Curriculum Leader: Mr L Mythen
Teaching staff:
Mr R Matthews (Associate Senior Leader Catholic Life)
Miss A Taylor
Miss A Lennon
Mr D Garnet (Chaplain)
It is our intent that pupils are immersed in the values of the gospel both in the content of the subject matter they are taught but also in their interactions with staff and other pupils in Religious Education. As a department, we endeavour to be models of compassion, humility, respect, integrity, service and tolerance. We aim to ensure that there is a culture of respect and compassion which allows pupils to fulfil their potential and feel valued as individuals. As such Religious Education lessons are places where pupils can feel confident and safe so that they are comfortable in discussions about their beliefs and those of others. We want pupils to engage with and respond to big questions associated with religious belief and practice, philosophy and ethics, whilst developing skills of evaluation by reflecting on the topics they study.
By following and engaging with the learning journey that has been mapped out we hope to deepen a pupils knowledge of religion and how it is lived out by people of faith.
Catholic schools, with RE at their core, exist in order to “help parents, priests and teachers to hand on the Deposit of Faith in its fullness to a new generation of young people so that they may come to understand the richness of the Catholic faith, and thereby be drawn into a deeper communion with Christ in his Church.” (Religious Education Curriculum Directory pvii). With this as their primary aim, Catholic schools serve diverse populations of pupils and within this context the Religious Education Curriculum Directory (RECD) makes the aims of Religious Education explicit:
To present engagingly a comprehensive content which is the basis of knowledge and understanding of the Catholic faith;
To enable pupils continually to deepen their religious and theological understanding and be able to communicate this effectively;
To present an authentic vision of the Church’s moral and social teaching so that pupils can make a critique of the underlying trends in contemporary culture and society;
To raise pupils’ awareness of the faith and traditions of other religious communities in order to respect and understand them;
To develop the critical faculties of pupils so that they can relate their Catholic faith to daily life;
To stimulate pupils’ imagination and provoke a desire for personal meaning as revealed in the truth of the Catholic faith;
To enable pupils to relate the knowledge gained through Religious Education to their understanding of other subjects in the curriculum;
To bring clarity to the relationship between faith and life, and between faith and culture.
Catholic Social Teaching is at the heart of our Catholic faith and therefore it is at the heart of Religious Education and SFX. We promote the principles Catholic Social Teaching as part of our intention to develop religious literacy so that pupils know how to put these principles into action and build a shared language rooted in these principles. Through the new RED curriculum, we engage with CST through multiple topics that include; creation, stewardship and Jesus as the suffering servant. l. At GCSE level, pupils apply the principles to their learning as a source of wisdom and authority. Pupils explore Care for Creation through their learning about Laudato si’, stewardship. In Year 9, pupils consider dignity of the human person, rights for workers and rights and responsibility by looking at the character and attributes of Malala and other prominent figures. In Year 8, pupils consider Jesus’ commitment to the poor and vulnerable during His ministry with a specific focus upon the ‘Golden Rule’. The principles of Catholic Social Teaching empower pupils at St Francis Xavier’s Catholic Academy to take their learning beyond the RE classroom so that they can make a positive contribution to the school and wider communities.
Trips to local churches, synagogues and mosques in KS3.
Speakers from organisations such as CAFOD in KS4.
Encourage discussion about religious belief and tolerance.
Watch news items that might have a religious theme.
Trips to local churches, synagogues and mosques. Visit Cathedrals in local cities.
The Apostle (1997), The Mission (1986), The Village (2004), Seven Years in Tibet (1997), Barabbas (1961), Bilal: A New Breed of Hero (2015)
Bruce Almighty (2003), Gabriel (2007), Jacob (1994 TV Movie), Joan of Arc (1999), Leap of Faith (1992), Left Behind (2000)
Miracles from Heaven (2016), The Prince of Egypt (1998), Son of God (2014), The Song of Bernadette (1943), The Ten Commandments (2007), 90 Minutes in Heaven (2015)
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Chronicles of Narnia)
The Magician’s Nephew (Chronicles of Narnia, #6)
Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch (Mass Market Paperback)
Christianity:
- BBC
- Church of England – includes its history, liturgy, relations with other faiths and current news. Particularly useful are the church’s views on a range of issues, from abortion and euthanasia to animal welfare and capital punishment.
- ChristianityToday.com – more an online community than an information resource, Christianity Online has a search engine, links to Christian organisations and churches, and Christian publications. Very American.
- The Bible Gateway – a tool for reading and researching scripture online in the language or translation of your choice.
- The Holy Father – The Vatican Online. Includes the Bible, Catholic Catechism and the Pontificate.
- rejesus.com – concentrates on the life and teachings of Jesus as they apply to modern Christians. The colourful and well-laid out pages have plenty of up-to-date photographs and not too much ‘churchy’ imagery. You can read and download the gospels, find quotes about Jesus from contemporary to present day sources and find a variety of images of Jesus from many cultures and traditions.
- gospelcom.net – has articles about Christianity, the Bible, religious philosophy, aspects of Christian living, science and technology, relationships and Christianity in the arts.
Judaism:
- Explore Jewish Thought, Literature & Humor – a bit text heavy, but has an interesting article about Jewish food laws.
- Jewish Questions Answered
- Jewish Calendar
- Judaism 101 – a great place to start exploring Judaism, its history and observances.
- Kosher.com: Passover on the Net – Passover is explored. Includes links to other Jewish holidays, including Purim and Chanukah.
- Synagogue
- Passover
- Totally Jewish – gives concise explanations of Jewish faith and tradition.
- United Synagogue
Hinduism:
- Hindu Resources Online – A directory of links to Hindu resources.
- Hindu Kids Universe – Learn about different aspects of Hindu culture.
- The Hindu Universe – An excellent guide to the major deities with their characteristics and links to more resources.
Philosophy :
- The Philosophers’ Magazine
- Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
- Philosophy Talk
- Philosophy Bites
