Religious Education
Religious Education at St Joseph's
Religious Education at St Joseph's is treasured as a core subject and the cornerstone of our whole school curriculum. It is panned, taught, assessed and monitored with the highest rigour and expectations for all staff and children.
"At the heart of every Catholic school is the person of Jesus Christ....In him alone, we are able to grasp how it can be that apparent paradoxes turn out to be life-giving truths: where the last shall be first (Mt 20:16), where weakness is strength (1 Cor 12:10), and where death leads to life (Mt 16:25)...The purpose of both Catholic schools and Catholic religious education reflects this wisdom."
The Religious Education Directory: To Know You More Clearly 2023 p.9
Learning and Teaching in Religious Education
At St Joseph’s, we follow the Religious Education Programme: 'Day by Day'. This programme follows the Diocesan syllabus approved by the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales and adopted by the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton.
The 'Day by Day' programme is structured into six thematic branches, each spanning half a term:
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Autumn 1: Creation and Covenant
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Autumn 2: Prophecy and Promise
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Spring 1: Galilee to Jerusalem
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Spring 2: Desert to Garden
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Summer 1: To the Ends of the Earth
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Summer 2: Dialogue and Encounter
You can read more about the content of these branches in the attachment at the bottom of this page.
The RE curriculum focuses on knowledge lenses that outline expected learning outcomes, divided into four components: hear, believe, live, and celebrate. It also emphasises skill development through "ways of knowing" (understand, discern, and respond), ensuring children gain knowledge and practical application across age phases.
At each key stage, 10% of the curriculum time is dedicated to RE. This does not include times of Collective Worship.
Catholic Life and Mission
Mission:
"I am the Way, the Truth and the Life" - John 14:6
Our mission at St Joseph’s is to offer the community an encounter with the living God - Jesus Christ: The Way, The Truth, The Life. Our vision is to capture hearts to follow His way, enlighten minds to seek His truth and awaken souls to embrace His life. We believe in an education for the whole child - heart, mind and soul.
Spiritual Council
The Spiritual Council comprises one representative from each class from Years 1,2,3,4,5 and 6. This group of children focus on developing the spiritual life of the school. They meet to evaluate the collective worship being delivered by the school. In addition, they reflect on the liturgical season and ways in which the school can develop its Catholicity, collective worship and prayer life and charitable contributions.
The Spiritual Council meet with Ellie (school Chaplain) every week. The children share their ideas with their classmates after each meeting and collect new suggestions to bring to the next meeting. Currently, we are working towards achieving the Oscar Romero Award, the Faith in Action Award and the Live Simply Award.
Catholic Social Teaching:
Catholic Social Teaching is woven into the daily life of our pupils at St Joseph's. Each week, our Celebration of the Word highlights the 'Tools of St Joseph's', which are closely aligned with Catholic virtues and reflect the core identity of our school.
Charity and Fundraising:
To live in an atmosphere of love and mutual respect, it is fundamental that we work to achieve the common good for everyone, locally and globally. At St Joseph’s, we strive to help others through charity work and fundraising: each term, we participate in whole school fundraising to donate time, goods and money to a variety of charities.
Parish and Liturgical seasons:
At St Joseph's, we work closely with families and the parish community to ensure that all children are deeply rooted in our Catholic values. The seasons of Advent and Lent are significant times of spiritual preparation for Christmas and Easter, and are marked with great reverence across our school. We place special emphasis on these liturgical seasons by organising fundraising initiatives for charitable causes and offering prayer and activity groups led by dedicated staff volunteers. Regular newsletters are sent home to highlight the importance of these seasons and to encourage family participation.
Collective Worship at St Joseph's
In fidelity to the Church’s call to proclaim the Word of God (cf. Dei Verbum, 25), each week begins with a focus on the Gospel and its central theme for the forthcoming Sunday.
This theme is prayerfully explored throughout the school, culminating in an invitation for all members of our community to live out the Gospel message in their daily lives. Through the Headteacher’s Blog, resources shared encourage parents and carers to engage in prayer, reflection, and dialogue with their children, fostering a deeper understanding of how the Gospel can be lived in today’s world.
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Monday |
Celebration of the Word Whole school worship, led by the Headteacher(or Deputy), exploring the upcoming weekend’s Gospel and challenging the children to respond to a value or virtue that can be perceived from the scripture. Children focus on this "Tool of St Joseph" throughout their week in school. Resources are shared with parents(via the Headteacher's Blog) to encourage parents to celebrate the Gospel at home with their children. |
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Tuesday |
Prayer Formation A class-based opportunity to gather together and begin exploring the value or virtue of the week, through a prayer tradition, led by the Class Teacher. Throughout the year, children are introduced and progress through a range of formal, traditional, creative and free prayer experiences and encouraged to seek opportunities to live out the values and virtues of the faith. |
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Wednesday |
Prayer Enrichment Led by the Class Teacher. This is an opportunity for pupils and staff to embed and develop the centrality of prayer in their daily lives, enriched by the Celebrate lens of the Day by Day planning. |
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Thursday |
Child-led Celebration of the Word Working with our school Chaplain, children prepare and lead a Celebration of the Word for their class. They follow the format: Gather, Listen, Respond & Mission to structure their time together. The outcome of the week's focus on a "Tool of St Joseph" is then recorded in the class worship book, showing how we have grown closer to Jesus through our weekly theme. Children also evaluate the impact of the experience each week to help us as a community grow stronger and more faithful in our ministry. |
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Friday |
Class Celebration of the Word Each class throughout the year will create their own Celebration of the Word, based on the weekly Gospel theme and share their reflections and understanding of the values and virtues with the school and parents. This is shown through the creative medium of drama, song, choral readings and prayer. |
Prayer:
Daily prayer is at the heart of life at St Joseph’s, helping children to experience Jesus as a close friend; someone they can trust, seek guidance from, and turn to in times of need. Prayer is an integral part of our daily routine, taking place at the beginning and end of each school day, as well as before lunch.
Our school grounds offer dedicated spaces for quiet reflection and spiritual connection, including beautifully maintained prayer grottos and our serene Prayer Garden.
Masses and Liturgies:
In accordance with the liturgical calendar of the Church, we celebrate the Holy Days of Obligation with Masses and liturgies that bring the school community together in prayer and worship. These celebrations are rooted in the Church’s call to active participation in the liturgy, as affirmed in Sacrosanctum Concilium (14), and are guided by the principles outlined in the Prayer and Liturgy Directory (Catholic Education Service, 2023).
Children play an active role in these celebrations, proclaiming Scripture, leading prayers, participating in liturgical drama, singing hymns, serving at the altar, and presenting the Offertory. This approach reflects the guidance of the Directory for Masses with Children (1973), which encourages meaningful involvement of young people in the liturgy to foster their spiritual growth and understanding.
Masses and liturgies are held either in the School Hall or at St Mary’s Church, with dates communicated to families through the term calendar.
Useful websites:
https://www.abeducationservice.org.uk/
https://www.cpg.church/
https://cafod.org.uk/Education/Primary-teaching-resources
Right of Withdrawal from Religious Education
At St Joseph's, Religious Education (RE) is a central part of our curriculum and daily life, reflecting our Catholic ethos and values. We aim to nurture each child’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development through engaging and inclusive RE lessons. However, we recognise that parents and carers have the legal right to withdraw their child from all or part of RE. If you are considering this option, we encourage you to speak with Mr Collins to discuss your concerns and explore the best way forward for your child.