The Intent of the RE Curriculum at Holy Family

At Holy Family, we provide our children with a religious education that encourages understanding of others and the world around them, providing opportunities for children to ask questions and learn about Christainity. We aim for religious education lessons and experiences to be unlike any other in school to create the opportunity for not only learning about the Catholic Faith, but also awe, wonder, reverence and spirituality in a creative way. 

We are committed to valuing and respecting every individual as being created special and unique, in the likeness and image of God. We learn about God's love and explore our Christain responsibilities, so our children can learn about their unique place within the home, school and parish community. 

We learn about and explore Catholic and Christain traditions, alongside traditions from other faith backgrounds, so we can develop an understanding and respect for all and the world around us. Visits and hands on experiences allow opportunities for children to explore and understand religions and their traditions and experience them for themselves. 

The nursery children have been learning about the events of Holy Week. We made our own palm leaves, which allowed us to practise our cutting skills, and acted out Jesus arriving in Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. We watched the Easter story and ordered the events. We talked about the Easter story being both sad and happy. The children used the provision to help them reflect on the events of Holy Week.

The children used shaving foam, paint and a window squeegee to make marbled crosses for their Easter cards. They made Easter cards to celebrate hope and new beginnings.

Children in FS2 decorated Easter biscuits together and remembered that Jesus is still with us. Whilst children ate their Easter biscuit they remembered that Jesus has love for everyone.

In groups, the children ordered of the Stations of the Cross. They discussed which Station of the Cross is important to them and why.

Children in Reception took part in Celebration of the Word using the Stations of the Cross to help them reflect on Jesus' journey to the cross and understand the meaning of His sacrifice.

Children made crosses out of tissue paper and laminated them for Easter as a creative way to celebrate, symbolising the resurrection of Jesus while engaging in a hands-on, meaningful craft.

The children in Reception made Easter cards to celebrate the season and share joy with others, including special cards for the local parish as a way of connecting with and giving back to the community.

As part of the EYFS curriculum, the children enjoyed a creative and sensory learning experience by making their own Easter gardens, exploring themes of new life and springtime.

Year 2 hosted the first reflection of Holy Week, retelling the story of Palm Sunday through drama and a hymn. Thank you to all Year 2 parents who attended. 

To help children understand Holy Week, Reception children tasted Hot Cross Buns as part of celebrating with signs and symbols.

In Year 4, the children have explored how Jesus reveals that He is the Servant Messiah through the Holy Week stories in Matthew's Gospel. They read scripture, discussed their thoughts and recorded key ideas from their discussions. 

Year 4 delivered their own celebration of the word that reflected our school virtue 'forgiveness'. The children chose to base our celebration of the word on being prepared to forgive others and others forgiving us. They used bibles to find 'forgive, and you will be forgiven' Luke 6:37. 

In Year 2, children have been exploring the 'Desert to Garden' branch. Children have explored what reconciliation is and how reconciling can have a positive impact on their lives and the lives of others. 

Reflection:

Like Bermuda, the children designed their own kites. Children added key words and learning from this unit and considered how they would celebrate.

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love is always ready to forgive. It does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails." (Corinthians 13:4-8)

In RE the children have been learning about how Lent is marked in different ways around the world. The children listened to letters about ways that children around the world mark Lent (Italy and South America). The children made carnival masks and created patterns using natural materials.

Miss Tomlinson hid plastic eggs around the room with pictures of Easter symbols inside (cross, lamb, chick, lily, sun, butterfly). When children found the eggs we discussed the meaning of the symbol inside.

🌞 Sun – A bright new beginning

🐣 Chick/Egg – New life

✝️ Cross – Jesus’ love for us

🌸 Flower/Lily – Joy & hope

Easter is a time of happiness and new beginnings!

Children in Reception reflected on the word sacrifice and made Lenten promises to keep for 40 days. 

Year 3 enjoyed taking part in the CAFOD lent assembly and listening to all the ways they can get involved with taking part, and what other people have been doing for Lent.

Year 4 understood the significance of Ash Wednesday through our Celebration of the Word, which was planned and delivered by some of the Year 4 children. In our Celebration of the Word, the children thoughtfully made their own Lenten promises and hung these on our school Jesse tree. During Celebration of the Word, they received ashes on their foreheads as a symbol of the beginning of Lent.

Children placed a small piece of black tissue paper to represent Ash Wednesday. Then, they added a small white heart to show love and kindness during Lent.

Lent helps us change and grow by being more loving.

Reception children joined a Lent national assembly today from CAFOD as part of our Jubilee commitment!

Children participated in the Ash Wednesday celebration, receiving the sign of the cross on their foreheads with ashes and making their Lenten promises by placing them on crosses, marking the beginning of a season of reflection, repentance, and spiritual growth.

The children have been exploring the significance of Ash Wednesday. They thoughtfully made their own Lenten promises, considering ways they could help others. During our Celebration of the Word, they received ashes on their foreheads as a symbol of the beginning of Lent.

The children have been learning about what happens on Ash Wednesday. The children made their own Lenten promises, thinking about things they could do for others. During our Celebration of the Word the children received ashes on their forehead to mark the beginning of Lent.

Year 2 planned and delivered an Ash Wednesday celebration of the word to mark the beginning of the season of Lent. They listened to the word of the Lord a passage from Joel 2: 12-14, to finish our celebration of the word children were given a mission and they finished by singing 'bind us together Lord'.

They all received ashes and made their own Lenten promises for our whole school Jesse tree. 

Year 3, the children took part in a special Ash Wednesday Celebration of the Word, all received ashes, made Lenten promise cards and reflected on their sins, all to start our special period of Lent.

Year 6 children took part in a special Ash Wednesday Celebration of the Word, received ashes, made Lenten promise cards and reflected on their sins, all to start our special period of Lent.

In nursery we talked about the simple symbols of Lent - the colour purple, seeds and growing. The children had fun mixing paints to create purple. It was lovely to see the awe and wonder as they rubbed their red and blue hands together and ended up with purple! The children planted seeds to remind them that Lent is a time to grow closer to God. We talked about the Ash Cross that the children will receive on Ash Wednesday. The children added their own Ash Crosses to their self portraits.

