OUR LADY’S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL
Religious Education (RE) and Collective Worship Policy
Mission Statement
Our Lady's School is founded on faith in Jesus Christ and the life of the school community is centred
on His presence.
Rationale
‘The outcome of Religious Education in our Catholic schools is to develop religiously literate young
people who have the knowledge, understanding and skills - appropriate to their age and capacity - to
think spiritually, ethically and theologically, and who are aware of the demands of religious
commitment in everyday life.’
(Religious Education Curriculum Directory for Catholic Schools)
Context Statement
The whole experience of learning at Our Lady’s School is set within a Christian environment. The
majority of children attending our school are baptised Catholics but we are aware that all our
children are at various stages in their faith journey. We seek to enrich and develop their personal
relationship with God and deepen their understanding of the Catholic faith. This will be facilitated by
the exploration and teaching of Catholic beliefs and practices, and complemented in our collective
worship.
Aims and Objectives of Religious Education
Our Religious Education programme is founded on the aims stated in our Mission Statement.
Aims
 To assist the parents and parish in the religious formation giving children a firm
understanding and knowledge of faith.
 To facilitate the growth in our pupils of the underlying values which give meaning to their
lives, and to the whole education process.
 To enable children to form a strong and living relationship with God through Jesus Christ and
His Church.
Objectives
 To enhance the pupils sense of mystery and wonder.
 To help the pupils to develop a personal relationship with Jesus and experience the Good
News of the Gospel.
 To offer a committed presentation of the Catholic Faith.
 To enable pupils to grow in their awareness of what it means to be a member of the Church.
 To invite the pupils to respond freely to the grace of the revealing God.
 To encourage our pupils to reflect on their lives and on society in the light of the Gospel.
 To support the parents in creating a Christian Community built on the experience of prayer
and liturgy.
 To develop in our pupils, knowledge and understanding of the teachings of the Catholic
Church and empathetic appreciation of the faiths of others.
 To enable our pupils to move from an inherited faith (or non-faith), to a personal faith (living
faith).
 To develop a sense of social justice within our pupils.
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To consider moral issues, so helping pupils to form their conscience in the light of the
Church’s teaching.
To help to give the children a basic understanding of the Sacraments and the Mass.
A religious programme that ensures progression.
Enabling the children to become familiar with religious language, symbols, signs and
gestures of worship and prayer.
Developing an awareness that living in God's way will always demand a commitment and
involve a sense of community.
The Religious Education Curriculum
At Our Lady's School we use “Come and See” as the core resource. This programme is based on the
expectation of religious education given in the Religious Education Curriculum Directory for
Catholic Schools. It is supplemented with cross curricular and multi faith resources.
Religious Education Programme
The whole school explores the “Come and See” Themes of Church, Sacrament and Christian Living,
through topics relevant to children’s age group as set out in the programme, and within the same
timescale. The main approach used is subject specific lessons, but other approaches including topic
based work and integration with other curricular areas may be used. We are always aware that
Religious Education permeates all that we do at Our Lady’s School.
In Year 3 children are prepared to receive the sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist by the
Parish.
The school specially celebrates feast days of Our Lady, patron of our school and the feast days of the
School House saints (David, Patrick, George and Andrew) are also special occasions. Stories about
the lives of other saints may be incorporated into our collective worship.
Other faith dimensions, Judaism and Sikhism are covered as recommended in "Come and See".
Other faiths also may be approached through assemblies or other curriculum areas.
Story and Scripture
Story is an essential feature of the delivery of the RE curriculum. The power of the story is harnessed
to help children on their faith journey. Stories of relevance to particular topics and year groups are
found in the classroom as well as the RE resource cupboard. Copies of God’s Story and The
Church’s Story are available in each classroom.
Provision for Spiritual development and Moral Education
Spiritual Development
Our children's moral and spiritual development is constantly promoted through the ethos of the
school. At Our Lady’s School we seek to develop a climate within which all pupils can grow and
flourish, respect others and be respected. The spiritual dimension permeates all other curriculum
areas and many links are made with the Christian community. Children are given the opportunity to
explore values and beliefs and the way in which they impact on peoples lives. Children's
relationships with staff enable them to share any worries or difficulties.
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Moral Education
Development of a sense of personal responsibility and strong moral values are central to the whole
ethos of Our Lady's School. These are reflected in our "Education for Personal Relationships" policy
and attitudes towards behaviour and discipline throughout the school. Children are taught respect for
other people’s needs, interests and feelings, regardless of race, colour or creed. Posters are displayed
around the school reinforcing our school’s values. Environmental issues and ideas about peace and
justice and their implications are explored in various curriculum areas. These are linked with
Christian teaching. Great importance is given to the work of charities and aid agencies and at Our
Lady’s School we regularly support (both by prayer and financial means) the work of Catholic
Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD) and The Catholic Children’s Society. Contributions
are also made to the annual Remembrance Day Poppy Appeal and some missionary activities.
Donations are made to other charities on occasions, often prompted by suggestions from the children
and have included Blue Peter Appeals, Children in Need and Help the Aged, Mission in Lesotho and
Tsunami Appeal. Children have organised cake sales to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support
and to support relief efforts for Typhoon Haiyan.
Time Allocation
Around 10% of specific teaching time is given to Religious Education. This is supplemented by
school and class collective worship. Reception Class have short lessons. Key Stage 1 and 2 have
longer lessons, 2 or 3 times a week.
Planning, Assessment and Recording of Religious Education
Planning is based on the "Come and See" programme which is the Diocesan scheme and which states
clear learning objectives and suggested activities. The scheme is supplemented using information
from other resources including The Way, the Truth and the Life. For medium term planning Class
teachers use the Diocesan format. Short term plans are kept by individual staff.
