We recognise that parents are the first and most important teachers of their children, particularly in the handing on of the faith.
Parents Letter Autumn 2020
Letter to Parents Spring 2021
Parents Letter Summer 2021
Our RE curriculum is based upon the core resources recommended by the Diocese, Come and See. We also use the Diocesan recommended materials from Ten Ten entitled ‘Life to the full’ the teaching of Relationships and Sex Education.
RE Curriculum Map 2020-2021
Progression of Skills
World Faiths’ Week: Judaism
Our display of artefacts and books have been very popular in the entrance of school this week as each class has been exploring an aspect of Judaism in their RE classes. Class 3 were lucky enough to go and visit a synagogue in Newcastle. It was a very long journey there in the fog and rain but the children were so respectful of the Jewish faith and their special artefacts in the synagogue. The children impressed everyone with their knowledge following their research on of the features of the synagogue, from the ner tamid to the hand shaped yad. And the questions were thoughtful and probing too. They did St Chad’s proud!
Anti-Bullying Week
This week has been Anti-bullying week and each class has been looking at issues around bullying in school and in our home communities. On Tuesday we had Odd Socks Day where everyone came in odd pairs of socks to represent the fact that we are all different but we all walk together. In assembly, Mrs Evans read Simon’s sock and in the afternoon everyone created their own odd sock for our odd sock display in the school hall.
You might spot some posters around the school that can help to remind everyone what bullying looks like and what we need to do when we see it happening. The children have made links with our school mission statement and the parables that Jesus told.
We also had a visit from our PCSO Iain who led an assembly and discussion about bullying in the school hall. He talked about hate crime and the age of criminal responsibility too.
Baptism
In RE, Class 1 have had a great week talking about baptism and acting out a baptism for themselves! We loved playing the part of the priest and recognising what is said during this special event.
Other Faiths
Class 4 had a very interesting visit from a young Muslim lady called Isha who lives in Bishop Auckland on Thursday. She explained a great deal about her religion and also describe her experience of being Muslim in our local area.
Welcome!
Class 1 have started a new topic of ‘Welcome’. During our Explore lesson, we talked about and acted out how we can welcome people into school. We loved the acting. We then created hand prints in green paint using our own hands. It was so fun!
Christenings
In RE in Class 2, the children have been learning about Christenings. It has been fantastic to hear and see pictures of some of their own christening stories.
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Family Trees
Class 3 have had a fantastic month exploring our own family trees and then Jesus’s family tree. For our final lesson, we have been looking at icons of Jesus’s father on earth, Joseph. We also thought about what symbols would represent Joseph. Here are some of our paintings. Can you spot symbols that showed that Joseph was a carpenter and worked with his hands, he was holy, he was a Jew, he was from a royal house, he was a poor but a religious man and that he cared for Mary and Joseph.
Refugee Week
To help us understand a little bit more about Refugees, part of our RE during Refugee Week was a workshop from Cafod where we had to think about the journeys that refugees have to take when they fear for their lives. The children had to work in ‘families’.
“I really love my dog. It’s really upsetting to think that refugees have to leave a member of their family behind if they can’t bring their dogs,” Grace.
I was really sad when my bag was lost off the truck,” Roman.
“Even though its only a piece of paper, it made me feel really sad about what the refugees have to do,” Brooke.
“I thought I packed decently because I ended up with a rope at the end,” Clara.
“At the end of the journey, I would probably be feeling wet, disappointed and upset,” Evie.
“I would probably be feeling angry because I had left friends behind but I had to get here safely,” Grace.
Lent and Easter Blog
Read Grace’s recount of Good Friday:
First of all, today I saw the soldiers rolling dice to see who gets to pick my son’s clothes. Next, they were forcing him to drink some wine and myrrh. I can’t believe what they were doing! It was an awful sight. I read the sign above his head saying “The king of the Jews.” What were they doing to him for crying out loud? Would you like to see this of your son? I don’t think you would.
At midday, the whole country turned black. I think it was God. The darkness ended at three o’clock. Jesus cried out, “My God my God, why have you abandoned me?”
Then he died. I saw it with my own eyes.
