Religious Education

Welcome to Notre Dame’s RE Department!

The RE department at Notre Dame has a pivotal role in the school, providing not only preparation for examinations, but also spiritual support for staff and students.

Our students are on a journey of faith and it is the privilege of the RE Department to accompany them on this journey.

A message from Pope Francis at Palm Sunday Mass, 2018:

“There are many ways to silence young people and make them invisible,” the Pope said. There are “many ways to anaesthetise them, to make them keep quiet, ask nothing, question nothing. There are many ways to sedate them, to keep them from getting involved, to make their dreams flat and dreary, petty and plaintive.”

Pope Francis asked the young people “not to keep quiet. Even if others keep quiet, if we older people and leaders keep quiet, if the whole world keeps quiet and loses its joy, I ask you: Will you cry out?”

INTRODUCING THE RE DEPARTMENT

Our RE teachers are passionate about the subject and deliver it in an interactive and exciting way.
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Name: Miss S. Tragheim

Role: Head of RE

Favourite Biblical figure: Aside from the main man obviously. I love St Peter – he made mistakes and yet Jesus still loved him and made him leader of the Church. A figure we can all relate to and a wonderful example of God’s forgiveness.

Responsibilities: Overseer of department, tracking, Liturgical Co-ordinator, mentor to trainee teacher, inter-department CPD.

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Name: Ms R. O’Leary

Role: RE Teacher

Favourite Biblical figure and why:â€‹ Mary the Mother of Jesus who inspires me to be humble and compassionate to all in all situations.

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Name: Ms. S Sadjady

Role: RE Teacher

Favourite Bible figure: God because He is why I am here!

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Name: Ms B. Byrne

Role: Assistant Head and main responsibility is for Vulnerable Pupils. Line Manage RE and Art and teach Geography.

Favourite Biblical figure: I think I like Moses best

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Name: Sinead Lafferty

Role: Head of Year/MFL Teacher/RE Teacher

Favourite Food: Pasta - or any Italian food!

Favourite superhero power: Time Travel

Favourite Bible figure: Mary, she is one of the strongest women in the Bible and shows courage at the hardest of times, and importantly the first person the Risen Christ chose to appear to.

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Name: Angela Jalloh

Role: English Teacher, Drama Teacher and RE Teacher

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Curriculum

KS3

At KS3, students follow a course which meets the demands of the Curriculum Directory. Each year pupils study one world religion where the opportunity to visit the place of worship is offered.

Year 7- 9 students will have 3 RE lessons a week.

Year 7: Catholic Identity; The Mass; The Bible; Christmas; Sacraments; Prayer; Easter; Hinduism and Catholic Social Teaching.

Year 8: The existence of God and revelation; The Life of Jesus: Through the lens of Mark’s Gospel; Islam; Christian Denomination and God’s covenant with the Old Testament Prophets.

Year 9: Covenant, Vocation and Confirmation; the Problem of Evil and the Catholic Response; Judaism; Pilgrimages; Religion, Human Rights and Social Justice and St Mark’s Gospel.

GCSE

At Notre Dame we follow two GCSE Specifications.

Current Year 10 and 11: AQA Specification A. Our students will have two exam papers both 1hr45 minutes. Paper 1 is on the Study of Religions (50% Christianity, 50% Judaism) and Paper 2 is Thematic Studies. For Paper 2 they have to be able to compare and contrast the two religions in relation to different ethical, social and moral dilemmas.

The course includes:

Christianity: Belief and Teachings
Christianity: Practices
Judaism: Belief and Teachings
Judaism: Practices
Religion and Life
Religion, Crime and Punishment
Relationships and Families
Religion, Peace and Conflict

Current Early Entry Year 9s: Eduqas Specification Route B. Our students will have three exam papers both 1hr30 minutes. Paper 1 is on Foundational Theology, Paper 2 is Applied Theology and Paper 3 is Judaism.

The course includes:

Origins and meaning
Good and evil
Life and death
Sin and forgiveness
Judaism: Belief and Teachings
Judaism: Practices

Spiritual Life

Prayer:

During Advent and Lent there is Morning Prayer for staff and students.

There is an emphasis on Marian devotion at Notre Dame too. During the months of October and May, which are dedicated to Mary, the rosary is said during weekly morning gatherings in the Chaplaincy area.

There are also regular after school reflections led by Sr. Magdalen Lawler, SND. These are open to all staff and are a wonderful way to think and pray in an informal setting, in particular to learn more about the charisma of St. Julie.

Services and Masses:

Throughout the year the whole school gathers to mark religious occasions in St. George’s Cathedral as well as to celebrate, as a community, the end of each school term.

Mass of the Holy Spirit
Introduction Mass for Year 7
All Saints Mass
Memorial Mass
Christmas Service
Ash Wednesday Mass
Easter Service
Ascension Mass
St Peter and St Paul Mass
End of Year Service

Each year selected students in year 11 who have posts of responsibility are invited to become Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist where, once commissioned, serve the school through this role during class masses. In addition we have a team of altar servers who also assist during masses and services.