RE Intent Statement

At St Francis our intent is to provide a curriculum that deepens every child’s understanding of the Catholic faith and other Religions. Religious Education in St. Francis school prioritises the development of the whole child; in our planning and Programme Of Study content we aim to bring about spiritual, moral, social, aesthetic and cognitive growth.  We recognise that the children we teach are called by name to praise and serve our Lord in a multicultural technological society.  The Programme of Study for RE seeks to develop the skills to empower our children with the ability to enquire, investigate, celebrate and communicate their joy in being a child of God and a member of the Christian community.

RE Implementation

At St Francis, Religious Education is identified as a core subject and is allocated 10% of the curriculum timetable every week.  The children also experience the teaching of RE through hymn practices and weekly assemblies that link to Gospel values and Catholic Social Teaching. The learning set out in Ten Ten’s Relationship and Health Education (RHE) programme, ‘Life to the Full’, compliments the teachings of the Catholic faith.

To support the teaching of Religious Education, we follow ‘The Way, The Truth and The Life’ scheme of work. Additional resources, such as the scheme ‘Come and See’, are used to support the teaching of other faiths. The schemes are used as a starting point for teachers to plan lessons that promote a deeper level of thinking through techniques such as analysis, reasoning and comparison. Subsequent lessons consolidate and extend pupils’ knowledge and understanding so that our children make good progress in RE. 

Cross-curricular links are used to enhance the quality of our Curriculum; RE is taught through Drama, Literacy, Art, Music, History and Geography and Modern Foreign Languages.

Quality displays, class big books and working walls are used to provide opportunities for pupils to respond to scripture and develop an understanding of key vocabulary.

Strong links with our parish priests and community help prepare our children for engaging in the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Communion.  Class teachers and the RE lead support parents and parish in the catechetical formation process through the use of The Way, The Truth and The Life and assembly input.  The Headteacher/ Co-ordinator liaises regularly with the parish catechetical team. 

RE Impact

The content of the Programme Of Study for RE and RHE will bring about the following learning outcomes:

1. Knowledge of the Holy Trinity
2. Knowledge of Mary the Mother of God
3. Knowledge of the Bible
4. Knowledge and awareness of the liturgical year
5. Knowledge and recall of prayers of the church
6. Knowledge and participation in the sacramental life of the church
7. Knowledge of holy men and women
8. Knowledge of the purpose and structure of the church
9. Knowledge of practice of the Christian way of life
10. Development of Christian values and attitudes
11. Development of individuals spirituality and prayer life

We assess the children’s development and progress in RE through their oral responses, creative and written work. Moderation within school and externally supports teachers in making accurate judgements which are then recorded on pupil asset. Parents are informed of their child’s progress in RE through parents evenings and the end of year school report.
In depth assessment enables teachers to plan accordingly, catering for the needs of every child in our care. 

The children at St Francis enjoy learning in RE and make links between their own lives, the life of Jesus and those of others in their community, locally and worldwide.  They demonstrate kindness, compassion and love for one another through modelling the school’s values of Joy, Trust, Respect and Faith. They recognise what it means to be a witness of Christ.