Helping Hands Tree

Children printed their hands and each time a child did something kind for them, sharing, helping, listening, they were given 'A Helping Hand Print' and added it to the tree. Children are going to watch the tree "grow" with kindness through Lent!

Lent is a time to help others and fill the world with love.

Here is a display of year 3‘s fantastic learning in our most recent RE unit. The children have enjoyed learning about the different parables, miracles and ways that significant people have helped to build the kingdom of God. 

In this lesson, the year 3 children took their learning outside to immerse themselves, and think about how they were going to implement their pledge to look after Gods Kingdom through Catholic social teaching. Some children were thinking about litter picking or replanting seeds, trees and plants to replenish our environment, just like God would want us too.

In RE the EYFS children have been learning that Jesus teaches us to share what we have with others. We talked about how there are lots of ways that we can help people who don't have enough food to eat. We talked about food banks and the children brought in food, which will be taken to the church and given to the local food bank. We had a special Celebration of the Word to pray for those people who do not enough food. This activity allowed the children to put Social Catholic Teaching into practice and will also help our local community.

In RE, Year 6 read and understand a variety of scripture from the Gospel of John and learnt about the 7 Sacraments and how they are administered...

In Branch 3, Year 4 have understood and explained why Jesus sought out those who were maginalised in society through drama. The children acted out the miracles Jesus performed in 'The cure of the two blind men' (Matthew 9:27-31) and 'Jesus heals one who was mute' (9:31-34). 

In this lesson, the children looked at the story of Jesus blessing the little children and reflected on how Jesus cares for others and what we can learn from His actions. For the reflection part of the lesson the children created a hanging mobile showing how Jesus cared for children.

We shared the story of The Big Red Umbrella by Amy June Bates. We made a large red umbrella. The children drew  pictures of themselves. We put the pictures of ourselves under the umbrella. The children thought of some things that they could say to others in the class to make them feel included or cared for. We looked at an image from the Big Umbrella, where the umbrella was sheltering everyone. We talked about how it didn’t matter what people looked like – everyone was welcome under the umbrella. We played with the parachute and all the children in EYFS were welcome to go under it.

The children reflected on our school virtue of ‘Simplicity’. Olivia confidently shared today’s word. “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19). The children discussed what God has provided us and wrote these ideas down.

The nursery children have listened to 'The Feeding of the Five Thousand'.  They have been thinking about how Jesus cares for us all and notices when we need things. The children made and shared bread and decorated the fish with patterns.

Thank you to members of our Chaplaincy and Care for Creation team from year 5 who delivered our new Virtue to Live By to each class.

To celebrate the Jubilee-Pilgrims of hope, the children enjoyed creating their own personal pledge linked to hope, alongside our class pledge. 

In our Celebration of the Word, Year 1 discussed the virtue ‘Faith’. We read the description and thought about how we can show faith in our day-to-day lives.

As a class, the children in year 5 gathered together to explore the impact of social media- specifically YouTube- and how it can affect its younger users. They discussed whether YouTube should have more rules for younger users and took inspiration from the Bible about filling their hearts and minds with what is true, noble and pure.

In RE the nursery children have been learning that Jesus loves everyone.

During this lesson, Year 2 reflected on the importance of the words in the Lord's prayer. We then role played and discussed some scenarios where we have shown or given forgiveness discussing the importance of the words such as 'forgive us our trespasses'. Our class celebration of the word monitors also chose objects of importance, this week they chose the globe as we are all part of God's family wherever we are in the world. 

In this lesson, the children have been re-enacting the visitation of the Magi, using drama techniques to demonstrate their understanding.

Jesus is the Light of the world

To gather the children sang and signed the Hail Mary prayer. We then shared the words: “You are the light of the world… let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16). We discussed what these words mean and how we could shine like Jesus. The children quietly reflected and one at a time they shared their ideas, placing a cross in the centre of the circle.

Children completed a matching cards activity and reflected why we need light and how is Jesus a light. The children then created a candle craft. They used their candles to sing and dance along to ‘This little light of mine'.

Year 1 enjoyed learning the unit of Prophecy and Promise. They learnt about the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Birth of Jesus and the Visit of the Shepherds. They reflected how Catholics around the world show honour to Mary, including diverse representations in art, sculpture, and music and how Christians in their local community celebrate the birth of Jesus.

During RE - Prophecy and Promise children analysed scripture within the Old Testament and understood the importance of women within the church.

Children in Year 2 have been learning all about God's promise and reflecting on the special season of Advent. 

In our recent RE unit, we have enjoyed learning about the annunciation from Angel Gabriel, and analysing hymns and scripture which celebrate the birth of Jesus. Here are some examples of Y3’s learning.

In our prayer liturgy, the children have enjoyed using their prayers to give thanks for the coming of the birth of Jesus, and have been thanking God for the special gift of Jesus Christ.

Children in Reception made Christmas cards for our local Parish. The children used different media to create Angels.

Reception lit the second candle and reflected for the need for us to prepare our hearts and minds for the arrival of Jesus. This candle serves as a reminder to reflect on our Love for Jesus.

In RE the FS1 children have been learning about Jesus' story. They learnt that God loves us and gave us his only son. They found out about the long journey that Mary and Joseph made to Bethlehem and that Jesus was born in a stable and placed in a manger.

Year 1 started the week by lighting the first candle for hope. We discussed the meaning of the wreath and why we light the candle.

Reception lit the first candle of Advent which symbolises Hope. As the light flickered in the darkness, we reflected on our hope of what Christ's arrival will bring to the world.

Our beautiful new entrance display to mark the start of the season of Advent. 

In RE the children have been understanding the significance of the annunciation to Joseph (1:18-25). The children have used hot seating techniques to ask and answer questions of how Joseph might have felt or reacted when the angel came to announce this.

The children gathered in a circle and used water to make the sign of the cross on their foreheads.

We read and discussed the word…

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope".

Romans 15:13

The children passed the Bible around the circle and spoke about one of their hopes. We discussed how we can make those hopes come true.

The children listened to the story of the Visitation and answered questions about it. They then made puppets of Mary and Elizabeth and re-told the story.

The children have used bibles to share the story 1 Kings 19: 4-8 in our Prophet and Promises topic. The children discussed what happened in Elijah's life and the difficulties he faced along the way. 

