Religious Education
The Religious Education within the school promotes awe, wonder, reverence and spirituality within every child. As children are taught about God’s love, they discover their Christian responsibilities and how they should pray and care for others through the Church’s moral and social teaching.
Children follow the RE curriculum scheme ‘The Way, The Truth and The Life’ from Year 3 to Year 6. Each year, children cover topics linked to the liturgical year. We teach tolerance and respect for other faiths, races, cultures and communities within each of these topics.
Our Catholic faith is central to day-to-day life of our school and all aspects of the curriculum, and pupils are encouraged to recognise the importance of their faith and they respond to all forms of liturgy and collective worship with respect and reverence.
Religious Education is further enhanced through our close relationship with the parish of St Joseph’s Pontefract. We have a rich liturgical life in that the experiences we provide are wide ranging and take place in school, out of school, in Church and the wider community, and engage and involve pupils, parents, staff and governors.
Implementation
As RE is a core subject, it is taught for 10% of the curriculum, in line with the Bishops’ Conference recommendations. Collective worship is in addition to this. We follow ‘The Way, The Truth and The Life’ Religious Education Programme from Year 3 through to Year 6.
- The curriculum hours in RE are non-negotiable and are followed by all staff in the school.
- Carefully designed schemes of learning in RE ensure consistency and progress of all learners. We follow the agreed syllabus from the Leeds Diocese ‘The Way, The Truth and the Life’.
- Each year group will study a number of units over the year. The units are developmental, building on previous knowledge and experience and taking into account of the children’s age and understanding.
- The topics covered by each year group are as detailed on the curriculum overview.
- RE is taught individually but plays a central role in all areas of school life.
- The life and work of key figures in the History of the people of God will be studied for example, lives of the saints.
- Approaches will include whole class teaching, group activities and individual work. Children will have opportunities to work individually as well as cooperatively and collaboratively, developing their own knowledge and expertise as well as sharing experiences with others.
- Pupils will participate in Mass, feast days, Holy days collective worship which will involve religious actions and worship including the celebration of the sacraments.
Impact
As a result of these strategies, children at St Joseph’s Catholic Primary:
- Are happy, well-rounded individuals who have developed a deep-rooted relationship with God and understanding of their Catholic faith.
- Are ambassadors for Christ who are ready to go out into the world and proclaim the values of the Gospel confidently, building the Kingdom of God through compassion, justice, love and forgiveness in their relationship with others.
- Understand that they are part of the family of God and know how they can play their part in this Global family united by Christ.
- Are well prepared for the next stage of their education as confident and enthusiastic learners.
- Produce good quality work, which they are proud of.
- Achieve consistently well in all areas of Religious Education and make exceptional progress.
Religious Education Curriculum Overview
From September 2025, Religious Education has been taught using a new Catholic RE Programme called ‘Lighting the Path’ published by Oxford University Press and approved by the Diocese of Leeds. The implementation of the new programme will be phased over the next two academic years.
Children in the Early Years and Key Stage One are taught using Lighting the Path from this September 2025, followed by all Key Stage Two classes in September 2026.
Lighting the Path follows a spiral curriculum which means that each year group follows the same broad theme, but the content differs depending on the age of the pupils.
Years Three, Four, Five and Six will continue to follow The Way, the Truth and the Life Programme until implementation in September 2026.
Collective Worship- Currently under review
RE Policy-Currently under review