Our class, Hopeful Helpers, is inspired by St Martha, who showed great faith, kindness, and dedication in serving others. St Martha teaches us the importance of helping those around us, welcoming others with love, and using our talents to make a positive difference in the world.
As Hopeful Helpers, we learn how to care for one another, work together, and offer a helping hand whenever it is needed. We strive to show kindness, respect, and compassion in our words and actions, creating a classroom where everyone feels valued, supported, and encouraged to do their best.
On our journey of faith and learning, we are guided by our class teacher, Mr Pickering, and supported by our teaching assistant, Mrs Cartwright. Together, we work to follow St Martha’s example by serving others with joy, showing love and respect, and becoming the very best versions of ourselves.
We now follow the Discerning Disciples Religious Education curriculum, which is organised into six core branches that correspond to the half-terms of the academic year and reflect the liturgical and thematic flow of the Catholic faith:
- Creation and Covenant: Explores the creation story, human dignity, and God’s relationship with humanity.
- Prophecy and Promise: Focuses on Advent, the Annunciation, and God working through history.
- Galilee to Jerusalem: Follows Jesus’ ministry, teachings, parables, and miracles.
- Desert to Garden: Covers Lent, the Paschal Mystery, and the Resurrection.
- To the Ends of the Earth: Explores the early Church, the Holy Spirit, and the work of the apostles.
- Dialogue and Encounter: Teaches about working for the common good and respecting other faiths.
Through these six branches, the Discerning Disciples curriculum supports pupils in developing religious literacy, deepening their understanding of Scripture and Catholic tradition, and growing as thoughtful, compassionate disciples in today’s world.
Writing
English is planned using Pathways to Write. Each half term, there is a new genre, book and style of writing that we will be using. For each piece of writing, the children will be completing their ‘Writeaway Piece’ as well as some smaller pieces throughout the half term.
Queen of the Falls – Diary
Beowulf – Legend
Arthur and the Golden Rope – Myth
The Darkest Dark – Biography
The Brilliant Deep – Information Text
Bold and Brave Women from Shakespeare – Soliloquy
Reading
Reading continues to be the single most important thing for you and your child to enjoy at home! You could read their school book, share a good book, read the newspaper, a magazine or a comic. A child’s reading ability is the most important factor in determining their future success and therefore at St Joseph and St Theresa’s we make it our mission to read with the children everyday through reading lessons and reading for pleasure sessions.
Module One: Created and Loved by God explores the individual. Rooted in the teaching that we are made in the image and likeness of God, it helps children to develop an understanding of the importance of valuing themselves as the basis for personal relationships.
Module Two: Created to Love Others explores the individual’s relationship with others. Building on the understanding that we have been created out of love and for love, this module explores how we take this calling into our family, friendships and relationships, and teaches strategies for developing healthy relationships and keeping safe both online and in our daily lives.
Module Three: Created to Live in Community explores the individual’s relationship with the wider world. Here we explore how human beings are relational by nature and are called to love others in the wider community through service, through dialogue and through working for the Common Good.