Today the children have been recognising the importance of some signs, symbols and actions that are heard or used during Mass.

Year 1 held a beautiful and respectful Celebration of the Word to mark Remembrance Day 2024. They listened and reflected carefully and shared a special prayer at the end.

Year three held a special celebration of the word, to remember those who died for us in war. We remember those who served us on the 11th day of the 11th month at the 11th hour. We reflected on the word in (Revelation 21:4), and discussed how we can help to bring peace in our own families, in our school community, and throughout our world. Year three recognise the symbol of the poppy and joined in with a final poem to close the word.

Children listen to the circle song to form a circle on the carpet. The children gathered by passing the Bible around and repeated the words “thanks be to God”.

We read and reflected on the word:

Psalm 25:5

‘Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Saviour, and my hope is in you all day long.’

We then watched a video about hopes and shared their own hopes.

The children explored the idea that the Bible is a very special book for Christians. They reflected on why the Bible is a special book and what it can teach us. Then, they discussed and recalled Bible stories they already knew. In groups, they completed the Bible story loop card activity.

Children in Reception use these resources to support their understanding in prayer and liturgy, classroom prayer, reflections, devotions and special services for times in the school year.

Here are some examples of children work. The children have enjoyed our first focus on Branch One, where they have learnt about the story of Genesis, and Gods gifts of creation. They have thought about what makes a good steward and how they can adopt this role through our Catholic social teaching.

Year 6 learnt about the Creation story from the Book of Genesis, focusing on the Original Sin. We also learnt about the Laudato Si which is a letter written from the Pope...

Year 2 RE Branch 1: Creation and Covenant, displaying the beautiful work they have produced. 

As a class we gathered together to reflect on Branch 1. We prayed the rosary together and also sang Hail Mary, children then shared knowledge and learning. 

Year 1 reflected on the prayers we have learnt. We looked again at the Rosary beads and as a respond they created their own Rosary bead art.

Children in EYFS and Year 1 gathered to give thanks for the food that has been gathered from the fields. We learnt about  the food we eat and how Harvest is celebrated on the Sunday closest to the Harvest Moon, which is a full moon closest to the Autumn equinox.

Children in Reception have been learning all about the way in which God made our beautiful world and everything in it and that He made us. They have also learnt the words and actions for the sign of the cross and learnt to say, 'In the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Year 1 explored the meaning of the Rosary Beads and practised the Hail Mary using sign language.

Reception children learnt that the Rosary is to help people remember the events in the lives of Jesus and Mary and to thank and praise God for them. The children made their own Rosary using pom-poms and applying their threading skills.

The children located Brazil on the map and considered ways in which we are damaging the rainforest. They researched ways in which the people of Brazil are caring for creation and thought of questions to ask these people.

The children in year 3 have been learning to pray with the rosary using their prayer cards and rosary beads. Year 3 have paid special attention to learning and rehearing the rosary mysteries. Today we focused on praying the ‘sorrowful mysteries’. Our focus for Tuesday and Friday.’

FS1 - Creation and Covenant

In RE we have been learning about the Creation Story and how God made our beautiful world and everything in it. We sent bubble prayers thanking God for the things he made.

In this lesson the children reflected on God's creation, our world. They then discovered the work of Andy Goldsworthy, he uses natural materials to celebrate parts of the world. Each child wrote a prayer of thanks and we then used natural materials in our school environment and created some beautiful pieces of art work. 

Reception children are setting up their own Celebration of the Word and explaining why we use the cloth, cross, candles and Bible. 

Reception children visited our chapel. They reflected on the word 'respectful'. Together they said a personal pray to God.

                                                                  'Thank you God for everyone'

Year 4 have retold the call of Abraham and discussed what Abraham may have heard and felt at the time. The children have thought about how Abraham's life was transformed by hope. Year 4 have also retold the story of the Abraham's covenant with God and how it was influenced by faith, hope and love. 

The children created their own expression of God’s beautiful creation.

The children listened to the Our Father and opening lines of the Creed. They used the ‘popcorn’ strategy to generate ideas about what the prayers mean to them. They shared ideas on sticky notes for group posters.

In year 1, they discussed the idea of love. They looked at the words ‘My command is this. Love each other as I have loved you.’ – John 15 12-13. The children thought of lots of ways to share love like God. The children all shared one and put a precious gem on our cloth. We also practised the ‘Our Father’ prayer.

The children in Year 5 enjoyed taking part in a child-led Celebration of the Word for KS2 focused on the 'Virtue to Live By'. Telling the Bible story of Levi the tax collector, they told others of how Jesus showed respect and courtesy to others so they could show respect and courtesy to themselves helping them live on God's path.

In RE, Year 5 have been learning about God's covenant to Moses as he freed the Israelites and received the Ten Commandments. Exploring the Bible story of the Burning Bush and the Book of Exodus, the children have been able to understand why God's covenant is still important to us today and how we build our friendship with God through our actions. 

During the lesson, Year 2 'freeze framed' different scenarios to demonstrate their understanding of how to follow in God's footsteps and also how people choose at times to sin. 

Children had to think of a scenario and then we had to guess what the scenario could be, can you guess any? 

The children reflected on how stories can help us to learn or understand things. They completed the ‘Speak Like an Expert’ activity by telling their group everything they can remember about the Creation story, getting a point for each word off the chart that they use.

The children then learnt the ‘Creation Rhyme’ and made actions to remember it.

God made the seas, the land and sky

The plants, flowers and trees so high

He made all creatures big and small

Give thanks to God, he made us all

In Year 4, the children used drama to create their own 'conscience alley' to explore what Abram may have been thinking when he heard God's call. The children (on the left) whispered the negative thoughts he may have heard and the children (on the right) whispered the positive thoughts he may have heard. 

Today in RE, the children in year 3 have been hearing and discussing the story of creation from Genesis. The children have created ‘I wonder’ questions about each gift God gave, in the creation story.

Year 5 enjoyed taking part in a child-led Celebration of the Word about peace. We responded to the word of God by singing hymns and praying for peace in the world in response to the recent unrest across England. 

In year 1, they discussed the virtue 'respect'. They looked at the words 'Do to others as you would have them do to you' - Luke 6:31. They made suggestions of how they can show respect in school and at home.

