Religious Education at St Willibrords Overview of the Academic 2021-2022
Here at St. Willibrord’s we currently follow the Come and See programme of Religious Education. The aim of this programme is to explore the religious dimensions of questions about life, dignity and purpose within the Catholic tradition. Alongside this, we have set aside dedicated time to follow the 'Caritas in Action' programme which looks at the social teachings of the church
Each year group from EYFS to Year 6 have their own list of focus topics to cover throughout the academic year all linked by a central theme. The topics will coincide with the church calendar however, the depth in which the topic is explored is dependent upon the respective age of the child.
Each topic is split into 3 sections-
Explore-Children learn through shared experiences and make connections between their life experiences and their friends.
Reveal-At the heart of the programme is the mystery of God’s self-revelation of love through Jesus Christ. Come and See gives pupils the opportunity to explore the mystery of faith through Scripture and Tradition.
Respond-Children remember and celebrate what they have learnt and apply their knowledge individually.
At the heart of the programme is the mystery of God’s self-revelation of love through Jesus Christ. Come and See gives pupils the opportunity to explore the mystery of faith through Scripture and Tradition. It also allows children to search, to explore, to discover, and to respond; this is part of what it is to be human. Children learn through shared experience and make connections between life’s experiences and the gospel teachings.
Underpinning all that we do in our school is our mission to
Grow in God
whilst asking the question:
“What would Jesus do?”
Religious Education at St Willibrords Overview of the Academic Year 2021-2022
Autumn term | |||
Domestic Church- Family focuses on life as a gift, myself as a unique and a loved creation, the creative love and care that can be expressed in family groups. | Judaism | Baptism/Confirmation- Belonging focuses on the call to belong, the creative potential that belonging develops; and Baptism and Confirmation, sacraments of the gift of God's life and friendship. | Advent/Christmas- loving focuses of the capacity for entering into loving relationships and the perfect gift and revelation of God's love, Jesus, born of Mary, born as one of us. |
Early Years - MYSELF - God knows and loves each one Why am I precious? | Early Years - Hannukkah | Early Years - WELCOME - Baptism: a welcome to God’s family Why Is welcome important? | Early Years - BIRTHDAY - Looking forward to Jesus’ birthday Why do we celebrate Birthdays |
Year 1 - FAMILIES - God’s love and care for every family Why do we have a family and who is my family? | Year 1 - Abraham and Moses | Year 1 - BELONGING - Baptism: an invitation to belong to God’s family What does it mean to belong? | Year 1 - WAITING - Advent: a time to look forward to Christmas Is waiting always difficult? |
Year 2 - BEGINNINGS - God is present in every beginning Who made the world and everything in it? | Year 2 - Shabbat | Year 2 - SIGNS AND SYMBOLS - Signs and symbols in Baptism Are signs & symbols important? | Year 2 - PREPARATIONS - Advent: preparing to celebrate Christmas Do we need to prepare? |
Year 3 - HOMES - God’s vision for every family What makes a house a home? | Year 3 - Synagogue | Year 3 - PROMISES - Promises made at Baptism Why make promises? | Year 3 - VISITORS - waiting for the coming of Jesus Are visitors always welcome? |
Year 4 - PEOPLE - The family of God in Scripture Where do I come from? | Year 4 - Torah | Year 4 - CALLED - Confirmation: a call to witness What does it mean to be called and chosen? | Year 4 - GIFT - God’s gift of love and friendship in Jesus What’s so special about gifts? |
Year 5 - OURSELVES - Created in the image and likeness of God Who am I? | Year 5 - Passover | Year 5 - LIFE CHOICES - Marriage, commitment and service Is commitment important? | Year 5 - HOPE - Advent: waiting in the joyful hope for Jesus, the promised one What does it mean to live in hope? |
Year 6 - LOVING - God who never stops loving Do you have to earn love? | Year 6 - Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur | Year 6 - VOCATION AND COMMITMENT - The vocation of priesthood and religious life What is commitment in life? | Year 6 - EXPECTATIONS - Jesus born to show God to the world Should we have expectations in life? |
Spring Term | |||
Local Church- Community focuses on the people of God gathered in Christ, united in the journey of faith, in care for one another, in sharing their story and in celebration. | Eucharist- Relating focuses on the invitation to know Jesus, to live in communion with him and with one another | Islam | Lent/Easter – giving focuses on Jesus' loving self-giving on the cross, the Father's love that raises him to new life and the challenge to Christians to follow Jesus' example of self-giving. |
