The Religious Education Department of St Martin’s recognises that spiritual development takes place at many levels and permeates every aspect of school life. However, given the spiritual focus of religious education, the department particularly strives to encourage students to explore their own identity by accompanying them on their journey to becoming fully human in the image of God. We see Christ’s way of teaching as the example par excellence. We aim to teach Christ’s message in the manner he did himself.

As a department we believe that it is our duty to provide an education based on Christian principles and so endeavour to provide opportunities for all students (irrespective of their creed, ability or age) to study the mystery of God, the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, the teachings of his Church, the central beliefs that Catholics hold, the basis for them and the relationship between faith and life.
 

In the words of the Catholic Directory, the outcome of Catholic religious education should be ‘religiously literate young people who have the knowledge, understanding and skills – appropriate to their age and capacity – to think spiritually, ethically theologically, and who are aware of the demands of religious commitment in everyday life.
 

Within the curriculum, provision is made for students to explore the beliefs and systems of other religions and faith communities – as the Church teaches, all people form just one world community. All people should, therefore, be respected and recognised in their search for God.

We utilise a variety of resources in order to deliver the curriculum effectively. As well as the ICONS text books and accompanying worksheets, there are extra resources for the less able, the more able and for exploring world religions. Such resources include videos, artefacts, ICT and interactive whiteboard materials. We are always expanding such resources in order to aid each student’s understanding of religious beliefs.

The aim of Religious Education at Saint Martin’s is, as in all Catholic Schools, to produce “religiously literate young people who have the knowledge, understanding and skills – appropriate to their age and capacity – to think spiritually, ethically and theologically, and who are aware of the demands of religious commitment in everyday life”¹. The subject is one in which students are invited to learn about other people’s faiths, as well as exploring their own. As an academic subject, it is vital that this exploration is allowed to accommodate those who have no “faith” as such.
 

As a Catholic School, it is the Catholic faith which receives the most attention in terms of teaching. However, as a catholic subject, it is important that all students are able to assess the ideas covered, regardless of which answers they arrive at.
 

Lessons present ideas from a range of religious viewpoints, and students are free to respond to these ideas however they feel (within the boundaries of respect). The role of the subject is to ensure that students are made aware of these ideas in the first instance, and challenged to think about the way in which they respond to them in the second. This is done by trying to ensure that, whatever answers the students ultimately arrive at, they are aware of alternative answers and the reasons people have for arriving at them.
 

Through this approach, it is hoped that the subject will help students to develop a greater understanding of their own beliefs, and a newly formed respect for those who do not share them.