Children explored the Bible, discussing its importance. They then recognised that the Bible is in two parts; the Old Testament and the New Testament. 

The children hunted around the classroom for the parts of the Creation Story and learnt about the different parts.

Year 1 enjoyed exploring Christianity as a whole. They created beautiful pieces of art and listened to different types of Christian music.

Today in RE, children have been understanding the world as a special place for the Christian community. 

In today’s RE lesson Year 3 have worked together in small groups, to create a poster on how they can bring more harmony into our school environment and Gods world e.g. grow something to enjoy and share, tidy a messy area.

They have worked out a plan and presented it to the class for action and said why this is important for Christians. The children’s learning and presentation is displayed on our website.

In this lesson, Year 2 enjoyed responding to the question 'Who is my neighbour'. Children worked collaboratively to create their own art work depicting their neighbours in a range of creative ways, using different media. 

Children in Reception learnt how Sikhs wear special clothes. They made their own person from a Sikh family and used different materials to dress them.

Year 1 were lucky to have a group of year 6s lead their Celebration of the Word. They discussed friendships and how to be a good friend and neighbour. They also discussed how to look for the 'gold' in people.

The children listened to three pieces of Christian music from three different Christian communities. The children responded to what they like/dislike and what they feel about the music. They responded with art or movement to the music.The children listened to three pieces of Christian music from three different Christian communities. The children responded to what they like/dislike and what they feel about the music. They responded with art or movement to the music.

Children created questions to ask a member of the parish. They wanted to know how they follow Jesus’ example and the Christian mission.

Congratulations to children in our school community who received the Sacrament of the Eucharist on Saturday 8th June, during 6pm mass. May Lord Jesus bless these children who have received Holy Communion for the first time. 

To begin our new topic, Dialogue and Encounter, where the children will be learning all about the Bible and it's origins, the children in year 5 explored other books that are special to them by sharing them together in the library.

After listening to the hymn 'O Mary we crown thee with blossoms today', the children in reception created beautiful flowers to celebrate the May - the month of Mary. 

To finish our topic about Pentecost and the power of the Holy Spirit, the children visited the chapel to pray the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary reflecting on Jesus' journey to Heaven. 

The children made their own Rakhi bracelets and learnt about what they symbolise.

In Year 2, children enjoyed using props to retell the Parable of the Good Samaritan. They discussed how the people in the Parable would have felt and the special message of the Parable, being kind to one another. 

In our topic year 3 have enjoyed learning about the importance and demands of listening and sharing, and developing their ideas through discussion and literature.

Children in Reception really enjoyed learning all about Diwali and were really engaged with lots of different activities.

In year 3, the children have been developing their understanding of Hinduism and their special places, how Hindus worship and show respect for the mandir.

Children in year 2 enjoyed reflecting on the meaning of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. We gathered and discussed the fruits and then reflected on what those fruits could look like and symbolise to us. 

Children then wrote a reflective piece of writing sharing their thoughts. 

Year 1 completed the 'To the Ends of the Earth' unit. They enjoyed retelling the stories using role play and actions and also making crafts to remember the symbols of the Holy Spirit.

In RE, the children have studied the importance of giving and receiving. They have understood that the Eucharist challenges and enables living and growing in communion. 

Children passed the bag and picked out one of the symbols. We discussed each symbol and matched it to the label. Children chose one of the symbol crafts to represent the Holy Spirit. The children challenged themselves by adding words to describe the Holy Spirit to their symbol.

First, we acted out the story of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was fully revealed.

We created an obstacle course and blindfolded a volunteer to follow instructions to reach the other side. The volunteer had to listen carefully so they don’t trip or bump into things. We then talked about how this is like listening to the Holy Spirit’s voice. After, we sent another person through the obstacle course with lots of people giving instructions at once. We discussed that this teaches us to follow one voice as opposed to many other “voices” that might influence our lives. We then created a symbol of the Holy Spirit and attached some of the virtues to live by.

Jesus’ Story Part 1 and 2

After discussing a sequencing ‘Sam’s life’, children discussed the life events of Jesus that they have previously learnt. The children then created a board game ordering these events. Children then took turns using the microphones to retell Jesus’ life.

The children played ‘What’s in the Box?’ to guess the next events we are discussing for Jesus’ life. Children completed their board games by adding final set of events. Some children challenged themselves by adding the names of the events and further details. Children finished the lesson by playing their game.

Year 1 shared a lovely celebration of the word this week. First, we gathered quietly into a circle, made the sign of the cross on our foreheads and saying our afternoon prayer. We began by reading our word: “Dear Children, let us not love with words or speech but with action and in truth”. We reflected on these words and discussed what they meant. Lucy made a great inference by saying we need to not just say something; we need to prove it like in Maths. We talked about things we could do to show love and everyone had some great ideas. We then discussed sharing love by sharing a special meal. We chatted about how we shared special meals over the Easter holidays and why the meal was specials. Finally, our mission is to remember to thank God for our day and say sorry for a time we have not lived out his message. We reflected back to our word and agreed that the next day we would take action to prove this.

Our topic for Summer 1 is 'To the ends of the Earth' we will be learning about the resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit. 

Our new virtue is 'resilience'. As a class we gathered and shared ideas on what resilience is and how it looks. Miss Dyson was very impressed that most of Y2 recognised resilience as one of our school intents! 

We responded by sharing experiences of being resilient and how we could help others to develop resilience. 

Year 3 and 4 lead a celebration of the word, around the events of the Last supper, and the washing of the disciples feet.

In this topic, Year 4 have built on their knowledge of self-discipline and how important it is. The children have recognised how celebrating growth of new life occurs through self-discipline. 

Each class in school created beautiful Easter cards that were collected and taken to the church to be given to members of the parish at this special time of year.

Year 3 have used weaving strategies and modelled 3D flowers made from paper, to create an Easter pattern. 

The children in year 5 had a wonderful time making paper that could be used to make 3D flowers to decorate their very own Easter cards. Take a look at their beautiful creations.

Reception used chalk and shading techniques to made Easter cards.

The children in year 5 created and performed a tableau depicting each of the Stations of the Cross for pupils and parents on the last day of term for Holy Week.