Copies of medium term plans will be kept by the class teacher, and headteacher.
Teacher assessment will be carried out against the “Levels of Attainment in Religious Education in
Catholic Schools and Colleges” (2007). Children’s work will be formally assessed once per term, in
line with Diocesan guidelines. The task and assessment sheets displayed on the Hexham and
Newcastle Diocesan website will be used. Children in Years 1 to 6 will begin each topic making
their own concept map. This will be added to and/or expanded at the end of the topic as part of their
personal self-evaluation as well as an aid to teacher assessment. References will be made to the
Remember and Renew sections of Come and See.
All children’s progress and attainment is tracked throughout the school. Tracking meetings occur 3
times a year with the class teacher, Headteacher and assessment subject leader. Areas of strength and
next steps are discussed. This information is then shared with the Governors curriculum committee.
Children’s work is moderated throughout the year by Key Stage and then cross Key Stage so that all
teachers understand pupil’s starting points and ability to progress.
We recognise that it is very difficult to fully assess the children's spiritual development but
indications can be gained from their social behaviour and attitude to discussion and worship.
All the children (except year R) have a Religious Education exercise book in which to record their
work when deemed appropriate, but work is not always written and may take the form of oral or
graphic work, drama or research.
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Special Needs
Teachers at Our Lady’s School are committed to inclusion. Children's individual needs will be
catered for by sensitive planning and differentiation.
Home, School and Parish links
We recognise that parents are the first and main educators of their children and that we work as
partners with them. Parents receive information about the RE. Themes and topics to be studied at the
beginning of each term. They are invited to all whole school Masses, the May Procession, and
Nativity, Carol and Year 6 Leavers' concerts and their own children’s class assembly and school
Masses.
There are two Open Evenings during the year when parents have the opportunity to discuss their
child’s development in Religious Education as well as other subjects. Annual reports comment on
the children's progress and attitudes in RE also.
The school, in partnership with the parents and the Parish Church, prepares Year 3 children to
receive the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist and frequent meetings are held at this time.
Our school has strong Parish links particularly evident in the preparation for Reconciliation and
Eucharist. The parish priest, assistant priest, deacon and parish sister are always welcome at Our
Lady’s School whether their visits be formal or informal. They are invited to all school celebrations.
The whole school attends and contributes to Holyday of Obligation Masses in the Parish church
when they occur during term time. We are also invited to participate and perform in Parish
celebrations and concerts, many of which are outside of school hours.
We have strong links with the Children’s Liturgy Group and support their ministry by encouraging
the children to attend, and, where possible, helping with monthly Children’s Mass preparation,
particularly the music and readings.
Links with the Parish are further strengthened by various staff members’ involvement in Church
ministries as catechists, readers and Eucharist ministers. The Parish Newsletter is displayed in the
staffroom so that all members of staff are aware of Parish celebrations and activities.
Parishioners are welcomed at Masses celebrated in school and school concerts.
The produce brought into school by the children for the annual Harvest Festival Mass is distributed
to the needy of the Parish and the ‘House of Mercy’ in our Deanery.
Links with other Catholic schools in our deanery are enhanced by the attendance of the headteacher
/RE Coordinator at Deanery Heads’ and Deanery Subject leaders’ meetings. Staff also celebrate a
Deanery Mass together at the beginning of each school year. An RE INSET day is shared annually,
usually during the summer term.
Links with other Catholic schools within the Diocese are made through the RE Coordinator’s
presence at the termly meetings.
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Collective Worship and Prayer
Collective worship and prayer is held regularly with a variety of groupings and leaders. It is seen as
an important aspect of school life through which we aim to deepen a child's relationship with God as
well as contribute to social and moral development. Prayer is central to the life of the school and
includes the following, many of which are interactive.
 Individual and collective prayers
 Time for reflection
 Children's own prayers (including prayers of intercession for Mass)
 Mass
 Assemblies
 Rosary
 The May procession in honour of Our Lady
 Stations of the Cross
 Hymns.
During Advent and Lent there is an opportunity to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation in school.
Children are also able to receive ashes in school when Ash Wednesday falls in term time.
Each classroom has a focus table and the school has centrally placed display boards and religious
focus areas. There is also a Prayer board where personal intercessions may be placed.
Mass for the whole school is celebrated monthly, with readings and bidding prayers prepared by the
children; these include Masses for the Patron Saints. In addition, children are taken to Mass on
Holydays of Obligation. Assemblies/whole school prayers are held four days a week with each class
leading an assembly once a term.
The school staff (teaching, learning support and secretarial) come together for prayers each morning
before the school day commences.
Responsibility
The Head Teacher is responsible for maintaining the Catholic ethos of the school. She leads many of
the collective worship ‘services’.
The Subject Leader (Mrs Lang) is responsible for monitoring the delivery of the RE curriculum. She
will support the delivery of the curriculum as necessary and support the professional development of
teachers in RE.
Class teachers are responsible for teaching RE to their classes (but where the staff member is not a
Catholic they will be supported in the delivery of the curriculum by the Head Teacher/RE subject
leader).
The Head Teacher will:
 Take the lead in policy development
 Support colleagues in their implementation of the RE curriculum
 Monitor delivery of the RE curriculum
 Take responsibility for the purchase and organisation of resources
 Attend relevant meetings and courses and disseminate information to colleagues as
appropriate
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Resources
RE resources are stored centrally in the RE cupboard. The altar cloths for Mass are also kept in this
cupboard. Smaller cloths and sacred vessels used at Mass are kept in a locked cupboard outside the
headteacher’s room.
Policy Review
Date reviewed
Spring 2014
Next Review
Spring 2016
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