At Holy Cross Catholic Primary School, our aim is to provide a caring community in which each child has the opportunity to deepen their understanding of the Catholic faith. We believe that the relationship with God should be developed through the teaching of Religious Education, alongside prayer and worship, which are celebrated in classrooms, the whole school and within the wider community.
In line with our values, we help children to develop appropriate attitudes, such as: respect for the views of others, awareness of moral responsibility, and an awareness of the challenges of living in a multicultural, multi-faith society.
Within our Catholic school, the staff, governors and children work hard to promote our mission statement by living as Jesus taught us, so we can work, learn, play and grow together, always asking, “What would Jesus do?”
Our Religious Education is delivered through ‘God Matters’, the scheme approved by the Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth, for use in Catholic schools. Our lessons provide opportunities for celebration, prayer and reflection. The children are taught about God’s love and their Christian responsibility.
There is a high focus on developing children’s moral, spiritual, social and cultural understanding. ‘God Matters’ gives us the language of religious experience through activities, stories, symbols, rituals and celebration. It promotes core Gospel values which underpin all aspects of school life. The children make links with their own experiences and this enables them to explain their beliefs and values and ask questions of the Catholic traditions.
We celebrate equality and diversity, supporting the children’s social and cultural development, recognising every individual as special and unique in the image and likeness of God. In keeping with our C.A.R.E.S. values, we teach our children to be respectful and understanding of people and traditions from other faiths, cultures and backgrounds.