K-12 RE Curriculum PDF

Biblical References are taken from the New Jerusalem Bible, Darton, Longman and Todd, London 1985
Produced and published by:

Catholic Schools Office
Diocese of Broken Bay
29 Yardley Avenue
WAITARA NSW 2077
Tel: (02) 9847 2600
Fax: (02) 9847 2700
http://cso.brokenbay.catholic.edu.au
email: [email protected]
Director of Schools: Br Tony Whelan cfc
Head of Mission Services: John McGrath
K-12 Project Officer: Chris Comerford
K-6 Project Associate: Luanna Fletcher
Taskforce: Tanya Armstrong, Marcia Charles, Chris Comerford, Luanna Fletcher,

Margaret Gilbert, Joanne Hack, Fran Kane, John McGrath, Pam Meyn,
Maree Najem, Kate O'Brien, Terry O'Keefe, Shiralee Poed, Mark Shafton,
Frances Taylor
Layout and design: Karen Stephenson, Marjorie Blakeley
The Catholic Schools Office acknowledges the significant contributions of so many Principals, Religious Education
Co-ordinators and teachers who provided invaluable comments on drafts of this curriculum and/or piloted draft
modules. Special thanks go to members of the Reference Group, the Educational Services Team and the Mission
Services Committee of the Diocesan Schools Board.
The Catholic Schools Office acknowledges the generous support and encouragement of the Catholic Education
Office, Diocese of Parramatta and the Catholic Education Office, Archdiocese of Canberra-Goulburn in the early
stages of the project and in the ongoing development of the modules associated with this curriculum.
The Syllabus follows the structure of the Board of Studies, NSW, K-10 Curriculum Framework (2002).
Nihil Obstat: Richard Lennan, DrTheol, MPhil, STB, BA (Hons)
Imprimatur: Bishop David Walker, DD MTh (Lond)

Bishop of Broken Bay
20 October 2004
The Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur are official declarations that the work is free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not
necessarily implied that those granting them agree with the contents, statements or opinions expressed.
First published November 2004
© Diocese of Broken Bay 2004

Copies may be made for educational use
ISBN 1-876377-09-7
Diocese of Broken Bay
PO Box 125
Wahroonga NSW 2076
Dear Teachers, Parents and Priests,
Catholic schools in the Diocese of Broken Bay exist to educate

and form young people in Catholic discipleship: offering them
experiences of following Jesus as members of the Catholic
community. This educational activity is not simply a human
activity; it is a genuine Christian journey of faith. It is within this
environment of faith that children are offered an education that
develops the whole person, an education in being Catholic.
Being Catholic is a personal and communal response to the love

which God has manifested in Jesus, as it is perceived, proclaimed
and lived by the Catholic community in the light of the Catholic
community in light of its scriptural and historical traditions and its
contemporary interpretation of them.
Systematic, coherent and co-ordinated Religious Education is

essential to education and formation in Catholic discipleship. The
development and publication of this curriculum now provides
teachers in the Diocese with the opportunity to develop engaging
and challenging learning experiences for their students The
curriculum is built around the development of the knowledge and
understanding, skills and chosen values and attitudes necessary
for a person to respond as a disciple of Jesus within the Catholic
community.
This curriculum recognises that learning in Religious Education is

one part of a web of formative experiences offered by the Catholic
school in partnership with the home, the parish and the wider
Church community.
I pay tribute to all those engaged in the complex and challenging

task of Religious Education and affirm your ongoing commitment
to informed and creative pedagogy.
I authorise this Curriculum and direct that it be used as the source

and basis of Religious Education programs in Catholic schools in
the Diocese of Broken Bay.
Yours sincerely in Christ,
David L Walker
Bishop of Broken Bay
November 2004
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 6
FOUNDATIONS ........................................................................................................................... 7
BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT ...................................................................................................... 8
THE CALL TO CATHOLIC DISCIPLESHIP ...................................................................................... 11
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION AND THE CATHOLIC SCHOOL ................................................................. 13
DEVELOPING AND SUPPORTING A CATHOLIC WORLDVIEW ......................................................... 19
SYLLABUS................................................................................................................................. 21
INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................... 23
RATIONALE .............................................................................................................................. 24
PATHS OF ENTRY INTO RELIGIOUS EDUCATION ......................................................................... 25
AIM .......................................................................................................................................... 26
STRANDS ................................................................................................................................. 26
OBJECTIVES ............................................................................................................................. 27
OUTCOMES .............................................................................................................................. 29
Objectives and Outcomes .................................................................................................. 30
CONTENT ................................................................................................................................. 32
Early Stage 1 ...................................................................................................................... 33
Stage 1 ............................................................................................................................... 35
Stage 2 ............................................................................................................................... 37
Stage 3 ............................................................................................................................... 41
Stage 4 ............................................................................................................................... 45
Stage 5 ............................................................................................................................... 49
Stage 6 ............................................................................................................................... 58
CROSS CURRICULUM CONTENT ................................................................................................ 65
STAGE STATEMENTS FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION K-12............................................................. 68
ASSESSMENT ........................................................................................................................... 72
Introduction
It is with great pride that I introduce the first K-12 Religious

Education Curriculum for Catholic schools in the Diocese of
Broken Bay. It is a watershed in Diocesan efforts to ensure our
schools offer young people experiences of following Jesus as
members of the Catholic community.
The curriculum is grounded in its Foundations, a statement of

the central concepts underpinning a total school commitment to
providing opportunities for young people to respond to the call to
Catholic discipleship. It recognises that the Catholic school
undertakes formation in discipleship in partnership with the home,
the parish and the wider Church community
The Syllabus provides the essential components of knowledge,

understanding, skills and appreciation of our rich Catholic
tradition. It is a unique and groundbreaking document. It has
the same structure as the Board of Studies uses in other
learning areas, the K-10 Curriculum Framework. This enables it
to ‘appear as a scholastic discipline with the same systematic
demands and the same rigour as other disciplines’ as General
Directory for Catechesis states (n73).
The Religious Education curriculum promotes the Catholic

character of all learning in our Catholic schools. A distinctive
feature of the curriculum is a statement of the Catholic
worldview that is integral to all that we do. It is a
comprehensive perception of all reality that provides insights on
the purpose of life and how we live it. In the words of Bishop
David Walker, it is ‘experiencing life through the eyes of our
Catholic faith’.
Another distinctive feature of the new curriculum is the concept

of ‘discipleship response’. The study of Religious Education
is at the heart of the Catholic curriculum. It offers students the
opportunity to freely respond to the Gospel at the centre of their
education. In addition to clear statements of learning outcomes
and what student will learn about and learn to do, the syllabus
gives specific direction to the ways in which students should be
challenged to live as disciples.
The new curriculum is the fruit of much hard work over a period
of three years and is the product of consultation with and
engagement by all sectors of our Diocesan educational
community. In the coming years it is our expectation that it will
play a key part in enabling students to respond to the call of
Jesus and engage in the rich learning experiences that are a
necessary component of their education and formation.
Br Tony Whelan cfc

