At Catchgate Primary School, Religious Education is taught using the scheme of work Discovery RE.  RE helps to promote the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils, and prepares them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life.  Through RE pupils can develop skills e.g. discernment, critical thinking and reasoning.  RE gives opportunities for pupils to listen to others, hear and analyse conflicting viewpoints and develop empathy and respect (Articles 2, 14, 30). 

When possible we will enrich our Religious Education with visits or visitors.  This has included further exploring Islam with a virtual tour of a mosque, virtual question and answer sessions with members of Durham Islamic Society.  Judaism has been further explored with a virtual information session with United Hebrew Congregation Synagogue. 

Discovery RE works in 4 stages;

Step 1-Engagement: The human experience underpinning the key question is explored here within the children’s own experience, whether that includes religion or not e.g. a human experience underpinning the question, ‘What is the best way for a Sikh to show commitment to God?’ is ‘commitment’, so lesson 1 aims to help all children resonate with the experience of ‘commitment’ in their own lives. If they can relate to this human experience they will be better able to understand the world of religion into which the enquiry takes them. Their personal resonance with this underpinning human experience acts as the BRIDGE into the world of religion (which may be very much outside of their experience).

Step 2-Investigation: Pupils are guided through the enquiry gaining subject knowledge carefully selected to assist their thinking about the key question.

Step 3-Evaluation: This lesson draws together the children’s learning and their conclusions about the key question of that enquiry.

Step 4-Expression: Children are taken back to Step 1, their own experience, to reflect on how this enquiry might have influenced their own starting points and beliefs. There is often further evidence for their books produced in this lesson.

Below are some links for websites that can help to support children's learning at home. 

Please find some useful documents about the Teaching of Religious Education at Catchgate Primary School.