Reception have been learning about the events of Holy Week. The children made palm leaves and acted out the story of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on the donkey. Next we acted out Jesus washing the feet of his disciples and sharing the bread and wine. We pretended to be in the Garden of Gethsemane sleeping whilst Jesus prayed.

Children explored the text from God’s Story 2 page 76 and select greeting words.  They wrote their own message of welcome for Jesus as he arrives in Jerusalem and created a banner. They also made some palm branches out of paper and role played the story. We shared the story of Dan the Donkey and sang some songs.

Nursery have been very busy learning about the events of Holy Week. We made palm leaves and acted out the story of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on the donkey. We watched a video about The Last Supper. Next we acted out Jesus washing the feet of his disciples and sharing the bread and wine. We pretended to be in the Garden of Gethsemane sleeping whilst Jesus prayed. Two guards came and arrested Jesus and put him in jail so we acted this out too. The following day we watched the story about Good Friday and we made dough models of Jesus on the cross. We also made some hot cross buns with a cross on them.

In Year 2 we began Holy Week by delivering a Celebration of the Word, remembering what happened on Palm Sunday. We enjoyed retelling the story of Palm Sunday, acting and then sharing our new hymn 'Wave your Palms!' 

In year 3 & 4, the children have delivered a celebration of the word to celebrate the events of Jesus last supper and the washing of the Disciples feet. The children have collectively retold this story with narrating, hymns, and acting. 

This is Year 3’s topic of Giving, along with a few pieces of their learning this term.

Children had time to reflect on the words of ‘Our Father’ and they said the ‘Our Father’ as a class.

In Nursery, we talked about things people do during Lent. We made promises and put them on a cross. We took them down to hang on our Lenten tree in school.

Year 1 discussed and made Lenten promises to hang on the school tree.

Year 6 started their Lent topic with a lovely, reflective Celebration of the Word

In Nursery we made prayer mats when we learnt about Islam. Muslim people use them to pray on. The children watched a video showing how Muslim people pray and listened to the call to prayer. The children learnt about Prophet Muhammed (Peace Be Upon Him) and how he cared for animals. The children enjoyed looking after our small world animals.

Year 1 explored and shared important Muslim stories. We learnt about Muhammad and his teachings. 

Year 6 learnt about the 5 pillars of Islam and the what Islams do during the Zakat (give to the poor)

In year 3 children have been learning about Islam, where they have been looking at the importance of the Mosque, and the daily activities which happen within it.

Children in Year 2 and Year 3 created some beautiful pieces of art work to represent the season of Lent. They used chalks, oil pastels and paint and demonstrated lots of skills such as blending, sketching, stippling and hatching, well done. 

Year 2 each made a Lenten promise, they then visited our school Lenten tree and hung our promises on. The children then gathered together and reflected on their promises. 

The children in Reception wrote Lenten Promises and attached them to our whole school Lenten Promise tree. They reflected on what Lent means to them.

Reception children have been discovering what special objects are for Muslims. They worked hard to create their very own prayer mat.

The children in Year 4 enjoyed learning about the Islamic faith. They were able to understand the the name of the Islamic God and how Muslim people worship their God. 

In Year 2 we studied the five pillars of Islam, we also researched what each pillar means and the importance of prayer for Muslims. 

The children in year 5 enjoyed learning all about Islam and the celebration of Ramadan. They were able to understand the significance of this special time in the Islamic calendar and make links to other religious celebrations.

In year 3 the children have been getting better at understanding how people give themselves. The children discussed and evaluated the demands of giving through different people and occupations in life. They then worked as groups to create a piece of work and presented it to the class.

In Nursery we have been getting better at knowing about celebrations. We learnt about how the parish family celebrate.

In year 3, the children have completed our journey topic. The children have learnt more about the structure of the Liturgical year and its special times such as Feast days. They have looked at the church through different seasons, and the Mysteries of the Rosary. 

In FS2, Prayer Bear will be going home with children to help them learn their prayers.

I’m just a little Prayer Bear,
I’ll sit upon your bed
It’s my job to remind you
When your prayers should be said.

When you put me on your pillow
As you make your bed each day
Remember as you hold me,
To take the time to pray.

Then when you go to bed at night
And put me on the floor,
Remember to take the time to kneel
And say your prayers once more.

Year 6 studied the Bible in great detail, understanding the Gospels, different books within the Bible and a range of scripture

In Nursery we have been learning about Birthdays. We have been getting better at knowing that in Advent we are waiting for Jesus' birthday which is at Christmas.

During Advent, Year 6 learnt about the time of expectation, the prophet's expectation of the Messiah, Mary's expectation, the word of God, John the Baptist's expectation and that Christ will come again.

During the season of Advent, Year 4 have learned that God’s gift of Jesus is a gift of love to all people and that Jesus reveals God’s love for humanity.

Children in Reception chose their design to make a special Parish Christmas card.

In year 1, we have been discussing the story of Christingle. We created our own to take home.

Year 1 learnt about Advent being a time for waiting and we created our own Advent Calendar to help us wait.

Year 1 are getting better at understanding that the Advent wreath helps us as we wait for Christmas.

The children have been discussing the importance of a Jesse Tree, and have designed Advent symbols which represent the family of Jesus.

In Celebration of the word, Y3 have used the word from Matthew 2:1-12 “The visit of the three wise men”. The children have been praying to God to ask for guidance on how we can welcome our own visitors.

Y3 talked about the word “ By this is all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another”-John 13:35

Y3 have created prayers, and decided how they can echo this word by playing together, and looking after each other with care throughout school time.

Year 6 enjoyed learning about another faith - Judaism. They learnt about the values of Yom Kipper

In RE, Year 6 learnt about commitment in life, the vocation of the priesthood and religious life and celebrated the word through reflection and prayer

Nursery learnt about welcoming people into our school class and welcoming a new baby home. We learnt about belonging to our own family and God's family. We acted out a Baptism in our class taking turns to do the different roles.

Y3s mission in Prayer Liturgy was to pray for the needs of others.

Y3 have enjoyed learning about the importance of promises, and how and when we should keep them. Y3 have enjoyed learning about the promises made at Baptism. 

Year 2 Remembrance Service 

Year 2 gathered with Year 1 in the Prayer garden outside for a Remembrance service. 

We shared prayers and reflected, thinking of those who gave their lives for us. 

Year 4 held a Remembrance Day Service in the Prayer Garden where they paid their respects to those who sacrificed themselves during the war. The children joined together to pray for peace and held a minutes silence. 

In this topic, Year 4 have learned that through Baptism and Confirmation people are given the gift of the Holy Spirit and are called to respond in their lives. 

In Nursery we listened to 'The Last Post' being played. We looked at the soldier on the cenotaph in Stainforth and talked about the names of the soldiers on it. At 11 o'clock, we did a 1 minute silence to remember the soldiers.

Year 6 held a Remembrance Day service at the local cenotaph to pay our respects to those who sacrificed themselves during the war...

Remembrance Day 2023- Year 5

To commemorate Remembrance Day this year, the children held a liturgy in the school chapel to remember the sacrifices of those who gave up their lives for our freedom. Through prayer and reflection, the children gave thanks and prayed for the souls of the fallen.

Harvest 2023

Everyone in school was excited to celebrate Harvest and were incredibly generous in donating food for the local food bank. The children enjoyed taking part in our Harvest mass with Father Joseph and giving thanks to God at this time of year.

Members of the Chaplaincy and Care for Creation teams delivered the food to the local food bank where it can help those who need it in our local community.

First, we gathered by listening to music and silently gathering on the carpet. Then we made a bowl with our hands and placed a sad or scary memory into it. We then blew the memory away.

Next, we listened to the words and discussed what they meant. We had some great discussions of how we show love and who loves us.

Then, we placed the words in the middle on our green cloth. We passed a special reflective pebble around the circle and said a quiet prayer to thank God for his love and words.

Finally, we made a mission to find a quiet place to say a prayer for someone in need. We discussed why someone might need a prayer and had some lovely suggestions like they might be poorly or lonely.

In our topic ‘People’, we explored what family means to us and that all families are different. We discussed and explored scripture explaining how God is a loving parent and we are his children.

Our first RE topic is 'people'. In this topic we have learned about our own family and Jesus' family. In this topic, we have studied confirmation and the response to being chosen. 

In RE, Y3 have been recreating the scene of Baptism, by recapping on the stages of the Sacrament. Y3 have observed and acted in role to show what happens, and who is involved.

In Prayer Liturgy, children have been discussing Gods creation of the world.

Prayer Liturgy-Focus-Rosary beads - Mission- To have a quiet moment during the day to pray to God. The children in the photos stood in a circle holding hands and sang “Alleluia”.

In year 1 RE, we have been looking at ‘Families’. We have completed lots of work about our own families and belonging to God’s family. We looked at understanding and learning about God’s love in the bible. We created actions to the words of Psalm 63 line by line and create a class house. Children recognised the things to show love and care and wrote one of these things on each brick. Also, as a class, we created our own wildflower artwork like the wildflowers Jesus spoke about (Luke 12: 24-30 and Matthew 6: 24-30).

In RE our first topic we have been looking at our journey of Homes. What makes a home, How we can care for our family in a home, and how we should respect one another, including our parents.

In our first topic, children have enjoyed learning about what makes a family homes, and how we should treat each other. Children recognise that we should be respectful towards our family members in the home, and how we can demonstrate acts of love and respect.

Year 5- Ourselves

Year 5 explores their qualities, gifts and talents as the learnt about the topic of 'Ourselves'. They discovered how God gave them their qualities and talents and how He has a plan for us all and then made links to the life of St Francis of Assisi and how he was called to use his gifts for good. 

Take a look at our wonderful learning journey...

Year 6's first RE topic was Family; Loving where children learned about love, God's love and the meaning of unconditional love through the story of the Prodigal Son...

In Nursery we have been learning about our name and our family. We have learnt that God loves us all and we are precious to God.

Year 2 have explored 'Beginnings' in our first RE journey. They discussed what a new beginning is and how it feels. They then retold the story of Creation making links, discussing how God is all around us and is always close to us. We then thanked God for all that he is and all that he has given us. 

Year 5- Prayer Liturgy

The children planned a prayer liturgy exploring their hopes and dreams for the coming year. The spent time reflecting on their expectations and on their path that God has planned for them. They then wrote prayers asking God for guidance and help on their journey and started to fill our 'prayer cross'

Reception children have learnt that they all have a first name and family name and that they are precious to God.

FS2 children went to our chapel and reflected on the word 'respectful' Together they said a personal prayer to God.

                                                                     'Thank you God for everyone'

Our Tree for Life

The Chaplaincy and Care for Creation teams have been raising money to buy a CAFOD World Gift to support those in need. Parents and children were asked to buy a leaf for our 'Tree of Life' and place their name upon it. The money raised has provided a family in need with five fruit trees to grow their own food.

'Feed the hungry and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out of the darkness.'

Isaiah 59:10

Welcome Back!

To celebrate the return to school, children and staff took part in a welcome mass led by Father Joseph.

Children offered symbols to represent their hopes and dreams for the coming year and asked God to help them achieve them.

It was wonderful to hear the whole school singing together and having parents join us for our special mass.

Archive Academic Year 2022/2023

EYFS have used their amazing printing skills to produce the flowers for our Eastertide entrance display. All the children reflected on the importance of this special time of year and celebrating that Jesus has risen. 

Year 2 CAFOD RE 

In Year 2 we enjoyed exploring our CAFOD topic- Treasures. We used a range of materials to express what treasures we have and how we are God's treasure and how we look after Earth. 

Year 4 have learned about what New Life means to a Catholic at this special time of the year. The children read and discussed key scripture and discussed how this influences our way of life. 

During our topic on New Life, we retold the story of Penetcost through art. The children used water colours and annotated the story with speech bubbles and captions. 

Year 4 have studied what self discipline means and why this is important. 

Children in Year 4 planned and delivered a prayer liturgy about our whole school virtue 'love'. They wrote their own prayers, which they shared with the class and took home to their families. 

The children across school created beautiful Easter cards to take home to their families and to send to the sick of the parish.

Using other crafts- collage and printing- each year group took inspiration from this special time of the year and enjoyed getting crafty!