Director of Schools
Broken Bay
K-12 Religious Education
Curriculum
Foundations
Diocese of Broken Bay K-12 Religious Education Curriculum page 7

1. BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT
The Curriculum in Context
Broken Bay Diocese was formed in 1986 out of the Archdiocese of Sydney’s northern region. Its
first bishop, Bishop Patrick Murphy responded to the needs of religious educators by issuing a
guide to the content of religious education in schools. A diocesan program was developed by
Religious Education teachers of the diocese, working with the Religious Education advisers and
with the active involvement of Bishop Murphy.
In 1996 the second bishop of Broken Bay, Bishop David Walker, was appointed and ordained.
With the establishment of Mission Services in 1999 the Catholic Schools Office continued to
expand the level of support offered to teachers and coordinators of Religious Education.
Following input from the whole diocese the Diocesan Mission Statement was published in 1999.
Building on the impetus gained from this project Bishop Walker began, in 2000, an extensive
consultative process to survey the diocese, to gauge its needs and to establish a diocesan
pastoral plan. This consultation culminated in the publication of Going Forward Together - Our
Diocesan Pastoral Plan for 2001-2005.
Aligned with this Diocesan Pastoral Plan is the Catholic Schools Office Strategic Plan: Catholic
Schools Going Forward Together 2002-2006. In a review of Catholic Life and Mission
undertaken to develop the Strategic Plan, principals and teachers of Religious Education
indicated the need for the development of new the Broken Bay Religious Education Curriculum
to meet the needs of teachers and students in the diocese. In early 2002 Bishop Walker
approved the adoption of a K-12 framework for the development of the Broken Bay
Curriculum. While this current curriculum owes much to the project teams of Parramatta and
Canberra-Goulburn the Broken Bay K-12 Religious Education Curriculum has a distinct
character of its own. That character is generated particularly by Bishop Walker’s commitment to
and promotion of Catholic Discipleship as the centrepiece of Catholic Life and Mission in the
diocese.
The Diocese itself covers a diverse geography and demography. Students in Broken Bay
Catholic Schools may come from densely populated urban areas, beachside suburbs or semi-
rural districts. Some students in Broken Bay schools belong to families with abundant material
possessions and financial security while others experience the uncertainty associated with
extreme financial hardship. Some schools in the diocese are characterised by a high level of
mixed ethnicity, while others are substantially Anglo-Australian. Even within areas that may be
broadly categorised students from minority ethnic backgrounds and indigenous students
struggle to establish their own identity.
As with all young people in Australia today the influences in their lives extend well beyond their
families. The degree to which outside influences develop their values and attitudes will vary
according to individuals and stages of development. Nevertheless, the religious educator needs
to be aware of the competing interests in the life of the student and approach religious
education with realistic expectations.
At the beginning of the new century the diocese’s Catholic population exceeded 204,000, or
25% of the area’s total population. Of these some 34,600 attended Mass regularly; among this
17% of Catholics, older age groups were strongly represented.1 The Catholic population has
been growing at a greater rate than the rest of the population in the Diocese, with the most
dramatic growth on the Central Coast.
Many students arrive at school with limited experience of Catholic cultural traditions and
symbols. While they may lack significant religious background experiences, a number of
students wish to explore life questions of meaning and purpose. Other students who come from
a rich religious background and from families involved in parish life need appropriate
educational and catechetical support.
1
National Catholic Census Project, Australian Bishops’ Conference, 2003
page 8 Diocese of Broken Bay K-12 Religious Education Curriculum

For those students for whom the Catholic school comprises most of their experience of the
community of the disciples of Jesus, that experience should be rewarding and true to Gospel
values. For those for whom the school provides supplementary Catholic experience, it should
be consistent, supportive and encouraging.
This current curriculum is designed to name, support, and encourage experiences of Catholic
Discipleship that young people in Catholic schools are offered. It acknowledges the role
classroom Religious Education plays as a Key Learning Area in the Catholic school and
positions broader Religious Education within the context of the total school environment.
Within this context the opportunities for faith development permeate every aspect of school life,
demanding that a consciousness of Catholic life and mission drive strategies, decisions and
relationships in Catholic schools, all the time striving to meet the needs of students as learners
and potential disciples of Jesus.
Components of the K –12 Religious Education Curriculum
The curriculum documentation consists of three major parts. Foundations introduces the
context of the curriculum and places religious education firmly, but not exclusively in the
Catholic School. It identifies the Catholic school as a place where students are offered
experiences of Catholic discipleship, and suggests ways that schools can promote those
experiences in everyday school life. An appreciation of the relationship between school and
home, school and parish, and school and the wider community is essential for a clear
understanding of Religious Education in general and classroom Religious Education in
particular.
The syllabus describes Aims, the Objectives and the expected Outcomes of classroom
religious education in the diocese of Broken Bay. It mandates the content and the progressive
teaching and learning that takes place in classroom Religious Education from Kindergarten to
the completion of school education. Consistent with contemporary education, it is an
outcomes-based syllabus and seeks to ensure a breadth and depth of coverage of content over
the thirteen years of schooling.
The modules are resource packages developed from the syllabus. They contain the expected
outcomes, and provide Biblical and Catechism references to support the teaching of the topic.
As well, they provide theological and education background to support the teachers’
understanding of the topic and suggest ways contemporary pedagogy can be incorporated into
the teaching of Religious Education in the classroom.
The stage topics chart indicates topics developed as modules and the stages within which they
would be taught in the Diocese of Broken Bay to achieve the outcomes. The actual sequence
within each stage will be determined by the individual school as it strives to meet the needs of
its students, its structures and its links with parish and community.

Components of the RE Curriculum
Places Religious Education in its wider ecclesial,

cultural and educational contexts
• Background and Context
• The Call to Catholic Discipleship
• Religious Education and the Catholic School
Specifies the requirements for Classroom

Religious Education
• Aim
• Strands
• Objectives
• Outcomes
• Content
Resource packages assisting teachers in the

development of units of work, learning and
assessment activities
The sequence of modules within each stage will

be planned by each school as it meets local
needs.

