Our Faith
As a voluntary aided Roman Catholic School, Religious Education is an integral part of our ethos, aims and relationships.
Our faith permeates all aspects of school life. We believe that links between home, school and parish are vital.
Liturgy and Collective Worship
Our Catholic Faith is central to the day-to-day life of our school and all aspects of the curriculum, and pupils are encouraged to recognise the importance of their faith and they respond to all forms of liturgy and collective worship with respect and reverence.
We have a rich liturgical life in that the experiences we provide are wide ranging and take place in school, out of school, in Church and in the wider community, and engage and involve pupils, parents, staff, governors and the parish.
The Celebration of the Eucharist and prayer are central in our school.
Our Parish Priest regularly celebrates Mass for us. Each class takes on the responsibility of planning their own celebration of the Mass. In addition, we celebrate special Whole School Masses at the beginning and end of term, our school feast day, holy days of obligation and other significant occasions.
All acts of worship have a liturgical structure and are thoroughly planned and delivered.
Religious Education
We use the curriculum strategy for Religious Education in the Catholic Primary Schools 'Living and Growing as the People of God' is the curriculum strategy for Religious Education in the Archdiocese of Birmingham. It makes learning about our faith lively, interactive and relevant.
It lays out clearly the steps to be taken in the teaching and learning of RE in Key Stage 1 and 2. It is an essential guide for what it to be covered in RE lessons. Its content also provides the foundations for a partnership between school, home and parish, a partnership that lies at the centre of Catholic Education.
There are numerous opportunities for cross curricular activities that link with and often stem from RE lessons.
We use the internet, we visit places of worship and we invite people to speak about their faith.
At St Jude's, RE is not simply one subject among many, but the foundation of all that is done at school. The RE strategy provides a curriculum that addresses pupils' intellect, hearts and imagination. It covers a systematic study of Catholic faith and life.
 One of our RE focus areas, which reflects our faith. |
 Prayer is central to all that we do in school. |
Catholic Schools' Pupil Profile
Catholic schools within the Archdiocese of Birmingham ensure that, as part of their Catholic teachings from Learning and Growing as the People of God, Virtues are a key focus. These virtues show how pupils are growing in their faith, as well as how schools help children to grow. Every half term there is a different focus.
These virtues are taken from the Jesuit Institute which is rooted in the teachings of St Ignatius. They have created a Pupil Profile in which 8 pairs of complementary words have been placed together. The Archdiocese of Birmingham have been allowed to use the Jesuit material and have renamed it the Catholic Schools Profile.
Each half term the whole school will focus on one pair of words; we will spend time reflecting on the meaning of the words; how we see these virtues in action in our lives and in the lives of others and how we can work to encapsulate these virtues in our lives.
Pairs of Virtues for 2021/22 are:
- Autumn 1 2021: Eloquent and Truthful
- Autumn 2 2021: Learned and Wise
- Spring 1 2022: Curious and Active
- Spring 2 2022: Intentional and Prophetic
- Summer 1 2022: Grateful and Generous
- Summer 2 2022: Attentive and Discerning
Pairs of Virtues for 2022/23 are:
- Autumn 1 2022: Compassionate and Loving
- Autumn 2 2022: Faith-filled and Hopeful
- Spring 1 2023: Eloquent and Truthful
- Spring 2 2023: Learned and Wise
- Summer 1 2023: Curious and Active
- Summer 2 2023: Intentional and Prophetic
Read more about the Catholic School Pupil Profile in the document below: