Gospel. The children will hear about the events of Holy Week and how Jesus forgave his friend Peter. We will talk about how we should try to be like Jesus and forgive those who hurt us. Reception will lead an act of collective worship for the school community thanking God for our senses.
Summer 1:
FS5 New Life
This term will begin by celebrating Jesus rising from the dead. The children will discuss why we are happy at this time and create a happy Easter dance. They will lead a whole school act of collective worship reflecting how we can grow closer to God. This will include celebrating May as the Month of Mary and crowning her with flowers. Reception will attend a whole school celebration of the feast of St. Anselm in the parish Church. We will read about his life and why we remember him. The children will hear about what happened when Jesus’ friends went to the tomb. We will act out the story of Jesus appearing to the disciples and how Thomas recognised Him as the Son of God. The children will retell the story of the Ascension. To celebrate Pentecost the class will create a fire dance and paint their own flames for display.
Summer 2:
FS6 The Church
We will be learning that we are all part of the family of God and that the Church is this family. Reception will visit the Church to pray and learn the names of parts of the Church such as the tabernacle. We will have an Act of Worship in the classroom to thank God for the people who look after our Church. The children will reflect on why Sunday is a special day to say thank you to God and celebrate.
World Faiths: Islam
The children will discuss and share objects that are personally special to them and explain how they look after the things that they treasure. They will then discover how Muslims care for and show respect towards their ritual objects such as prayer mats and the Qur’an.
Year 1
Autumn 1 – God’s Great Plan
AT1 - The focus for this half term is God’s Great Plan. The children will listen to the Creation story and talk about its meaning and reflect on the knowledge that God has made us because he loves us. The children will also listen to the story of Noah and the Flood and respond to its promise of hope.
The children will learn that the rosary is a special prayer to Mary and will learn to say the Our Father and the Hail Mary. The children will listen to and act out some of the mysteries of the Rosary. In October the children will lead the school community in an act of worship with a focus on the Rosary.
AT2 - In this unit the children will be thinking about the beauty of God’s world and explore the wonders of creation. The children will learn that we have a responsibility to look after God’s world and think of ways that we can look after our world. We will also listen to the story of Our Lady of Fatima and consider its message.
World Faiths – Sikhism
The children will listen to the story of Guru Nanak and understand why he is important and reflect on the message he brings to the people.
Autumn 2 – Mary, Mother of God
AT1 - Our topic for this half term focuses on Our Lady. The children will use drama to act out the story of when God sent the Angel Gabriel to ask Mary to be the mother of his son. The children will hear about Mary’s visit to her cousin Elizabeth and reflect on their good news. We will learn how we can prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus during Advent and the children will make individual promises during each week of Advent. The children will learn about their class Saint, St Bernadette and re tell the story of Our Lady of Lourdes.
AT2- The children will identify that Mary is our mother too and reflect on how she looks after us. Towards the end of term the children will take part in a Christmas celebration retelling the story of the birth of Jesus and understand Mary’s role in it. The children will choose and talk about their favourite character in the nativity story
World Faiths - Judaism
The children will listen to the story of Abraham and understand why he was a good leader.
Spring 1 – Families and Celebrations
AT1 – The children will learn how we become part of God’s family in Baptism. The children will take part in a visit to the church and the priest will discuss the role of the font as a focal point in Baptism. The children will also learn about the symbols of Baptism. We will listen to the story of The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple and understand how and why we celebrate this special feast. The children will learn that Jesus was the special light in the world.
AT2- The children will think of reasons why it is important to belong to God’s family. The children will bring in photos of their Baptism which will be included in a class book and will share their thoughts on their special day.
World Faiths – Judaism
The children will listen to the story of Moses and reflect on what makes a good leader.
Spring 2 – Following Jesus
AT1- The children will listen to story of Jesus and the Fishermen and learn how Jesus chose some of the first disciples. The children will consider how they choose their friends. We will be listening to and acting out the story of Jesus and his followers going into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. The children will know that Jesus died on Good Friday and rose again on Easter Sunday. The children will know why we celebrate Easter and makes Easter cards to show symbols of Easter. The children will also be decorating a cross with a link to theme week for the school’s Easter reflection.
AT2- This half term the children will be leading a collective worship for the school community with a focus on identifying our differences and considering how it’s Good to be Me. The children will attend Mass for Ash Wednesday and make simple Lenten promises in preparation for Lent. The children will also be attending a school Easter reflection on the Stations of the Cross at the end of term.
World Faiths – Hinduism
The children will listen to and retell the story of Ganesh and understand his different characteristics.
Summer 1 – Resurrection
AT1- the children will know that we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus at Easter. The children will also be learning about what happened when Jesus appeared to the disciples and how he helped them to understand that he was truly risen. The children will listen to the story of when Jesus calmed the storm and act out the parable of the Good Samaritan and explain the important message in it.
AT2- The children will identify why Thomas did not believe Jesus was alive and reflect how we can believe in things we can not see. The children will consider reasons why Jesus used his power to calm the storm at sea. The children will reflect on ways we can ask God for help when we are sad or afraid and will write a prayer which will be displayed in class. The children will think of people who help in our community and think of ways in which we can be like Jesus and help others.
World Faiths – Hinduism
The children will learn about the festival of Raksha Bandham and reflect on how we can protect one another.
Summer 2 – Miracles and Going to Church
AT1- The children will build on last term’s work on helping others and listen to a range of miracles performed by Jesus. The children will know that Jesus showed his love for sick people when he cured a man who was paralysed and retell the story of Jesus and Bartimaeus. The children will learn that miracles are signs of God’s power and work because of God’s healing love. The children will also be talking about why we go to church and learning about the important parts of a church.
AT2- This half term the children will be leading a collective worship for the school community with a focus of helping others. The children will also be raising money for The Passage charity to help the homeless.
The children will also be visiting the church to identify the important parts of the church and identify ways that we are followers of Jesus.
World Faiths – Islam
The children will listen to the story of Muhammad and understand his message of kindness and reflect on our own acts of kindness.
Year 2
Autumn 1 - The Chosen People
The children will be learning that we are special gifts and chosen by God (AT1). They will write prayers thanking God for being chosen and how to show this by helping others. The children will think about ways they can help other people to help build a safe and happy school (AT2). They will know why God chose Abraham and that he trusted God to guide him (AT1). They will also reflect on how we too trust God to guide us in our daily lives (AT2). As part of an act of collective worship, the children will really look into the heart of a candle’s flame. They will think about how they feel when they look at the flame and what it reminds them of (AT2). As part of their Harvest assembly, the children will thank God for the gifts of food and water, and those who harvest the crops, whilst also reflecting on how we can grow in our faith as Christians (AT2). The children will also learn about the story of a young Jesus who visited Jerusalem during the Passover (AT1).
World Faiths – Hinduism – Linked to class topic on India
Children will learn about the Hindu Shrine in family homes, called the Puja. They will think about the importance of family, prayer and times for reflection for Hindus.
Autumn 2 - Mysteries
During this topic the children will learn about the holy mysteries and consider that whilst we may not be able to fully understand them, we can think about and reflect upon them (AF1). They will also consider what Heaven means and think about what it might be like, by writing poems and drawing their vision of Heaven (AT1). The children will understand that God is made up of three people; God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit; called the Holy Trinity (AT1). In the lead up to Christmas, the children will reflect upon advent and the meaning and symbols of the Advent wreath (AT1 & 2). The children will learn about the story of The Nativity through their Key Stage 1 Christmas Production as well as attending an act of collective worship to celebrate the birth of Jesus (AT1).
World Faiths – Judaism
The children will revisit the story of creation and learn why Saturday, the “Shabbat”, is God’s special day for members of the Jewish faith. The children will also learn more about how Jews celebrate the Shabbat with family through dress, food and prayer.
Spring 1 - The Good News
In this topic the children will reflect on how Jesus can change sadness into joy, using the story of Jairus’ daughter as an example (AT1). They will understand that they should always remember to thank Jesus for his help, but also to remember that it is never too late to thank Jesus (AT2). The children will know that Jesus used his power to help others and will reflect on the importance of these events including the Feeding of the 5000 (AT1 & 2). The school will join in an act of collective worship on Ash Wednesday to think about the time when Jesus went to the desert for forty days and nights (AT1). The children’s class assembly will reflect on God’s creations.
