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St Mary and St Michael is a school with a strong Catholic ethos. This permeates all areas of school life and is at the heart of our philosophy of education. Our whole curriculum is rooted in a religious understanding of life, where the gospel values underpin our efforts to provide a quality education for all. In all that we do we aim to create a happy and secure environment, where children want to come to school in the knowledge that they feel unique and valued as members of God’s family.

At St Mary and St Michael we follow the Religious Education Curriculum Directory set out by the Bishops of England and Wales. We use the scheme The Way, The Truth and the Life to provide the children with rich opportunities to learn about God and their faith.

We also spend time learning about other faiths each year. In doing so we embody the call to love one’s neighbour and show respect to those who are practising members of other faiths. This also prepares our pupils for life in modern Britain by giving them an understanding of the beliefs of others. Teaching other faiths improves social cohesion and increases mutual respect between those of different religions, which in turn contributes to the Common Good.

Our school provides the experience of a Christian community in which young children can learn about God, share their faith and worship Him. Through our Religious Education we aim to ensure that all our pupils are theologically literate in their faith, whilst providing opportunities for children to flourish spiritually.

Religious Education at St Mary and St Michael prepares for and leads the children to worship. We provide a range of opportunities for worship including: class-led collective acts of worship, assemblies, hymn practice and masses. Our liturgical programme of worship provides all members of our school community with the opportunity to experience the power of the spirit of Jesus, who is present when two or three gather in his name.