Religious
Education must be taught by law, but in St. Giles', as a Roman Catholic school, it is not
simply'another subject', but provides an essential part of our whole approach to a
complete education for our children. The whole atmosphere in our school is one in which
our Christianity inspires and guides us in approaching everything we do. There is a wealth
of knowledge taught to the children as part of that vocation in passing on the Faith but
our deeply committed members of staff recognise the great importance of dedicated example.
The commercial scheme which assists us is called 'Veritas' and is
recommended by our Archdiocese of Birmingham. This forms the basis of our teaching and
enables a continuity of progress from 4 to 11 years, with the family unit held in greatest
esteem.
The Sacramental preparation of Catholic children for First
Communion, Reconciliation (Penance or First Confession, as it used to be called) and
Confirmation is a co-operation between school, home and parish.
With the exception of this Sacramental preparation the religious
life of the school is one which all the children, Catholic or not, can share. We regard a
respect for the beliefs of others to be an essential part of our Catholic understanding.
Assembly is organised to suit the needs of the different age
categories. This is always done on a daily basis. Sometimes it involves the whole school
or classes, or key stages: Key Stage 2 (Juniors) or Key Stage 1 (Infants).