Religious Education
“Catholic schools are communities of faith and learning whose educational vision is based upon the teachings and values of the Catholic Church…
Catholic schools aim to help students to develop their fullest potential, preparing them for life, informing their minds and forming their characters so that they can contribute with others, and above all with God, to the transformation of the world…
Catholic schools are communities which are open, welcoming and inclusive. The Church expects that Catholic schools, working with parents and families, will seek to prepare pupils to find happiness and to lead lives of goodness, built upon Christian values, personal integrity and moral courage” (THIS IS OUR FAITH THE NATURE OF THE CATHOLIC SCHOOL)
The central purpose of Religious Education in Holyrood Secondary is to assist the young people to make in informed, mature response to God’s Call to relationship. The process of learning for the young person in Religious Education is a journey of faith. Each pupil will have been given the opportunity to learn from the key strands of faith from Catholic Curriculum This is Our Faith, which begins in Primary 1 and progress with the young person until S6.
Each class is designed to engage learners in an educational process in which shows fidelity to God and the person. All young people are encouraged to participate fully and actively. Through a process of classroom learning, and planned opportunities for faith development and spirituality out with the classroom young people should have the opportunity to:
· Develop their knowledge and understanding of the Catholic faith
· Nurture respect for other Christian traditions and world faiths
· Experience opportunities for spiritual growth
· Acquire skills of reflection, discernment and moral decision making
· Commit to beliefs, values and actions in a positive response to God’s invitation to faith.
Effective participate and use of the Core Learning within This is Our Faith will:
For the Catholic Learner: Promote their knowledge and understanding of the Catholic faith and provide opportunities to deepen their faith.
For the Learner of Other Faiths: To promote an understanding of Christian belief and support reflection on their own faith traditions and spiritual development.
For all Other Learners: To promote understanding of religious faith in general, and Christian faith in particular, and support their spiritual development.
The purpose of this Course is to develop knowledge and understanding of religious, moral and philosophical issues that affect the world today. Religious and non-religious perspectives will be included. The Course will explore the questions they raise and the solutions or approaches they offer. Learners will have opportunities to reflect on these and on their own experience and views. This will be achieved through successful study of the Course Units.
for further details – https://www.npfs.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/nutshells_RMPS_N4_E.pdf
The National 5 Religious, Moral and Philosophical Studies course has three areas of study. In each area, candidates focus on one of the world’s six major religions (Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism). The range of contexts for study is flexible to allow for personalisation and choice. Each area offers opportunities for candidates to focus on particular skills
for further details – https://www.npfs.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/nutshells_RMPS_N5_E.pdf
By undertaking this Course, learners will develop a wide range of important and transferable skills including investigating and expressing detailed, reasoned and wellstructured views about religious, moral and philosophical topics or issues; interpreting and explaining sources related to world religions; enquiring into and evaluating contemporary moral questions and responses; and critically analysing religious and philosophical questions and responses.
for further details – https://www.npfs.org.uk/downloads/higher-religious_moral-and-philosophical-studies/
S5 – All young people participate in Religious Belief and Values (RBV) Level 5 ‘Investigating a Religious Belief’ (3 SCQF points)
S6 – Caritas Award – including Religious, Belief and Values Award Lev 6 (6SCQF points) https://sces.org.uk/caritas-award/
Called to Love
For Catholic Secondary schools, the Called to Love programme was developed to provide appropriate teaching materials for Catholic secondary schools. Called to Love materials provide a Christian vision of love and relationships, based on Church teaching, recognising each person’s vocation for love. Christian moral teaching positively affirms all human life as precious and worthy of development. Based on the belief that all people are created in God’s image and are loved in a unique way by God, it encourages us to appreciate the value of our lives, to develop self-respect and to live life to the full, as God intended. So, the basis of Christian morality is that we are all called to love each other as we are loved by God in Christ.
Equality and Inclusion
Equality and Inclusion materials note that within a Catholic school the starting point for any work with young people in the area of Equality, Inclusion and Justice is rooted in the Church’s vision of what it means to be in relationship with God and others.
