Religious Education | The Cathedral Catholic Primary School

Religious Education at The Cathedral Catholic Primary School

At The Cathedral Catholic Primary School, Religious Education is at the heart of our learning as it helps us to fulfil our mission statement. Through RE, children learn more about the Catholic faith and they develop in their knowledge and understanding of the religious dimensions of life. They are given the opportunity to examine their own religious beliefs and attitudes and to respect those of others.

Curriculum Delivery

To inform our teaching in RE, we refer to the national RE Curriculum Directory. In Spring 2023, the new Religious Education Directory was published and we are on a journey of introducing this across school with full implementation being complete from September 2025. Learning in RE is supported by materials from CAFOD, “Come and See”, “Vine and Branches”, “The Way, The Truth and The Life” and “Caritas in Action” to ensure we meet the needs of all our children. All classes follow diocesan curriculum guidance and time spent on RE is 2 hours per week in Key Stage One and 2.5 hours per week in Key Stage Two.

More information about our curriculum coverage can be found on our RE Curriculum Map below. This will change over the coming months as we introduce the new RE Directory.

Curriculum Enrichment

RE is further enhanced and given expression through the liturgical life of the Church by attendance and active participation in the celebration of Mass and other liturgical celebrations – see our Prayer and Liturgy section. We enjoy regular visitors to enrich our RE curriculum, particularly from our parish priests and NISCU (Northern Inter-Schools Christian Union). We also make good use of St Peter’ Cathedral to support learning in RE.

See our Religious Education Policy for further information.

Prayer and Liturgy at The Cathedral Catholic Primary School

At The Cathedral Catholic Primary School, we strive to inspire each pupil to be the best person they can be and we believe that daily opportunities for prayer and reflection are an important part of this. Community prayer is at the heart of our religious life so that together we can celebrate in faith, love and hope, our belief in Jesus and the example he gives. Pupils are encouraged to use their gifts and talents to help to lead times of prayer, both in class and with the whole school.

"For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them."

(Matthew 18:20)

Daily Prayer and Liturgy

Each day begins with our school prayer which links to our mission:

God our loving Father,

we come to you today.

Be with us, hear us, guide us,

in all we do and say.

May we always help each other

so our faith and love with grow,

unlocking our potential

and letting your light show. Amen.

We pray to give thanks to God before eating and to praise God for his love at the end of the day. In addition to this, each child takes part in a daily act of worship (5-10 minutes). Each week, times of prayer are celebrated on many different levels: whole school, key stage, in classes, with staff, with parents and as a voluntary lunchtime pupil activity. Parents are invited to join us on Wednesday afternoons when a different class leads our whole school Celebration of the Word. We enjoy having direct access from our school playground into the Cathedral and we make good use of this sacred space to pray together and celebrate Mass with our Parish.

The Liturgical Year

The themes of our prayer follow the Church’s liturgical year and through this, we are united with the Universal Church in reflecting on the life and teachings of Jesus and what we can learn from them. Displays in classrooms and around school reflect the Church’s seasons. Liturgical celebrations and important feasts are celebrated with the parish in St Peter’s Cathedral which we access through a small door from our playground. Our school/parish feast day of St Peter is a celebration we all look forward to in June! We enjoy strong links with our parish community and Father Steve and Father Mathew are regular visitors in school.

Scripture

Every Celebration of the Word is centred around a piece of Scripture, as it is through this that we learn about God, his love for us and how he wants us to live. The words from Scripture inspire us to think and reflect deeply on what God's word means for us today, in our everyday lives and how we are going to respond to this.

Image of Lent in Y3

Pupil Leadership in Prayer

As children move through school, they take an increasingly active role in planning and leading class Celebration of the Word. This is a responsibility which our children welcome and respect, sharing the word of God thoughtfully and reverently with their peers.

Image of Lunchtime Prayer

Children in Years 5 and 6 voluntarily lead times of prayer for younger children at lunchtimes. This includes Rosary prayer during October and May, prayers around the crib during Advent and Stations of the Cross during Lent. It is wonderful for younger children to be led in prayer by older children who so readily give up their time to lead.

See our Prayer and Liturgy Policy for further information.