Core RE

All students have a weekly 45-minute lesson of Core RE This is an important part of being a student at a Catholic college and alongside the Tutorial lessons, RE plays a key role in helping students feel part of the wider college community.

Why do we study RE?

• To share our college values of faith, compassion, humility, service, daring, vision and joy and to understand the Catholic teachings upon which our college is founded
• To help students understand and discern their own beliefs and world view and to listen and respond appropriately to views different to their own. We call this being ‘religiously literate’ which is a valuable skill in today’s multicultural world
• To encourage students to engage with wider current affairs and respond to social injustice with compassion and empathy, taking opportunities to put faith into action and serve others
• To give students an experience of belonging and feeling valued as a child of God whilst also giving them an opportunity to have their voice heard and their identity represented in our community

What do students gain from RE?

Success is not simply measured by the grades students gain at the end of their time at Holy Cross. We have a duty to develop students as a whole person so this includes not only intellectually, but also morally, spiritually and emotionally. RE is one of the ways we do this; in particular, helping students to reflect spiritually and to think ethically and theologically. The benefit of RE is summed up in our college motto; Think well, feel well and do well. Students gain a tremendous amount from Holy Cross over their time with us, so engaging in RE is one of the ways they are able to contribute to the community here.

RE is also the one lesson in the week where students can simply be themselves without the focus on their progress or academic achievements. As a result, students can become more confident in their own beliefs and ideas. They will also develop important employability

skills that are valuable for making progress in life such as critical thinking, debate, interpersonal skills, responsibility, empathy and respect. All students receive a Diocesan certificate to acknowledge their attendance and engagement at the end of the course.