World Faiths – Islam
The children will learn about the importance of family for Muslims. Indeed, children are considered a gift from God and Muslims believe that a large family is a blessing. They will also learn that prayer is the most important part of a Muslim’s day and that they pray five times every day.
Spring 2 - The Mass
In this topic the children will know and reflect upon the importance of the celebration of Mass. The children will be able to identify what we find inside the Church and know that during the offertory, we offer gifts to God (AT1). The children will also understand that the gifts of bread and wine that are offered are changed into Jesus (AT1). Children will reflect on the Gospel of Luke, discussing important words and thinking about its meaning. In preparation for our collective Easter worship, the children will decorate their class cross on this year’s whole school theme, creation (AT2). As part of this year’s Theme Week on the Natural World, the children will be learning about the fable of The Three Trees, and reflect and trust that God has a plan for us, even though it may not always be clear (AT2).
Summer 1 -Eastertide
The focus for this half term will be to know that Jesus rose from the dead and still lives to be with us (AT1). The children will ask and respond to questions about experiences of bad and good news and think about how news may seem bad at first but may actually become good news. With this is mind the children will consider how Jesus appeared and told the apostles that he would send the Holy Spirit after he had gone back to Heaven (AT1). They will think about how they can be good news disciples and reflect upon how the gifts of the Holy Spirit helped and gave courage to the disciples then and to us now (AT1 & 2). They will also write acrostic prayers to Mary, the mother of Jesus, in the month of May. Children will also consider what makes a good friend, and what the qualities of a good friend are. They will discuss how the feelings of those who are not treated nicely, and think about ways to make them feel better (AT1 & 2). The children will also be learning about the life of our school Saint, St. Anselm as well as attending a Celebration Mass (AT1).
World Faiths – Sikhism
The children will learn about the importance of family life for Sikhs as well as the values of respect and politeness. They will learn that Sikhs can pray anywhere where there is a picture of a Guru and that many Sikh homes have a special place or room especially for prayer.
Summer 2 - The Church is Born
The children will learn about the time when the apostles received the Holy Spirit, and how they spread the good news (AT1). They will know that the apostles realised that God could work through them and will consider how we too can spread the good news as the apostles did (AT1 & 2). The children will find out about how the early Christian community lived and understand that we are part of the Christian community today (AT1). They will also have the opportunity to learn about, role-play and re-tell the story of Peter’s escape from prison, reflecting on its meaning (AT1). In Year 2’s act of collective worship, the children will be reflecting on their own good news, and how we can be good news disciples (AT1 & 2).
Year 3
Autumn 1: The Christian Family
Children will know that the Church gives us birth through Baptism and that through this sacrament we join the family of God. The children will reflect on their own baptisms and how it was a celebration for their family on Earth. They will learn about the signs, promises and rituals that are used during Baptism and why they are important to the sacrament. (AT1)
Children will consider the importance of Baptism as a reflection of our life within a Christian family. To support this work the children will experience a liturgical celebration based on the promises made at Baptism. (AT2)
Universal Church – World Faiths – Holy / Special Places
Children look at a Catholic church and identify why it is a special place. This will form a compare and contrast basis for study of other faiths later in the year. They will develop a religious vocabulary about the objects, icons and items within a Catholic church. They will begin to ask questions as to how the Anglican and Catholic faiths are different.
Autumn 2: Mary Our Mother
Children build on their understanding of who Mary is and her role within the Church. The learn that Mary was called by God to be the Mother of Jesus and responded to that call. They examine the prayer the Hail Mary and analyse its words and meanings; as well as reflecting on how she shows her love for us and how we can show our love for her. While considering the life of Mary the children learn about the Rosary and its importance to the Church. (AT1)
The children will begin to prepare for Christmas through the season of Advent by learning about the Advent Wreath and its significance. The will demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the stories of the shepherds’ and wise men’s visits to see the baby Jesus and that they knew he was the Son of God. They will identify ways that they can prepare for the birth of Jesus and experience an Advent liturgy. (AT2)
The class will present an assembly on Remembrance in November to the school community. This will involve them reflecting on how we show our love and respect for those in our community who have died. To support this work the children will research saints that are meaningful to them and present their findings in prayers and posters to the school community.
Universal Church – World Faiths – Holy / Special Places
Children will be introduced to the concept of pilgrimage and special places for a range of religions. The children will research and identify places of worship around the world. The learning Focus will be that the world is a special place given to us by God, to enjoy, to share and to take care of. The concept that we visit to help bring us closer to God will be explored using research and scritpture.
Spring 1: Called to Change
Children learn the meaning of the word reconciliation. They are introduced to the sacrament as a time of healing and reconciliation with God. During this half term the children learn that Jesus called people to change and turn away from sin in order to receive the love of God. They will focus on the stories of Zacchaeus and the Prodigal Son and use them as examples to understand the idea of forgiveness. They will develop an understanding of the Sacrament of Reconciliation and learn about the Act of Sorrow. This work will complement the season of Lent as a time for change and that Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent. (AT1)
The children will have the chance to reflect on Jesus and how he calls us to change and identify ways that we can change during the season of Lent. They will make their own Lenten resolutions and commit to giving something to charity through Lenten promises. They will explore the idea of what it truly means to be sorry and deepen their awareness of how forgiveness makes a person whole again. (AT2)
The class will present an assembly to the school community about the Bible and its importance to the Church. Stories will include some from both the Old and New Testaments as well as about people whose lives were influenced by its teachings.
The class will think about the gifts that God has given them and how sometimes we take things for granted. This work will support the class charity, Readathon, an organisation that helps fund resources for children in hospital.
Universal Church – World Faiths – Holy / Special Places –Judaism – The Synagogue
Children will explore why a synagogue is special to Jewish people. They will discover what is found within a synagogue and how it serves as a community centre.
Spring 2: Celebrating Easter and Pentecost
Children will focus on the events leading up to Easter Sunday and the importance of Jesus rising from the dead. Stories used to focus their learning will include Jesus on the road to Emmaus and the arrival of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. The children will develop an understanding of how the coming of the Holy Spirit changed the disciples. (AT1)
The whole school takes part in Stations of the Cross Service which is supported by the children learning about Holy Week. The theme of the cross is developed across the entire school and changes from year to year. (AT2)
Universal Church – World Faiths – Holy / Special Places – Islam – The Mosque
Children will explore why a mosque is special to Islamic people. They will discover what is found within a mosque, the activities carried out within it and respect for its importance.
Summer 1: Eucharist
The focus of the half term is preparation for the children’s First Holy Communion. The children study why Sunday is important to Christians and know that the Mass is a coming together to offer thanks to God. The children will learn some of the responses and what they mean. Lessons will develop the idea that when we receive Holy Communion we receive Jesus and that he is present in the Blessed Sacrament in the tabernacle. The children will gain an understanding that Jesus died on the cross, and rose again to save us from sin. (AT1)
The class will identify ways to make Sunday a special day and gain an appreciation for all that we have to be thankful for. Reverence and respect of the Church and the Mass will also be explored. (AT2)
Universal Church – World Faiths – Holy / Special Places – Hinduism – The Mandir
Children will explore what a mandir and its significance to Hindus. They will discover what is found within a mandir and develop respect for the way Hindus worship.
Summer 2: Being a Christian
The importance of the liturgical year and how it revolves around the Eucharist and the sacraments will be the focus of this half term. The children will develop an understanding of what being a Christian involve. The idea that we are followers of Jesus and that that involved great joy and challenges will be explored. To support this work the children will study the lives of St Peter and St Paul as examples of what it means to be a good Christian. The parable of the talents will be a focus story. The children will develop the idea that we receive great graces from God which help us to lead Christian lives. (AT1)
Investigation and discussion will revolve around individual gifts and talents. Research and discussion about the Sacraments will lead to a class assembly for the school community. Reflection for individuals will centre about how to use the gifts God has given each of us to be a good Christian. (AT2)
A whole school assembly will focus around the children’s First Holy Communion. This will allow for reflection and discussion about how God has chosen each of us to be a Christian and how we can share this gift with others. There will also be an opportunity to celebrate their receiving of Communion through a class mass.
Universal Church – World Faiths – Holy / Special Places – Sikism – Gurdwara, Langar Amritsar
Children will explore a gurdwara and how it welcomes people. They will discover what Langar is, as well as exploring Amritsar: the golden Temple.