2. THE CALL TO CATHOLIC DISCIPLESHIP
The Meaning of Catholic Discipleship
The centrepiece of Catholic life and mission in Broken Bay Diocese is the call to Catholic
Discipleship. It calls for an individual commitment realised in active membership of the Catholic
Church, demonstrated by love, compassion, hope, reconciliation, transformation, prayer,
respect for life and a desire to bring about justice for all.
As disciples of Jesus we are called to love one another, to take up our cross daily, to witness to
the realisation of the Kingdom of God, to respond to Jesus in the midst of the world and its
concerns. In this way we give our lives over completely to the Father.
Such a giving of ourselves is not likely to be a one off event. In everyday life we find the need
for constant renewal of our commitment. Our relationship with Jesus deepens as our life
experience broadens and we come to know ourselves and Jesus better.
The disciple of Jesus does not merely mimic the words and actions of Jesus, but becomes one
with him. “… it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me.” (Gal 2:20) In being one
with our risen Lord we act and are motived to act by a desire for the realisation of the Kingdom
of God. The call to discipleship is marked by an authenticity and integrity grounded in the
person of Jesus. Such response requires knowledge of Jesus, through the Scriptures and
through the Church guided by the Holy Spirit.
The New Testament is full of examples of the way authentic disciples behave. Jesus himself
tells us that we must love one another as he has loved us. In his actions and parables he gives
examples of what that love looks like in action: reaching out to those in need; identifying with the
marginalised; complete self-giving. St. Paul breaks open the meaning of love for us: "love is
patient and kind; love is not boastful or conceited, it is never rude and never seeks its own
advantage, it does not take offence or store up grievances. Love does not rejoice at
wrongdoing, but finds its joy in the truth. It is always ready to make allowances, to trust, to hope
and to endure whatever comes.” (1 Cor 13: 4-7)
The Church and Discipleship
Jesus invites each of us individually and uniquely to respond to his call. Our response also
brings us into communion with all who respond to his call. It brings us to the community of the
disciples of Jesus, the Church.
Our experience of Church is a human experience. Guided by the Holy Spirit the Church
interprets the message of Jesus in the contemporary world. That individuals in the Church
might not always live up to the Gospel is an irreducible part of Church itself. The disciples of
Jesus are indeed human, always in need of repentance, always in need of renewal.
The Church is manifest in the many and varied ministries by which the gospel is spread to all
and the Kingdom of God is realised. It is present in the institutions which have grown up to
support the spread of the gospel and the living out of its message in daily life. It is most perfectly
and authentically present to its members in the celebrations of the sacraments.
Offering Students Experiences of Catholic Discipleship
Our schools, as part of the Catholic community, have the task of educating and forming young
people as disciples of Jesus. This is not the task of schools alone, but in a special way through
its educational structures the school supports the Catholic family and the parish. In this way
schools participate in the Church’s commitment to extending the Kingdom of God.

If our schools are to offer students “experiences of following Jesus as members of the Catholic
community” then our schools must exemplify love as it is understood in the Catholic tradition.
All that we do when we develop our pastoral care policies, our subject options, our work
practices, must be motivated by love. Since we are disciples of Jesus and since we are
witnessing to his love we are not only motivated by that love but overtly demonstrate that love
as our motivation.
To do this in an educational institution with all the demands placed on schools by external
forces is not a simple task. Its complexity however does not give us an excuse to abandon this
most important of roles. For many students Catholic schools offer the opportunity for contact
with the Church in action. Their future commitment to Jesus will in some cases be profoundly
affected by the authenticity with which the school responds to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
An authentically Catholic school will be rich in symbols and actions associated with the Catholic
faith. The artwork, the provision of prayer space, the priority of prayer in daily life will support
and enhance the Church’s mission of evangelisation. Teachers, in their relationships with
students and through the manner in which they engage their subject matter, will give witness to
the gospel. Schools themselves will initiate programs, celebrate events and offer a range of
opportunities for students so that they may participate in the life of the Church and experience
what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.
All aspects of school life, then, must be immersed in the discipleship of Jesus. Whenever
students participate in retreats, social justice activities, cultural, artistic, sporting or academic
pursuits they do so in an overtly Catholic way. Such participation requires an appreciation of
what it is to be a Catholic and to see the world through, as it were, Catholic eyes. It is this
appreciation the Catholic school seeks to develop in its students.

3. RELIGIOUS EDUCATION AND THE CATHOLIC SCHOOL
‘The Catholic school participates in the evangelising mission of the Church

and is the privileged environment in which Christian education is carried out.’
The Catholic School on the Threshold of the Third Millennium, n 11.
3.1 Evangelisation
The Church’s mission is to proclaim and spread the Gospel to the whole of humanity,
transforming and renewing humanity. In doing so it seeks to bring Christ to all people, converts
the individual and collective conscience, brings a fresh perspective to the activities of people,
turns them away from those things that hinder, and towards those that give rise to the
actualisation of the Kingdom of God in daily life.
This mission of evangelisation belongs to all members

of the Church, at every level of life. It makes that …the ability to express Christ's
proclamation a rich dynamic of activity and message in its own way is developed
in each nation, and at the same time
relationships, evident in the ministry of the word and a
there is fostered a living exchange
lifestyle of witness to the Gospel. When the Church between the Church and the diverse
celebrates, it seeks to evangelise. When its pastors cultures of people. To promote such
preach, they seek to evangelise. When Christians live exchange, especially in our days, the
lives that challenge the values of contemporary Church requires the special help of
society, they evangelise. When individuals and groups those who live in the world, are
seek justice for the oppressed in the name of Christ versed in different institutions and
they are actively proclaiming the word as Christ specialties, and grasp their innermost
challenged all to do. significance in the eyes of both
believers and unbelievers.
Christians actively engaged in the world, evangelise by (Second Vatican Council, Pastoral Constitution
their personal example, by their participation in social on the Church in the Modern World
Gaudium et Spes, n45)
and cultural activities, and in their relationships. They
share with others the love of Christ himself when they
work to help others through giving to those in need, through social justice programs and through
educational programs that seek to emancipate people from the slavery of ignorance and
economic oppression.
The Church evangelises through the ministry of the word, through public proclamation of the
Sacred Scriptures, homilies, catechesis and Religious Education, and through a range of other
activities where the mysteries of the Kingdom are shared and explained.
This mission of evangelisation, therefore, is fulfilled by the lives of ordinary Christians as they
consciously engage with and challenge the world around them, in the formal activities of the
Church, in its liturgical celebrations and specific ministerial roles, and in the tasks of catechesis
and Religious Education performed by volunteers and trained professionals.
In Broken Bay Diocese such activity can be evidenced in the local parish liturgies, in the
ministries to the sick, the dying and bereaved, in RCIA and Sacramental programs, in Bible
study and Lenten programs, in parish-based justice and peace groups, in the commitment of
catechists to Catholic students who attend government schools, in the promotion of Catholic
education for young people in Catholic schools, and in the many other activities that seek to
engage the people of the diocese with the Spirit of Christ and his Church.
The place of the Catholic school in the mission of evangelisation
The Catholic school shares a partnership with the whole Church in the mission of
evangelisation. For St Paul, teachers come behind only apostles and prophets.
“…those whom God has appointed in the Church are first apostles, secondly prophets, thirdly
teachers…” (1 Cor 12:28)

The Catholic school, however, does not operate in isolation within the Church. Its effectiveness
in the mission of evangelisation is dependent on the complementary effectiveness of several
other roles.
• Schools work in partnership with parents who are the primary educators of their children and
the creators of the environment in which their children first come to know and love God:
The role of parents in education is of such importance that it is almost impossible to

provide an adequate substitute. It is therefore the duty of parents to create a family
atmosphere inspired by love and devotion to God and their fellow-men (sic) which will
promote an integrated, personal and social education of their children. The family is
therefore the principal school of the social virtues which are necessary to every society.
(Second Vatican Council, Declaration on Christian Education Gravissimum Educationis, n3)
• Schools also work in partnership with the bishop whose responsibility it is to ensure that the
content of Revelation given to us through Christ and his Church is faithfully handed down
and explained appropriately.
Christ commanded the apostles and their successors and gave them the power to teach
all peoples, to sanctify them in truth and to give them spiritual nourishment. By virtue,
therefore, of the Holy Spirit who has been given to them, bishops have been constituted
true and authentic teachers of the faith.
(Second Vatican Council, Decree on the Pastoral Office of Bishops in the Church Christus Dominus, n2)
• It is the responsibility, therefore, of the local pastor in communion with his bishop to ensure
that “Christian education is enjoyed by all the faithful and especially by the young who are
the hope of the Church.”
• Within the school teachers have a vital role in the mission of evangelisation.
Teachers must remember that it depends chiefly on them whether the Catholic school
achieves its purpose. They should therefore be prepared for their work with special care,
having the appropriate qualifications and adequate learning both religious and secular.
They should also be skilled in the art of education in accordance with the discoveries of
modern times. Possessed by charity both towards each other and towards their pupils,
and inspired by an apostolic spirit, they should bear testimony by their lives and their
teaching to the one Teacher, who is Christ.
As part of a community committed to the spreading and reception of the Word of God, Catholic
schools actively create an environment of witness to that Word, aware that every moment of life
provides a possible encounter with God; every moment in life is an opportunity for growth in
faith.

3.2 New Evangelisation and Catechesis
Paul in Ephesus
While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul passed through the interior regions and came to Ephesus
where he found some disciples. He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you
became believers?” They replied, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
Then he said, “Into what then were you baptised?” They answered, “Into John’s baptism.” Paul
said, “John baptised with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one
who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptised in the name
of the Lord Jesus. When Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them,
and they prophesied – altogether there were about twelve of them.
Acts 19:1-7
For many in the Broken Bay Diocese, as indeed for many in Australia as a whole, there is little
formal ongoing contact with the Church. Indeed this is all too often the case even for students in
Catholic schools. While some students come from families whose commitment to the
Eucharistic community is full and active, for others the school provides their first experience of
the Church in action. Beyond the school they are often surrounded by a culture of consumerism
or materialism where there is little sense of a living faith. The richness of the Catholic tradition
and the values of the Gospel are little known and esteemed less. In such situations it is the
baptised who require evangelisation. This “new evangelisation” challenges the baptised of all
ages to interiorise the message of Christ as they come to know it. Here the Word of God is often
in the stage of “primary proclamation”. (General Directory for Catechesis n61)
New evangelisation calls for a sensitive and creative approach to Religious Education,
balancing the fervour of evangelisation with an appreciation of the challenges in the
environments from which students might emerge, balancing a consciousness of contemporary
culture with a sense that the Catholic school should be counter-cultural. The Catholic school
may well, at times, be called to challenge the values of families from which it draws its students.
Its difficult task is to do so without alienating those students while remaining faithful to the
Gospel.
Within the Catholic school there will also be many young people who have been nurtured from
an early age in the faith and culture of the Church, and for whom the school will provide
indispensable support as they grow in knowledge, understanding and the practice of that faith.
For these students the Catholic school provides a range of experiences of catechesis, which
nurture and sustain that faith on its journey. This catechesis, is "distinct from the primary
proclamation of the Gospel", as it promotes and matures initial conversion, educates the
converts in the faith and incorporates them into the Christian community. (General Directory for
Catechesis n61)
Such important multi-faceted tasks must be undertaken with realistic expectations. Students
are at various stages of faith development and religious awareness, just as they are at various
stages of development in all areas of life. The degree to which a school may be able to
catechise effectively will be dependent on the level and variety of commitments of students. For
some students classroom Religious Education will expose them to the primary proclamation of
the Word while for others it will be a genuine catechetical experience. In all cases it will
complement the commitment of the school to its Catholic identity.
In such a school the Catholic worldview permeates the total school environment. It is present in
relationships, in pastoral care, in daily routine, in policy making and in timetabling. A multiplicity
of opportunities exists in such an environment for catechesis and evangelisation, but they will
be most obviously found in:
• school and class liturgies and prayers
• classroom Religious Education
• celebrations of special events

• youth ministry initiatives
• retreats and reflection days
• community outreach programs.
3.3 The Purpose and Character of the Catholic School