Take a look at our amazing work!

Year 4 have used their printing skills to produce some beautiful Easter cards to share with our parish community on Easter Sunday. 

The children in year 5 created and performed a tableau depicting each of the Stations of the Cross for pupils and parents on the last day of term. 

Our Child-Led Prayer Liturgy

The children in year 6 celebrated the end of their RE topic about Unity by holding a prayer liturgy for the whole school and parents and carers. It was wonderful to hear about what they had been learning and how this has impacted their life and faith.

All of the children and staff in KS2 were able to visit church to celebrate the Ash Wednesday Mass with Father Joseph and other parishioners. Children from each year group took part in readings from the bible and enjoyed singing hymns in the church.

Take a look at some of the wonderful photos from the visit.

Children in Recpetion learnt all about another faith -  Islam. They were introduced to new vocabulary and explored special days and ritual objects used within the religion. 

Children were introduced to the term 'Parish Family.' We discussed what the children already knew about celebrating in the  church. Children confidently remembered that we celebrate Baptism, Christmas, and Weddings in a church. 

Children learnt to pray 'Our Father,' named and labelled all the items used to celebrate in a church and write thank you letters to Father Joseph. Role play was used to reinact the Presentation Story where children were given opportunities to apply new vocabulary. 

The children in Year 5 explored Jesus' mission and how this has influenced the lives of people today. We looked at our diocese and discovered the importance it has within the community and how its work inspires others to do good.

The children in Year 1 have explored the special people in their lives and within the parish family. We have discussed the special people who help put at Mass on Sundays, such as the priest, greeters and cleaners. We have shared our thoughts and feelings on what we think makes a person special. 

Year 1 have explored and shared their own family stories with each other. We have explored and discussed the story of Muhammad and how he was a man who preached kindness who people looked up to. 

FS2 had a very special visitor from CAFOD today. The children learnt that we are all unique, we are all different and that it is is OK because that's how God made us. Children also learnt a song and joined in confidently with the words and the actions. Children identified similarities and differences when reading the story.

EYFS worked together to create our whole school Community RE display. Reception made the church, Our Lady of the Assumption and Nursery children made our Preist, Father Joseph. Together we became artists, inspired by Picasso, to create the Parish Family. We looked at portraits and discussed shapes and expressions. 
 

Our amazing 'Community' display was created by the children in EYFS.

The children, parents and staff enjoyed taking part in our Blessing of the Advent Wreaths service where wreaths, that had been made by parents and children, were blessed and given to each class to celebrate the special time of year. 

A wreath was also presented to members of the parish to be taken to church where the candles could be lit each week of Advent.

Our beautiful Advent display was made by the children in year 3 and year 5. Using a mixture of both printing techniques and oil pastel drawings, the children form both classes created images of the Advent candles to signify the special time of year.

Lest We Forget

The children at Holy Family are getting ready to commemorate Remembrance Day. The children in year one and year four have enjoyed creating art work using digital photography and collage to show that 'Peace is in our hands'. They have also used charcoal to depict the battle of the Somme and collage to adorn the poem In Flanders Field.

We have invited the children to place the name of someone they would like us to remember and pray for in our 'Memory Bowl'. This is to celebrate the end of the Liturgical Year where we remember those who are no longer with us.

November- Month of Remembrance

To commemorate November being the Month of Remembrance, we invite you to remember someone special in you life by lighting a candle in their memory.

Please visit the CAFOD website and light a candle with others around the world.

Year 5- Life Choices

The children in year 5 enjoyed learning about Life Choices.

They learnt about the sacraments of marriage and the blessing of the rings, where they performed their very own wedding. They also discovered what it takes to have a happy marriage and how others are called to have a different vocation committing to God.

Year Four have planned and delivered their own Liturgical Prayer. They decided how they wanted to gather, what word they wanted to share, how they wanted to respond and what the mission was. The Prayer Leaders then shared a prayer they had written.  

Harvest Donations

It was wonderful to see all the donations of food be taken to Stainforth Food Bank by members of the Care for Creation Team after our Harvest Mass. It was gratefully received by staff who work there, who will be able to spread the kindness of others to those in need. 

 ^"For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home."

Matthew 25:35

Harvest Time

The children at Holy Family enjoyed having the opportunity to celebrate Harvest at Our Lady of the Assumption Church. Along with parents and parishioners, the Mass led by Father Joseph with the assistance of the Chaplaincy Team was enjoyed by all.

It was wonderful to hear the children reading from the book of Leviticus and the Bidding prayer, finally finishing with a special harvest prayer written by the Prayer Group. Donations of food were collected and placed in front of the alter, before being taken to Stainforth Food Bank to help those in need.

²² “‘When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and for the foreigner residing among you. I am the Lord your God.’”

Leviticus 23:22

A Trip to Church!

The Chaplaincy Team enjoyed an afternoon trip to church to take all of the donations ready for the Harvest Mass.

Take a look at the generous offerings.

The Month of the Rosary

The children at Holy Family have been enjoying celebrating the Month of the Rosary. Beginning with a special Prayer Liturgy to observe the Feast Day on October 7^th, the children learnt all about praying the Rosary and listened to a prayer written by the prayer team. This continued throughout the rest of the month, with children praying the Rosary in class with rosary beads that had kindly been donated to the school which they were invited to take home at the end of the term to share with their families.  

“The Rosary is the most beautiful and the most rich in graces of all prayers; it is the prayer that touches most the Heart of the Mother of God…and if you wish peace to reign in your homes, recite the family Rosary.” - Pope Saint Pius X

In RE, Nursery children learnt all about Baptism. They collected a white robe, candle, Bible and water. Children reinacted this special time.

St Bernadette Relic Tour 2022

The children in year 5 and year 6 were honoured to take part in a once in a lifetime opportunity- to visit the relics of St Bernadette.

The children travelled to Doncaster on the bus and continued their Pilgrimage of Faith by visiting St Peter in Chains church where the relics had travelled to, all the way from Lourdes.

Take a look at the video to join us on our journey.