Year 4 Religious Education Curriculum
Autumn 1: The Bible
The focus of our lessons this half term is the Bible. The children will know that the Bible is a story of God’s love and concern for us. They will listen to the New Testament stories of Abraham, Joseph, Moses and David to consider the challenges and blessings they experience and reflect on what can be learnt from this. They will read and discuss Bible quotations to reflect on ways in which God speaks to us in the Bible. We will be reading and performing some of the stories in the Old Testament and identify God’s message to us. (AT1)
We will explore how the Bible helps us to pray and share our responses in a class reflection. This will be part of our class display in order to focus children and remind them of the need for daily prayer. (AT2)
Worlds Faiths: This term, the children will learn about the importance of the Sikh holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib. They will understand the guru’s guide and teach the Sikhs and discover the first gurus.
Autumn 2: Trust in God
Our unit this term is Trust in God. We will reflect on the importance of trusting in Jesus and following his teaching. We will be thinking about people we trust in our own lives, discussing ways in which we can place our trust in others in order to understand that God has a plan for us all. The children will describe Mary’s feelings at the Annunciation and learn about the promises God made to Mary through the angel Gabriel. (AT1)
The children will reflect on the importance of keeping promises and make their own Advent promises. They will lead an assembly with the school community to share in the special season of Advent. To reflect on how Mary and Joseph placed all their trust in God, we will experience the celebration of the Nativity. So that the children can deepen their awareness of God’s love for us and know that he asks us to trust in Him we will be learning about the life and work of St Vincent de Paul. As part of our preparation for Christmas we shall be making and packaging Christmas cakes to sell at the Christmas fare. We will be raising money for the charity Christian Aid to support vulnerable families all over the world living through difficult times. (AT2)
Spring 1: Jesus, the teacher
This term we learn that Jesus was born a Jew and will learn about the similarities and differences between places of worship for Jews and Christians. We will read and discuss the story of the presentation of Jesus in the temple. In reading and re-enacting different parables Jesus told, the children will know that a parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning and understand that Jesus travelled around teaching parables to show us the way to live. (AT1)
In reflection the children will relate the messages of the parables studied to the relevance of parables for us today so they can appreciate ways in which Jesus shows us how to live. We will reflect on Jesus as a leader of the apostles and reflect on qualities of leadership to find examples we can follow. They will learn about the life and work of Saint Martin de Porres and follow in his footsteps to lead an assembly with the school community about how important it is to care for our environment and the world around us. (AT2)
Worlds Faiths: The children will learn about the importance of the Jewish holy book, the Torah. They will discover the synagogue is a community centre, learning about the special occasion of becoming Bar or Bat Mitzvah.
Spring 2: Jesus, the Saviour
In learning about Jesus, the Saviour, the children will know that Jesus is truly God and, as man, truly human. They will identify ways in which Jesus came to share our life so that we can share in his. They will read and reflect on the events of holy week and know what happened on Easter Sunday. (AT1)
The children will write Lenten promises to recognise Lent is an opportunity for us to change our behaviour and live as Jesus told. They will attend mass on Ash Wednesday in order to prepare for the holy season of Lent. They will take part in an Easter Reflection on the Stations of the Cross to consider the events of Holy Week in a school community. (AT2)
Worlds Faiths: The children will learn about the sacred writings that guide the lives of Hindus and understand that Hindus search for truth through their stories. They will discover a collection of teachings from holy books and Vedas and Bhagavad-Gita.
Summer 1-Mission of the Church
This unit we focus on the Mission of the Church and know that God the Father sent his Son to save us. We learn about St Peter who was chosen to become the first Pope and think about the reasons Jesus chose him to play such a special role in the Church. The children will learn that Jesus sent his spirit at Pentecost to help his followers spread the Good News. (AT 1)
We will be visiting the Friars at Aylesford Priory which is a Carmelite monastery to learn about the story of St Simon Stock and see his relics. The children will listen to the story of the visitation of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and leave with a greater sense of the call to prayer to reflect on ways in which we can spread the Good News in our own lives. They will take part in a reflection around Rosary Way to think about he Stations of the Cross through the eyes of Our Lady. (AT2)
Worlds Faiths: The children will learn about the importance of the Qur’an for Muslims and discover the 99 names for Allah to understand the Qur'an guides the lives of Muslims.