Early Years - CELEBRATING - People celebrate in Church What and why do people celebrate? | Early Years - GATHERING - Parish family gathers to celebrate Eucharist Why do people gather together? | Early Years - Special days/ Ritual objects | Early Year - GROWING - Looking forward to Easter How and why do things grow? |
Year 1 - SPECIAL PEOPLE - People in the parish family What makes a person special? | Year 1 - MEALS - Mass, Jesus’ special meal What makes some meals special? | Year 1 - Stories | Year 1 - CHANGE - Lent: a time for change How and why do things change? |
Year 2 - BOOKS - The books used in Church Why do we need books? | Year 2 - THANKSGIVING - Mass, a special time to thank God Why should we be grateful people? | Year 2 - Prayer/home | Year 2 - OPPORTUNITIES - Lent: an opportunity to start anew How does each day offer opportunities for good? |
Year 3 - JOURNEYS - Christian family’s journey with Christ Is life a journey? | Year 3 - LISTENING & SHARING - Jesus gives himself to us What’s so important about listening and sharing? | Year 3 - Places for worship | Year 3 - GIVING ALL - Lent: remembering Jesus’ total giving What makes some people give everything for other people? |
Year 4 - COMMUNITY - Life in the local Christian community and ministries in the parish What makes ‘community’? | Year 4 - GIVING & RECEIVING - Living in communion What’s more important - giving or receiving? | Year 4 - Holy Books | Year 4 - SELF DISCIPLINE - Celebrating growth to new life Is self-discipline important in life? |
Year 5 - MISSION - Continuing Jesus’ mission in diocese (ecumenism) Do we all have a mission in life? | Year 5 - MEMORIAL SACRIFICE - Eucharist as the living memorial of Christ’s sacrifice Why do we need memories? | Year 5 - Beliefs and festivals | Year 5 - SACRIFICE - Lent: aligning with the sacrifice made by Jesus Why do we need to make sacrifices? |
Year 6 - SOURCES - The Bible, the special book for the Church Are books enriching? | Year 6 - UNITY - Eucharist enabling people to live in communion Why are we happiest when we are united? | Year 6 - Belonging & Values | Year 6 - DEATH & NEW LIFE - Celebrating Jesus’ death & resurrection Why do we need to make sacrifices? |
Summer Term | ||
Pentecost- serving focuses on on-going mission of Jesus Christ in the Church through the power of the Holy Spirit. | Reconciliation/Anointing the Sick -interrelating focuses on the love, compassion and forgiveness of God the Father revealed in Jesus and poured out by the Spirit to bring forgiveness and reconciliation in the sacrament of Reconciliation. | Universal Church – World focuses on the same love revealed in the diversity of the world and its people, and in the gifts of the Spirit that bear fruit in love, joy, justice and peace for all people. |
Early Years - GOOD NEWS - Passing on the Good News of Jesus What is good news? | Re Early Years - FRIENDS - Friends of Jesus Is it good to have friends? | Early Years - OUR WORLD - God’s wonderful world What makes our world so wonderful? |
Year 1 - HOLIDAYS AND HOLYDAYS - Pentecost: feast of the Holy Spirit Do we need holidays and holydays? | Year 1 - BEING SORRY - God helps us choose well Why should we be sorry? | Year 1 - NEIGHBOURS - Neighbours share God’s world Who is my neighbour? |
Year 2 - SPREAD THE WORD - Pentecost: a time to spread the Good News Why should we spread Good News? | Year 2 - RULES - Reasons for rules in the Christian family Do we need rules? | Year 2 - TREASURES - God’s treasure; the world Is the world a treasure? |
Year 3 - ENERGY - Gifts of the Holy Spirit What’s the use of energy?! | Year 3 - CHOICES - Importance of examination of conscience What helps me to choose well? | Year 3 - SPECIAL PLACES - Holy places for Jesus and the Christian community What makes a place special? |
Year 4 - NEW LIFE - To hear and live the Easter message What’s so important about new life? | Year 4 - BUILDING BRIDGES - Admitting wrong, being reconciled with God and each other Why are bridge-builders important in life? | Year 4 - GOD’S PEOPLE - Different saints show people what God is like Why do some people do extraordinary things? |
Year 5 - TRANSFORMATION - Celebration of the Spirit’s transforming power How can energy transform? | Year 5 - FREEDOM & RESPONSIBILITY Commandments enable Christians to be free & responsible How do rules bring freedom? | Year 5 - STEWARDSHIP - The Church is called to the stewardship of Creation Can I be a steward of creation? |
Year 6 - WITNESSES - The Holy Spirit enables people to become witnesses What do I want to witness to in my life? | Year 6 - HEALING - Sacrament of the Sick Who needs healing? | Year 6 - COMMON GOOD - Work of the worldwide Christian family How can we work together to build a just and fair world? |