The children in year 5 have been exploring the topic of 'Ourselves'. They have been learning about who they are as people in the world and also in the eyes of God. By identifying their qualities, talents and gifts, the children now understand how they are holy people and how they can use their qualities, talents and gifts to help others in the world. By learning about St Marguerite, the children are able to show an understanding of how the call to be holy shapes lives and can describe and show an understanding of Paul's letters to the Colossians.

Our topic is ‘People’ and we have explored what family means to us and that all families are different. We have discussed and explored scripture explaining how God is a loving parent and we are his children. 

Children in Recpeption re-enacted a Baptism. They welcomed the baby into Church, poured water on the baby's head and said, "I baptise you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit". They wrapped the baby in a white shawl and said, "Recieve this white garment".

Nursery children worked together using different media to create a welcome poster as part of their RE topic, Welcome.

Nursery children gathered in our main reception area to pray the Hail Mary.

Reception children gathered around the whole school display board to admire their art work; salt dough Rosary Beads. They learnt that the purpose of the Rosary is to help people remember the events in the lives of Jesus and Mary and to thank God for them. Children also practised praying the Hail Mary.

Children in FS2 have used the prayer chair to reflect. One child wrote a prayer asking God to, 'help mummy get better' whilst another had some quiet time just to sit and think.

FS2 children are becoming skilled in setting up their own Prayer Liturgy. Today we reflected on our virtue to live by: I am grateful for all I have and praise God for all he has given me.

Children selected objects which they could talk about that refered to their own gifts anf talents.

Children learnt the importance of their name - Explore

They learnt that God knows and loves each child and knows each child by their name - Reveal

All children aquired the skills of assimilation, celebration and application of all of the above - Respond

We explored the virtue of "Thankfulness" by gathering in a circle and the 2 of the children laid out the green cloth, while another turned the lights off.

We read the word of Luke 17:11-19 - Jesus Heals Ten Men With Leprosy. The children took away from this that” its kind to help people” and “when someone helps you, you should say thank you”

The children responded to this scripture by ringing the bells for something they are thankful for. "I am thankful for my sister”.

Year 1 chose to 'gather' in the prayer garden today. They enjoyed feeling close to God whilst being calm and peaceful. We used our senses to listen to all the things that God has created for us. 

Year 6 have completed their first RE journey - Loving. We met our learning objectives through different forms of writing, art, freeze frames and role play! The children have produced some fabulous work...

FS2 children have welcomed a new member to our class, everyone, please meet Prayer Bear. Prayer Bear is very excited to help the children learn their prayers at home.

In Year 4 in RE, the children have been looking at Building Bridges. The children have been exploring what makes a strong friendship and reflecting on our own friendships. This week, the children looked at the importance of admitting when you are wrong and being reconciled with God and one another. We listened to God's Story 3, based on Luke 15: 3-7. The children then participated in role play and played the part of the lost sheep. The children wrote on post it notes to say how the sheep might have been feeling when the sheep was lost and how the sheep might have been feeling when it was found. We then reflected on what makes a friendship strong, how to build bridges of friendship and what we can do when a friendship is broken. The children then wrote on post it notes to say what they will do to build a bridge of friendship and we made it into a shape of a bridge. 

Using bubbles to experience our prayers to God.

In Year 4 this week, we focused on kindness for one of our collective worships. The children chose the centrepiece which was a green cloth and a cross. They listened to reflective music whilst gathering in a circle and thought about how they had been kind today. The children had to make a fist of friendship, they thought of one friend they were proud to have, one person who they thought needed their friendship, one person who they find challenging and one person who they thought needed their prayers. They then placed their friendship fist next to their heart and listened to the word kindness. We read scripture from the bible (Ephesions, 4:32) and then the children thought about how they can be an example of Jesus today, showing kindness, helping someone in need, sharing with someone and looking after our world. 

In Year 4, the children have had a lovely school trip to the Jamia Mosque and the Sikh Temple in Doncaster as part of our Pilgrimage of Faith. The children learnt lots about Islam and Sikhism. At the Jamia Mosque the children learnt about the 5 pillars of Islam and even took part in a prayer. At the Sikh Temple we learnt about the history of Sikhism and the 5 K's. The children really enjoyed learning and visiting the different places of worship and finding out about how different religions pray. 

Year 2 have used collage to create stained glass windows surrounding Mary, Mother of God. 

In Year 4, the children have been continuing to learn about their New Life topic in RE. Today, the children read and highlighted the scripture: God's Story, 4: 1-26. We cannot keep silent. The children learnt about how the Holy Spirit gave courage to Peter and John and allowed them to speak out about the Good News of Jesus even when they were threatened. The children then created some interview questions and participated in role play in which they asked Peter and John different questions. 

In Year 4, we have been looking at the topic New Life. In today's lesson the children learnt about what Pentecost is. The children answered questions about Peter's message and the coming of the Holy Spirit. The children then looked at the painting 'Pentecost by Titian' and described what they could see. 

Year 5 created some outstanding artwork, using pastels,  to represent our Blessed Mother, Mary. 

In Year 2, we have studied Judaism. We have studied the Jewish celebration - Shabbat. We watched a video showing how families celebrate Shabbat and why it's important to their faith. We then labelled and wrote about special items that are used during Shabbat. 

Children from all classes, made a beautiful Easter basket containing lovely Easter cards for the parish of 'Our Lady of Assumption' Church. The cards were given to different members of the Parish community on Easter Sunday. We hope everyone enjoyed receiving them as much as we enjoyed making them!

Year 5- Lent

Year 5 have been learning about sacrifice during the time of Lent. Take a look at some of the wonderful work that we have been doing to observe this special time of year.

Children learnt that Diwali is a five day festival. Lamps are lit and windows and doors are left open.

The children also learnt other ways to celebrate the festival:

• Spring-cleaning the home - children swept the class room and surrounding areas and dusted everywhere!
• Wearing new clothes - children wrapped themselves in fine silks.
• Exchanging gifts - children made sweets and dried fruits to give as gifts.
• Decorating buildings with fancy lights - children attached fairy lights to the underneath of our tuff tray.
• Huge fireworks displays - children used brightly coloured paint to create a firework picture.

FS2 have been very busy and produced this wonderful 'Our Community' display in the entrance of school. They have been reflecting on the meaning of community and have learnt that it is a special gathering. 

Year 2 have been using art to reflect on the Feast of the Epiphany.