Summer 2- Belonging to the Church
In this unit, the children will know what a community is and that there are different types of communities. We will be learning about the community of the Church and have some understanding of the Creed as a Statement of our faith in which we express our beliefs and vision. The children will know that we become part of the family of the Church at Baptism and that we mark our total belonging to Christ when we receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. They will describe one of the great feasts that the church celebrates and say why it is important. (AT1)
They will reflect on the different communities to which we belong. In reflecting on the joys and challenges of belonging to a community we will support the work of Wateraid in helping communities around the world by completing a sponsored walk for water. The children will explore how we show commitment to our communities and reflect on what it means to belong to our parish church community. (AT2)
Year 5
Autumn 1: Gifts from God
The children will know the story of Creation and the Fall in Genesis, and they will understand that we are all created in the image of Jesus. The children will think about how God calls us to care for each other and all creation with love and respect. This work will be supported by a visit from CAFOD to talk about their work in Africa.
The children will think about how we sometimes fail to be good stewards of creation.
The life of St Francis will be studied so that children can consider how he showed great respect for the weakest members of society and learn of his great love of God’s creation. They will look at the prayers of St Francis and interpret their meanings. (AT1). The children will consider how they can show respect for others and for God, reflecting on times when they failed to show respect. We will consider the gifts that God has given us and how we can use them to good effect. While considering the story of St Francis, the children will reflect on what they imagine he would feel about what is happening in the world today. (AT2)
To support this work, Year 5 will lead an assembly with the school community about God’s wonderful Creation and their responsibility to be good stewards of Creation.
Following the CAFOD research and class talk, the children raise money for an emergency appeal.
World Faiths: Judaism – Passover/Pesach. Children will learn the story of Exodus, and the release of the Israelites. We will study why and how Jewish people celebrate this time, including the Seder plate and the Passover meal.
Autumn 2: Reconciliation and Advent
Children build on their understanding of what a sin is, learning that when we sin we hurt ourselves and others and damage our relationship with God. They also develop a deeper understanding of how God loves us and forgives us if we are truly sorry. Children take part in a school service of Reconciliation and they understand how to prepare themselves for this Sacrament. The children revisit the parable of the prodigal son and its meaning. (AT1). Using everyday examples of modern situation, children explain why people do wrong and why we should be sorry for the hurt we cause, not the consequences to us. Children will have the opportunity to reflect on what strengthens their friendship with God and with others. They will take part in class reflections where they consider and discuss the importance of forgiveness. (AT2)
During Advent, children will learn about the symbolism of the Advent Wreath. They consider the four candles (Hope, Peace, Joy and Love), writing prayers for each.
Children will share the Nativity story with Reception class through their Christmas Play, and Bible references will be used to find out about what the gospels tell us about the Birth of Christ.
World Faiths: Judaism – The Shema. This term children will learn about the belief in one God. They will recite the Shema and think about the importance of it. We will think about why and how we make commitment to God.
Spring 1: Inspirational People
The children identify people today who are an inspiration in their service for others and write about how they inspire them. They will find out about the lives of inspirational people who have shown great love for others. There will be a particular focus on St Maximilian Kolbe and our class saint, Josephine Bakhita. The children will learn about the conditions for following Jesus and know how Jesus described a true disciple. (AT1)The children will take time to reflect on their commitment to following Jesus and will consider how they can serve others at home, school, locally and globally.(AT2)
The children will share their work on inspirational people with the school community through a class assembly.
World Faiths: Islam- Special times. Children will remember the basics of Islam, and learn about how special times are celebrated. They will learn about Eid and Ramadan, and the links between the two celebrations. We will think about why Muslims renew their faith, and the importance of thanking God.
Spring 2: Lent and Easter
Last half term the lessons learnt about how to be a follower of Jesus are continued and linked with learning about the season of Lent. The children will focus on forgiveness, looking at their own grudges and how these can be overcome through prayer. Children will consider the life of St Josephine Bakhita again and use her example to help them understand that forgiveness is a gift from God. The class focus Lent will be one of forgiveness and the children will make their own Lenten promises. Children use Bible references to support their understanding of the events of Holy Week. (AT1).
