We are a school at the very heart of its community. The Catholic Faith and the principles of the Gospel are central to the daily life of Our Lady and St Patrick’s School so we are committed to ‘Living, Loving and Learning Together in God’s Way’ through our words and actions.
The Catholic life of the school is rich in opportunities for children to encounter God and to deepen their relationship with Him as a loving, compassionate Father. Through prayer, both traditional and informal, through liturgies and Religious Education lessons, where children receive direct teaching of the faith, through the relationships and support for each other that children, staff and parents enjoy within the school community, we enable children to come to know and love God.
Displays of work in RE can be seen in classrooms and all around the school, including the school's main reception area. Each class has a prayer focus area, with a liturgical cloth in the appropriate colour.
The Christian values at the heart of our Catholic faith incorporate the British values and we aim in everything we do to further each child's sense of commitment and responsibility to themselves, to others and in the wider world.
Prayer and worship
Prayer and worship are central to the daily life of our school. We aim to provide opportunities for children's spiritual growth and development through participation in a variety of forms of worship and through experiencing all forms of prayer: formal, informal, spontaneous, private, shared, petitionary and meditative.
Pupils are now becoming more actively involved in planning and leading worship, both in class groups and whole school settings. Shared acts of worship take place in an atmosphere of reflection and stillness, where we encourage each other to listen to God speaking to us and to respond. Children are encouraged to write prayers and this is a skill which we explicitly teach, just as we teach other genres in literacy.
The school as a Catholic Community
All staff are aware that the school's foundations are built on the Catholic faith and beliefs and that it is our shared responsibility to share the Catholic faith to the children in our care. Staff pray and work together to support each other in providing the very best Religious Education possible for the pupils.
Learning in RE is at the core of the curriculum and we ensure that the Bishop's directive is followed in allocating 10% of curriculum time to RE lessons. The Governing Body, led by the Chair and the Governor responsible for RE, provide support and commitment to the central place of RE in the school.
We hold the belief that we share the role of educators of the faith with the parents of our pupils and we strive to keep them fully informed of what their child is learning at school and to support them in what they can do at home to further their child's understanding of the faith. Parents are welcomed to assemblies, Masses and other liturgies throughout the year.
Displays of work in RE can be seen in classrooms and all around the school, including the school's main reception area. Each class has a prayer focus area, with a liturgical cloth in the appropriate colour.
The Christian values at the heart of our Catholic faith incorporate the British values and we aim in everything we do to further each child's sense of commitment and responsibility to themselves, to others and in the wider world.
Prayer and worship
Prayer and worship are central to the daily life of our school. We aim to provide opportunities for children's spiritual growth and development through participation in a variety of forms of worship and through experiencing all forms of prayer: formal, informal, spontaneous, private, shared, petitionary and meditative.
Pupils are now becoming more actively involved in planning and leading worship, both in class groups and whole school settings. Shared acts of worship take place in an atmosphere of reflection and stillness, where we encourage each other to listen to God speaking to us and to respond. Children are encouraged to write prayers and this is a skill which we explicitly teach, just as we teach other genres in literacy.
The school as a Catholic Community
All staff are aware that the school's foundations are built on the Catholic faith and beliefs and that it is our shared responsibility to share the Catholic faith to the children in our care. Staff pray and work together to support each other in providing the very best Religious Education possible for the pupils.
Learning in RE is at the core of the curriculum and we ensure that the Bishop's directive is followed in allocating 10% of curriculum time to RE lessons. The Governing Body, led by the Chair and the Governor responsible for RE, provide support and commitment to the central place of RE in the school.
We hold the belief that we share the role of educators of the faith with the parents of our pupils and we strive to keep them fully informed of what their child is learning at school and to support them in what they can do at home to further their child's understanding of the faith. Parents are welcomed to assemblies, Masses and other liturgies throughout the year.
RE Curriculum
Religious Education is at the centre of our curriculum. In our school we use Come and See and the units of work written by Plymouth Diocese. We follow guidelines set by the Diocese of Plymouth, which includes 10% of the timetable each week devoted to the Religious Education curriculum.
The RE Curriculum units are as follows:
Creation, Prayers Saints and Feasts, Advent, Christmas, Revelation, Lent, Holy Week, Easter, Pentecost and Sacraments.
This academic year (2023-2024) EYFS and year 3 are piloting a new RE Curriculum which follows The New Religious Education Directory 2023. The Curriculum needs to be fully in place by September 2025. We are working on an implementation plan, supported by our diocese.