It is the task of the Catholic School to create a total
environment in which it is possible for students to experience
what it means to participate in Catholic discipleship. The
Catholic school in all its daily activities should generate the
principles articulated in the Gospels: principles by which
disciples of Jesus are readily recognised by one another;
principles by which the secularism of society is challenged.
Catholic schools exist as places of education in their own

right, fulfilling all the expectations, academic and pastoral,
required of them by the funding bodies. As Catholic, they
have a character and identity that sets them apart from other
schools. They participate in the mission of evangelisation
and derive their energy, vision and direction from the Catholic
community.
The Catholic school has the particular task of offering quality

education to members of the Catholic community and of
presenting that quality education as an expression of the
Catholic worldview. It seeks to transform the individual by
informing the student of the Catholic vision and story, and offering opportunities to apply that
worldview to all aspects of school life, and life outside of school.
The Catholic school consciously demonstrates the belief that every human being is unique and
loved by God, that education is emancipating; that it frees people from the slavery of ignorance;
that it can free them from the slavery of class and economic oppression; and that this
emancipation is part of the realisation of God’s Kingdom.
Such a worldview is not merely articulated or delivered as a slogan:

• it is present and identifiable in relationships within the school
• it is present in the symbols, the visible metaphors of Catholic faith and culture, in and around
the school
• it is present in the rituals and routines of daily school life
• it is present in the way pastoral care is exercised and the way pastoral care programs are
developed
• it is present in the celebrations and the values those celebrations reflect
• it emanates from an understanding and appreciation of the Sacred Scriptures and the life
and tradition of the Church.
In a school where such a Catholic worldview operates Religious Education is multi-dimensional:

• it engages all areas of school life
• students learn about the Catholic worldview through scientific investigation
• they learn about the Catholic worldview as they read and interpret a variety of texts
• they learn about the Catholic worldview by the relationships they form with their teachers
• they witness it in the actions of those around them
• it is reflected in the policy development of the school and drives the way learning
experiences are planned and refined.
In all subject areas, in fact in all areas of school life, students are faced with opportunities which
challenge them to reflect on their experience, to relate that experience to the richness of the
living tradition, and to integrate that tradition in their own lives in a way that moves them forward
in their Christian journey.

The challenge for the Catholic school is to alert students to those opportunities and to respond
to their needs by providing a way into the richness of that tradition, and to help students see that
tradition reflected in their motives and actions.
The Catholic school immersed in that tradition demonstrates and articulates its commitment to:
• grounding in a local Christian community centred on the person of Jesus and guided the
Gospel
• fostering of the total development of all its students
• participating in the evangelising mission of the Church
• assisting students to integrate their faith, their culture and their experiences of life
• displaying a fundamental option for the poor and the weak
• offering a service to individuals, society and the wider culture
• transforming society, hastening the Kingdom which Jesus announced.
3.4.1 Catholic Religious Education
Students are individuals whose religious needs vary over time according to age, ability,
developmental pattern and the family’s degree of connectedness to the faith community. The
Catholic school aims to provide them with a total learning environment in which they experience
what discipleship of Jesus means to those who are committed to the Catholic faith. The
Catholic school invites students to live out the Diocesan Mission Statement as young members
of the local church of Broken Bay. Every teacher has responsibility for the sense of community,
the symbols, prayer and liturgy, the positive relationships, the religious dimension of all learning
and action for justice that contribute to the religious formation of students.
All teaching is driven by this overarching religious The religious development of the
commitment to informing the student with a view to the student is central to the Catholic
transformation of the individual and society. Such a school. It seeks to contribute to the
commitment should be evident through pastoral concern formation of students as disciples of
for and engagement of the student in quality learning Jesus within the Catholic tradition,
experiences in all aspects of school life. It is essential recognising its contribution as part of
therefore, that teachers in Catholic schools be a lifelong process. The Catholic
professionally astute and well-versed in the best learning school undertakes this contribution in
theories and practices, and that they are prepared to be partnership with the home, the parish
and the wider Church community.
innovative and sensitive to the needs of their students.
The teacher-student relationship is central to this process. The teacher attends both to the
knowledge of a discipline and generalised pedagogical understandings based on how learners
learn. The teacher and student together construct
meaning, moving from what the student already knows
and can do, engaging the student with new ideas, In the Catholic school's educational
project there is no separation between
making the Scriptures and tradition relevant to their
time for learning and time for formation,
lives and challenging them to respond in Catholic between acquiring notions and growing
discipleship. in wisdom. The various school subjects
do not present only knowledge to be
All learning areas contribute to the formation of the attained, but also values to be acquired
Catholic disciple by: and truths to be discovered. All of which
demands an atmosphere characterised
• developing programs of learning that meet the by the search for truth, in which
needs of students and encourage those students to competent, convinced and coherent
realise their God-given potential educators, teachers of learning and of
life, may be a reflection, albeit imperfect
• challenging students to search for truth and but still vivid, of the one Teacher. (The
meaning through reflection, critical thinking, Catholic School on the Threshold of the Third
problem solving, analysis and discernment Millennium n14)
• encouraging the gospel values of love, compassion,

reconciliation, transformation, justice and hope as students engage with the world around them

• offering students opportunities to work cooperatively and develop a deep commitment to
service of others
• demonstrating ways in which students can make choices which are life-affirming.
3.4.2 Classroom Religious Education
Religious Education in the classroom exists to complement the total school commitment to
the message of the Gospel and to more directly focus student religious learning. The
relationship between “religious instruction” which offers students opportunities to learn about the
Gospel and its implications and “catechesis” which directly engages the faith of students, is
unpacked in the General Directory for Catechesis. There it is described as “one of distinction
and complementarity”, (GDC n73) where faith builds on knowledge and understanding, and
knowledge and understanding build on faith. What takes place in the Religious Education
classroom should enrich and support the total Catholic school ethos, just as that ethos should
enrich and support what is learnt in the classroom.
As a discipline, Religious Education in the classroom is a Key Learning Area in the same way
that English or Mathematics or Creative Arts exist as Key Learning Areas in their own right.
Consistent with this is the call for religious education in the classroom to “appear as a scholastic
discipline with the same systematic demands and the same rigour as other disciplines. It must
present the Christian message and the Christian event with the same seriousness and the
same depth with which other disciplines present their knowledge.” (GDC n73) Religious
Education in Broken Bay, therefore, has a syllabus containing stage outcomes, stage
statements and mandatory content to aid continuity of teaching and learning throughout the
diocese.
Similarly, as in other Key Learning Areas, it is the Distinct yet Complementary

skilled, professional and committed teacher who will
best be able to provide a range of meaningful learning The relationship between religious
experiences for the diverse talents and learning styles instruction in schools and catechesis is
present in any classroom. Successful Religious one of distinction and complementarity:
Education requires knowledge of students and careful “there is an absolute necessity to
planning. It requires the creation of a stimulating and distinguish clearly between religious
challenging environment that allows students to instruction and catechesis”. What
develop confidence and competence in the area of confers on religious instruction in
schools its proper evangelising
religious knowledge and understanding, skills, and character is the fact that it is called to
values and attitudes. Successful Religious Education penetrate a particular area of culture
also encourages students to connect that learning with and to relate with other areas of
their school environment and apply it to their own lives. knowledge. As an original form of the
It demands two levels of engagement: a level at which ministry of the Word, it makes present
it engages the whole student here and now, and a the Gospel in a personal process of
level at which it prepares the student for the future cultural, systematic and critical
engagement with the wider community. assimilation. (GDC n73)
The development of a Broken Bay Diocese K-12 outcomes based curriculum anticipates the
application of the best learning theories and judicious selection of sound pedagogical practices.
Religious Education, as with other learning areas, should develop students’ growing self-
awareness, awareness of the world around them and provide for them opportunities to make
sense of their lives in relation to others and to God.