In class the children will reflect on how they treat others and on any grudges that they hold. Class reflections will encourage forgiveness and the words of the Our Father will support the children in this. Children take part in Ash Wednesday Mass as they prepare for Lent. The whole school take part in the Stations of the Cross, and this is supported in class as the children learn about the events of Holy Week. A cross is decorated and shared with the school community. The theme of this cross changes from year to year (creation, forgiveness, hope etc) (AT2.
World Faiths: Islam – Pilgrimage. Children will learn about the pilgrimage that Muslims make to Mecca, and the importance of religious journeys. They will think about how the journey might affect a Muslim taking the pilgra,age, and how they would feel afterwards.
Summer 1: Life in the Risen Jesus / The Rights of every Child.
The children will learn the story of the appearance of Jesus to Mary of Magdala and understand that Jesus is risen from the dead. They will write an account of the Resurrection story from different points of view. The children will consider how Jesus is present among us in different ways and we will reflect upon how others can see Jesus in us by our words and actions.
The children will understand that we can pray in different ways and they will learn the Hail Holy Queen. (AT1). They will reflect upon their own actions and words and say what they will try to do to ensure that they show they are a follower of Jesus. They will also reflect on the power and importance of prayer and how it helps us overcome difficulties in our lives. We write petitions and prayers to Our Lady in the month of May, asking her for help in different ways. These prayers are shared with the class daily in reflections.(AT2)
Charter of Rights for every Child
The children will learn about the United Nations Charter for the Rights of every Child. They will consider the rights that are most important for all children and write their own child friendly version of the charter. They will consider how the RE work this year links with the rights of the child, reflecting on how all followers of Jesus should strive to protect the weakest members of society. Children work collaboratively to prepare speeches about their charters which they share with the school community.
Year 5 present an assembly to the school where they consider the fact that God has a plan for all of us and that we need to trust God and listen to his word. They use different religious stories to support their assembly and share their own reflections.
World Faiths: Hinduism – Brahman, supreme God. This term, children will learn about Brahman, and will think about important things in life, including what is important now but will change in comparison to what will always be important. They will learn about the story of Brahman, and how different aspects of Brahman are represented by different Gods.
Summer 2: The Commandments/ People of other Faiths
The children learn the story of Moses and that God gave him the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai, and that these are a gift from God to help us. The children understand how we can show our love for God by keeping his commandments.
The children consider that we live in a country where people have many beliefs and cultures. They learn that Christianity comes from Judaism and they research what beliefs we share. They describe and arrange a Passover meal and explain the Link to Old Testament stories. (AT1). We reflect on how we treat others with different beliefs to our own and they appreciate what we have in common with people of other faiths. They visit a local Synagogue to learn about Judaism. Children try to explain what they believe and how their behaviour is effected by these beliefs.(AT2).
World Faiths: Sikhism – The Khalsa. Children will develop an understanding of the Community of the Pure. They will learn about the Five Ks, and how Sikh people use them to show their commitment to God. We will also study the Mool mantra, and think about how it might shape the life of a Sikh, and help them in their day to day life.
Year 6
Autumn Term 1 – The Kingdom of God
The children will learn that everyone is invited to God Kingdom and we can choose how to respond to the invitation. They will consider what God’s Kingdom is like and how we must work to become part of it.(AT1) They will look at how Jesus’ miracles show us God’s power and reflect on what his Kingdom will be like.(AT2) Each child will create their own invitation to God’s Kingdom(AT2). The children will read and discuss parables in which Jesus tried to explain his Kingdom and they will use the Parable of the Sower to think about different types of friendship.
Clear links are made between PHSE and the free will we have been given to make choices.
Autumn Term 2- Justice
The theme of Justice will form the basis for our class assembly, building towards a class mass at the end of the term. (AT 1&2)The children will learn about key people who have risked their life to speak out against injustice and also learn about the work of Christian agencies who work around the world to end injustice. A support worker from CAFOD will come into class to lead a workshop consisting of games, drama and a power point presentation to teach the class about some of the charities key projects and aims (AT1) This is further developed through the class fundraising for a chosen charity at the Christmas Fair.(AT2)
By the end of the topic children will have increased their awareness of our duty to speak out against injustice, at home, in s