On Easter Sunday I went to the tomb and I found that the stone had moved. All we saw was the cloths that had been around him. Next, an angel appeared and said, “Jesus is alive. Go and quickly tell the disciples.” When I started I saw Jesus myself. I fell down to worship him because I saw that he was alive again.
Today Christians believe that Jesus died for us. On Good Friday and Easter Sunday people go to Church. On Good Friday it’s really weird because the statues are all covered and the flowers. Where are they? They’re not there.
We created a drama about Holy Thursday and filmed ourselves in groups. Someone had to be Jesus, someone else was Peter, the third person explained what the story means to Christians and the last person filmed us. Here are some pictures of us watching ourselves on the ipads.
Advent Blog
765 years before Jesus was born Isaiah said “get prepared for the new messiah.” In their time Romans were in charge and they were selfish. Tax collectors weren’t looking after Jewish people. Jewish people wouldn’t worship Roman gods because they said there was only one God.
Isaiah said “the new Messiah will not be selfish.” by Scarlett
The Messiah is coming
765 years before Jesus was born, Isaiah was the prophet. Isaiah was in the Old Testament in the Bible. He was a righteous man who was brave.
All of the Jewish people were scared because the Romans were ruling over them. The Romans were very bossy and rude to the Jews. The Romans would make them do loads of things like: They had to pay their taxes and worship Roman gods! When the Romans told them to start worshipping their gods they said… “NO.” and they also told them that they didn’t want to unless they could also worship their own God even though they didn’t.
Isaiah said ” The Messiah will come. Have love in your hearts and keep being righteous.” Everyone had to have hope and all of the Jews were happy that soon the Messiah would be coming.
Christians today do Advent to prepare for Jesus’s birth at Christmas. They prepare in their hearts and homes. You can find this all in Isaiah 40: 1-5. By Jesse
Advent People
About 765 years before Jesus was born, the Jews were told to get ready by Isaiah. “Clear all the mountains fill all the valleys (just get ready for the Messiah,” says Isaiah. This is in the Old Testament and Isaiah promised the Promised One would come.
But it was hard because the Romans were in charge of the Jews, they had to pay tax and everyone had to worship the Roman Gods.
Isaiah still believed he said,” come on the Messiah is coming have some hope. Get ready he will come, we need to prepare we just have to keep waiting.”
Christians today always prepare hearts and houses for Advent. We put decorations up all the time. This is in Isaiah 40:1-5 in the Old Testament. By Evan
Prepare for the Messiah
765 years before Jesus was born there was a prophet called Isaiah. Nearly all of the prophets are in the Old Testament. Isaiah is here because he wants to give hope to the Jews and is saying “the Messiah is coming!” So the Jews prepare and are waiting for the Messiah to arrive. Jesus is the promised one and Isaiah gives hope to them because the Romans are ruling. All of this is to do with Advent. It comes from the Bible in Isaiah 40: 1-5. By Carla
Blessed are those who care and protect our common home
In RE we have been doing a topic called Universal Church and learning all about caring for our common home. On Tuesday Class 3 went on a pilgrimage on the school field and today we have been drawing chalk pastel pictures all about taking care of the oceans. (Sorry Mrs Ploughman for the messy tables we left behind). Pope Francis says “Blessed are those who care and protect our common home.”
After this, Isla, Lucy and Evie collected half a bin of rubbish on our school field and Niamh, Imogen and Isla brought in seeds to plant. We are going to grow new plants and trees for our school and community.
Thomas and Zac
Stations of the Cross
Class 3 have been studying the Stations of the Cross and in particular the one we created in the Hall for Mission week, the Second Station – Jesus takes up his cross. We spent some time in the hall imagining how it must have been for Jesus to carry the heavy wooden cross.
World Faiths’ Week: Islam
To help us with our world faiths topic on Islam, Iman and Zainab came in to school to bake biscuits with Class 3 using a recipe from Syria using sesame seeds (called simsim in Arabic). Afterwards, Iman answered the children’s questions on how Muslims pray. We had a lovely afternoon. Iman, Zainab and their families have arrived in County Durham as refugees from the fighting in Syria.
