“Glory be to him, whose power working in us can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine. Glory be to him, from generation to generation, in the Church and in Christ Jesus, for ever and ever. Amen”
Ephesians 3: 20-21
As a Catholic school, our core aims are to nourish an ethos based on Gospel values of love, wisdom, integrity, justice and compassion and to develop a community that is welcoming, caring and inclusive. These ideas were encapsulated by Pope Francis I when he said:
Dear young people, do not bury your talents, the gifts that God has given you! Do not be afraid to dream of great things!
According to Pope St John Paul II, Religious Education is the “core of the core curriculum” in a Catholic school and it is helping St Augustine’s to fulfil its mission to educate the whole person in discerning the meaning of their existence.
Religious education provokes challenging questions about the ultimate meaning and purpose of life, beliefs about God, the self and the nature of reality, issues of right and wrong and what it means to be human. It develops pupils’ knowledge and understanding of Christianity, other principal religions, other religious traditions, and other world views that offer answers to these challenging questions. It offers opportunities for personal reflection and spiritual development. It enhances pupils’ awareness and understanding of religions and beliefs, teachings, practices and forms of expression, as well as of the influence of religion on individuals, families, communities and cultures.
KS3 Intent: The Key Sage 3 Religious Education curriculum is determined by the Bishops of England and Wales as presented in the RE Curriculum Directory (2012). Students will follow the People of God syllabus.
The name ‘People of God – Called to Serve’ recalls the language of the Second Vatican Council used to describe the Church. The documents of the Council remind us that all the baptised are the Church, the People of God. We are Called to Serve the mission of the Church as the followers of Jesus who came to serve not to be served. We are also reminded of the words of Pope Francis to a group of young students:
“Be men and women with and for others: true champions at the service of others.”
The syllabus enables children to become more aware of their place in God’s creation. Each person is made in the image and likeness of God, and is called to live life and live it to the full (John 10: 10). God is revealed in the everyday experiences of life, in the events of our lives, in our relationships, and in the witness of others. God is also seen in the traditions and story of the Roman Catholic Church, a story which is worth re-telling, whilst recognising that God is also present in the traditions of other denominations.
By year 9 students will have completed the ‘People of God’ syllabus in its entirety and so in response to the needs of our students we have devised as additional syllabus for our students which gives them the opportunity to student’s content vital to their social, cultural, moral and spiritual development which would otherwise be missing. In recent years we have seen a change to the GCSE curriculum which saw the removal of several topics from the study of Religious Education including: Islam, Peace and Conflict, Crime and Punishment and Matters of Life and Death. We believe that these topics are crucially important to the development of all young people and so we have chosen to study this content in year 9.
KS4 Intent: All students will study the AQA GCSE specification B in line with Archdiocesan requirements. This specification focuses on the Catholic faith, and features philosophical and ethical themes surrounding Catholicism. It ensures that you and your students have a variety of contemporary themes to explore and discuss. Students of all abilities will learn how Catholicism plays a fundamental role in society, and develop valuable, transferable skills for further study. There’s also the opportunity to study Judaism, helping students nurture their values and attitudes towards other faiths.
Catholic beliefs, teachings, practices, sources of authority and forms of expression in relation to six topics studied:
- Creation
- Incarnation
- The Triune God
- Redemption
- Church
- Eschatology
In addition, students will study Judaism and two religious, philosophical and ethical studies themes:
- Theme A: Religion, relationships and families
- Theme B: Religion, peace and conflict