4. DEVELOPING AND SUPPORTING A CATHOLIC WORLDVIEW
Where the school recognises its role as an evangelising community, one which may well be the
sole arena through which some students have contact with the Church, where catholicity is part
of the academic, social and artistic culture, there classroom Religious Education sits more easily
as a genuine academic pursuit. There what is learnt in the classroom supports and augments
what is experienced in the totality of school life.
To achieve this, principals and other curriculum leaders in schools must set an agenda that
encourages all teachers to draw out and articulate ways in which they are already contributing
to the formation of young Catholic disciples. The school is more able to cultivate a climate in
which all teaching and learning is derived from the gospel of Jesus Christ when this is
understood as its primary purpose. The task for the teacher then is to ensure that all
pedagogical and pastoral decisions are founded in that gospel and offer students the
experience and knowledge necessary to develop a distinctive Catholic way of being in and
seeing the world. That distinctive way we call the Catholic Worldview.
The Catholic Worldview
The Catholic Worldview is a comprehensive perception of the universe, revealed to us in Jesus,

that provides insights into the meaning of life and how to live it.
The Catholic Worldview is experiencing life through the eyes of our Catholic faith.
The Catholic Worldview perceives:
1. God as Trinity, a communion of Persons who love us and invite us to share in

their divine life for all eternity
2. the action of the Spirit in the world, inviting and empowering all people to
respond to the divine love
3. Jesus as God's Son, who saved us through his life, death and resurrection, and
through whom we enter into the life of God
4. the meaning and purpose of life as grounded in God's love for us and our
response as disciples of Jesus
5. the Church as the communion of disciples that makes present to the world the
mystery of Jesus and, through its sacramental life, makes us part of that
mystery
6. the presence of God in our daily life, in the Eucharist, in the Sacred Scriptures
and in the living tradition of the Church
7. the cross of Jesus in the struggles and hardships of life and approaches them
as Jesus did his cross, with trust and confidence in God
8. each human being as a unique person created in the image of God, having an
inalienable dignity that is always to be respected
9. an imperative to proclaim to others the love we receive from Jesus, by loving

them as Jesus loves us
10. an obligation to work to create social conditions in which the unique dignity of
each person is respected and all human rights protected.

Broken Bay
K-12
Religious Education
Curriculum
Syllabus
2004

1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 The K-12 Syllabus
This syllabus has been broadly developed within parameters similar to those set by the Board of
Studies NSW in its K–10 Curriculum Framework.2 This framework has been adopted to ensure
that students are provided with educational opportunities that:
• prepare all students for effective and responsible participation in wider society, as active
members of the Catholic Church
• assist them in recognising and appreciating experiences of Catholic discipleship
• promote the message of the Gospel as part of the realisation of the Kingdom of God
• engage and challenge all students to maximise their individual talents and capabilities for
lifelong learning
• enable all students to develop positive self-concepts and their capacity to establish and
maintain safe, healthy and rewarding lives
• encourage and enable all students to enjoy learning, and to be self-motivated, reflective,
competent learners who will be able to take part in further study, work or training
• promote continuity and coherence of learning, and facilitate the transition between primary
and secondary schooling and prepare students for life beyond school.
The framework also provides a set of broad learning outcomes that summarise the knowledge,
understanding, skills, values and attitudes underscoring participation as active members of the
Church within the wider community. These broad learning outcomes indicate that students will:
• understand, develop and communicate ideas and information
• access, analyse, evaluate and use information from a variety of sources
• work collaboratively with others to achieve individual and collective goals
• possess the knowledge and skills necessary to live a safe, healthy and moral lifestyle
• understand and appreciate the physical, biological and technological world and make
responsible and informed decisions in relation to themselves and their world
• understand and appreciate social, religious, cultural, geographical and historical contexts,
and participate as active and informed citizens
• express themselves through creative activity and engage with the artistic, cultural and
intellectual work of others
• understand and apply a variety of analytical and creative techniques to solve problems
• be productive, creative and confident in the use of technology and understand the impact of
technology on society
• develop a system of personal values based on an understanding of moral, ethical and
spiritual matters within the context of the Catholic Tradition.
The Religious Education K–12 Syllabus takes into account the diverse needs of all students. It
identifies essential knowledge, understanding, skills, values and attitudes. It enunciates clear
standards of what students are expected to know and be able to do in K–12. It provides
structures and processes by which teachers can provide continuity of study for all students,
particularly to ensure successful transition through Years 5 to 8 and from Years 10 to 11. It
offers advice to teachers on ways of addressing the needs of students in Years 7–12 who have
not achieved Stage 3 outcomes.
2
Acknowledgments to Board of Studies K-10 Curriculum Framework, 2002

