Religious Studies

Students in Years 7 to 8 study the scriptures in detail, encountering the Bible as a text of inspiration and challenge. They engage with different portraits of Jesus with a focus on his divinity and his saving mission. The Sacraments are explicitly taught in the context of the sacramentality of life.

Students are encouraged to pray and explore Catholic spirituality to foster habits of prayer, knowing that effective prayer transforms and leads to a deeper love of God and one another. Christian life is explained as living in right relationship in the context of building the “Kingdom of God”. The Church is seen as celebrating diversity and seeking unity amongst all peoples.

Students learn to recognise that sacred texts reflect the audience, purpose and context of their human authors, and explain how they influence the life of believers. They will develop an understanding of the various images and titles of Jesus in the context of the Gospels and can articulate who Jesus is for Catholics today.

They will be able to explain Church teaching and basic principles of social justice for the way believers live out their faith, personally and communally.  Students will be able to identify some of the benefits of participating in action to promote justice in the school, local or wider community.

They learn the significance of prayer, ritual, sacraments and sacred texts for the faith journey of believers, personally and communally, and show their understanding by participating respectfully in a variety of prayer experiences, including student participation in spiritual reflection days, school liturgies and school masses.