1.2 Students with Special Education Needs
In Years K – 8 students with special education needs are supported in a variety of ways:
• through the inclusion of outcomes and content which provide for the full range of students
• through the development of additional advice and programming support for teachers to assist
students to access the outcomes of the syllabus
• through the development of specific support documents for students with special education
needs
• through teachers and parents planning together to ensure that syllabus outcomes and
content reflect the learning needs and priorities of individual students.
As students with special education needs progress through their secondary study, they build on
their achievements in K– 8 as they undertake courses to meet the requirements for the School
Certificate.
It is necessary to continue focusing on the individual needs, interests and abilities of each
student when planning a program that will comprise the most appropriate combination of
courses, outcomes and content available.
Life Skills and Life Skills assessment
For most students with special education needs the outcomes for Stages 5 and 6 will be
appropriate. For a small percentage, however, particularly for those with an intellectual disability
it may be determined that Outcomes (a) and (b), in each Strand, are not appropriate. For these
students Religious Education may be provided through the development of a relevant
programme based on the achievement of Outcome (LS) and its associated content.
Students may demonstrate achievement independently or with support designed to meet the
needs of particular students. Such support may include:
• The provision of extra time
• Physical and/or verbal assistance from others
• The provision of technological aids.
2. RATIONALE
This syllabus is placed strategically and symbolically within the K-12 Religious
Education Curriculum document. While the focus of the syllabus is the creative and
engaging learning experiences offered to students who attend Catholic schools in the
Broken Bay Diocese, that focus always exists within the context of offering students
opportunities of experiencing what it means to be a follower of Jesus as a member
of the Catholic community.
For all students that experience will involve different engagements with learning, with life
experience and with others. Each student who attends a Catholic school in the diocese will not
only be offered opportunities to experience life as a member of the Catholic community, but will
also be offered the opportunity to systematically develop knowledge and understanding of the
Catholic Tradition, along with skills to enable fuller participation in the life of the Church.
Classroom Religious Education offers students at Catholic schools the opportunity to participate
more fully in the tradition and life of the Church. It does this by exposing them to the richness of
its history and traditions, by assisting their understanding of beliefs, practices and values, and
developing in them an appreciation of the life of the Church and how Catholic Disciples continue
the mission of the Church in contemporary society.
As part of contemporary curriculum Classroom Religious Education also seeks to develop a

wide range of skills consistent with the Key Competencies.

3. PATHS OF ENTRY INTO RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
Religious Education teachers cater for a diverse range of learners within one class or age
group. As well as this there is the genuine recognition that students at Catholic schools do not
always come from the same level of Eucharistic participation or assimilation as might have been
the case in earlier times.
No two students experience Religious Education in exactly the same way. Nevertheless, broad
paths of entry into K–12 Religious Education may be identified:
1. the majority of students who may have very little or no experience of the Church, but begin
their schooling in a Catholic primary school in Early Stage 1 and will most likely exit from a
Catholic school at the completion of Stage 6 studies
2. a significant minority of students whose Catholic identity is strongly supported by family and
parish ties, and who begin their schooling in a Catholic primary school in Early Stage 1 and
will most likely exit from a Catholic school at the completion of Stage 6 studies
3. a minority of students who enter the Catholic school at the beginning of Stage 4 with a
strong sense of Catholic culture from their experiences of Special Religious Education and
nurtured by family and parish ties. These students may well have achieved Stage 3
outcomes but teachers will need to be aware of gaps in student knowledge and
understanding, particularly in Stage 4, and program accordingly to accommodate individual
student needs
4. a significant minority of students who enter the Catholic school at the beginning of Stage 4
with little or no previous formal Religious Education. The achievement of Stage 3 outcomes
will require a flexible approach to planning, particularly where liturgical practice is involved.
Individual students may need support to allow them to enter into Catholic school life without
interfering with the learning of other students.
The identification of different entry points does not advocate the provision of separate courses
to meet students’ needs; rather, it is a broad acknowledgement of the many entry and exit
points and religious and spiritual backgrounds that characterise Religious Education in
Australian schools. An understanding of these different learners’ backgrounds provides a basis
on which schools and teachers can design educational programs that reflect their
particular circumstances.

4. AIM
The aim of this syllabus is to develop students’ awareness, understanding and appreciation
of the Catholic tradition as it is witnessed in the Sacred Scriptures and in the teaching of the
Church, so that they may participate as active members of the Church within the wider
community.
5. STRANDS
The Broad Learning of the Syllabus is organised into 5 Strands enabling the progressive study
of the beliefs and practices as expounded in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
God, Revelation and Throughout this Strand students encounter the mystery of God reaching
Human Destiny out to humanity in history and culture, and through that self-disclosure
(GRHD) as Creator, Word and Spirit, the plan for all of creation revealed to
humankind.
Students are introduced to God’s invitation to all to share in eternal life,
to the realities of good and evil, and to Catholic teaching regarding
reward and punishment.
Jesus, human and Students learn about the life of Jesus of Nazareth in the context of his
divine (J) socio-religious background, and examine the titles attributed to Christ.
They are introduced to the dogmas of the Catholic faith handed down
through the tradition of the Church. The implications of the life, death
and resurrection, and words and actions of Jesus for his disciples are
addressed in an historical and contemporary context.
Church and Through their historical and ecclesiological studies students will
Discipleship (CD) sharpen their awareness of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus;.
They will study how the Church interprets the words of Jesus and
applies them to contemporary life. The study of the Church’s guidance
of its members in moral decision-making and in reading the “signs of
the times” will assist students in their appreciation of how discipleship
involves the response of the whole person.
Prayer and This strand ensures an exploration and experience of the sacramental,
Sacraments (PS) spiritual and liturgical life of the Church; the place of personal and
communal prayer and traditional forms of Catholic prayer. The structure
and purpose of liturgical responses and liturgical language will all be
examined in context. The study of the centrality of the sacramental life
is designed to support and complement, but not take the place of parish
sacramental programs.
Sacred Scripture (S) As the inspired Word of God Sacred Scripture forms the backbone of
the K-12 Religious Education Curriculum. Through this strand students
are introduced to the systematic study of the Scriptures in accord with
contemporary Catholic scholarship and teaching. Such study will assist
in their appreciation of the place of the Scriptures in the Liturgy and in
the application of the message of the Scriptures to issues in
contemporary life.

6. OBJECTIVES
Knowledge and Understanding
Through the study of Religious Education students will develop a knowledge and understanding
of the key areas of the Catholic tradition founded in the Sacred Scriptures.
Skills
Through the study of Religious Education students will develop skills in acquiring, processing,
communicating and reflecting on matters of religious significance.
A key focus will be the development of students’ religious literacy, through Scriptural analysis
and the use of Scripture in prayer.
Chosen Values and Attitudes
The study of Religious Education offers students the opportunity to freely respond to the Gospel
at the centre of their education. Such response is not restricted to the Religious Education
Classroom, but is enhanced by it. The learned values and attitudes become a major component
of the Discipleship Response when the student desires and freely chooses to embrace those
values and attitudes and act on them in day to day living.
Knowledge and
Understanding
DISCIPLESHIP
RESPONSE
Chosen
Skills Values and
Attitudes
Education of the Whole Person
Each objective describes the active commitment students will make to the acquisition of
knowledge, understanding and skills in Religious Education and the culture of the
community of the disciples of Jesus. The effective delivery of Religious Education will
emphasise the significance and interdependence of all objectives. However, depending on
the stage of learning, one or other of the objectives may be emphasised at any given time.

Objectives
Strands Students develop:
1. a knowledge and understanding of God’s love for all; the

God, Revelation and ability to investigate and demonstrate the meaning of God’s
Human Destiny self-revelation; and a desire to enjoy the fullness of life with
(GRHD) God
2. a knowledge and understanding of the words and actions of

Jesus, human and Jesus; his relationship with the Father and the Holy Spirit; the
divine (J) ability to illustrate the significance of his life, death and
resurrection for all, and a desire to respond to Jesus in love
3. a knowledge and understanding of the Catholic Church, as a

Church and community of the disciples of Jesus, the ability to analyse its
Discipleship (CD) responses to the human condition and a desire to follow Jesus
as members of the Church
4. a knowledge and understanding of Catholic prayer,

sacraments and liturgical action as expressions of an ongoing
Prayer and
relationship with God, a capacity to plan and participate in
Sacraments (PS)
them, and a desire to pursue a mature spiritual life enriched by
the sacraments
5. a knowledge and understanding of the Sacred Scriptures as

Sacred Scripture (S) the Word of God, the ability to apply their implications in a
contemporary setting and a desire to live accordingly

7. OUTCOMES
Outcomes in Religious Education are derived from the Objectives and illustrate the continuum
of learning from K-12. These outcomes will be achieved by the student through the learning
opportunities provided by the content. They are not assessed directly, but rather through
measurement of the student’s achievement of syllabus outcomes. The breadth of learning
possible in each outcome may be extrapolated either through its verb stem or its theological
content.
For students with special education needs, particularly those students with an intellectual
disability, the individual planning process may determine that the following outcomes and
content are not appropriate. For these students Life Skills outcomes and content can provide a
relevant and meaningful program. In Stages 5 and 6 modified Life Skills Outcomes (LS) have
been provided along with associated content, in Italics, to be adapted to meet the needs of
Individual students.

page 30
OBJECTIVES AND OUTCOMES
Stage 2
Early Stage 1 Stage 1
Objectives Outcom Stage 3 Outcomes Stage 4 Outcomes Stage 5 Outcomes Stage 6 Outcomes
Outcomes Outcomes
es
Students develop: A Student: A Student: A Student: A Student: A Student: A Student: A Student:
a knowledge and ES1.1. S1.1. explores S2.1. identifies S3.1.a. identifies and S4.1.a. identifies and describes S5.1.a. communicates the S6.1.a. identifies and explains
expresses an ways a God’s activity in expresses ways in which the Catholic understanding of the relationship between respect for how God is revealed through
understanding of God’s love
understanding of relationship with the world today God calls all to share in the mystery of God creation and creation as an act of history and culture
for all; the ability to
investigate and God’s love in the God is work of creating and God
world experienced renewing the Kingdom of S4.1.b. describes ways God S6.1.b. explains the impact belief
demonstrate the meaning of God invites people to respond S5.1.b. identifies various in eternal life has on the way
God’s self-revelation; and a manifestations of the Spirit’s Catholics perceive and interact
desire to enjoy the fullness of S3.1.b. describes how activity in the world with the world
life with God Christian life, nurtured by
the Holy Spirit, is a S5.1.LS. expresses ways in S6.1.LS. investigates religious
response to God’s love for which God calls us to embrace beliefs and practices and their
creation the stewardship of creation impact on daily life *
through harmony and
reconciliation *
a knowledge and ES1.2. identifies S1.2. sequences, S2.2. names and S3.2.a. recounts the stories S4.2.a. identifies the cultural and S5.2.a. identifies and describes a S6.2.a. identifies the doctrine of
understanding of the words Jesus of records and describes the of the life, death and historical influences on Jesus of distinct feature of a portrait of Jesus Christ, the Word of God
Nazareth as the communicates modes of Christ’s resurrection of Jesus Nazareth Jesus in the Gospels incarnate as central to
and actions of Jesus; his
Son of God and stories about presence in the relating them to the S4.2.b. interprets the teachings S5.2.b constructs a project to Catholicism
relationship with the Father names some of Jesus world today Church’s liturgy
and the Holy Spirit; the of Jesus and applies them to a promote social justice grounded S6.2.b. explains how the life,
his friends contemporary setting. in the message of Jesus
ability to illustrate the S3.2.b. identifies those for death and resurrection of Jesus
significance of his life, death whom Jesus shows give new meaning to human life,
Diocese of Broken Bay K-12 Religious Education Curriculum
particular concern suffering and death

and resurrection for all, and a S5.2.LS. examines the
desire to respond to Jesus in relationship between the portrait S6.2.LS. identifies the centrality
love of Jesus in the Gospels and of Jesus in Catholic teaching and
social action in the world today * the meaning he gives to human
life *
a knowledge and ES1.3a. identifies S1.3. identifies S2.3. identifies S3.3.a. identifies the S4.3.a: identifies and describes S5.3.a. names and describes a S6.3.a. researches and explains
communities and describes the the Church as a centrality of the sacraments ways people respond to the call range of expressions of how the Church works through a
understanding of the to discipleship. Christianity
Catholic Church, as a where God’s love place and community of in the life and mission of the range of ministries
community of the disciples of is expressed purpose of disciples of Jesus Church S4.3.b. describes how Christian S5.3.b. demonstrates an
Catholic worship guiding and life requires informed moral S6.3.b. interprets the role of the
Jesus, the ability to analyse ES1.3b. identifies S3.3.b. researches and appreciation of the Church as Church in guiding its members’
supporting decisions and appropriate actions committed to authentically
its responses to the human examples of Christians reports on significant figures responses to moral and social
Christian in the history of the Catholic proclaiming the Word issues
condition and a desire to through moral
follow Jesus as members of behaviour teaching and Church S5.3.LS. identifies key S6.3.LS. examines a range of
the Church example characteristics of the Catholic ministries of the Catholic Church
Church * and their response to
contemporary social issues *
Diocese of Broken Bay K-12 Religious Education Curriculum
a knowledge and ES1.4. participates S1.4.a. identifies S2.4.a. explains S3.4.a. explains how prayer, S4.4.a. explains the S5.4.a. identifies and S6.4.a. demonstrates the
understanding of Catholic in ways Catholics Catholic symbols sacraments as sacraments and liturgical action significance of the Sacraments describes the relationship relationship between the
prayer, sacraments and communicate with and signs, naming celebrating the are integral to the faith life of a of Initiation between the Church’s sacramental life and the
and celebrate sacraments as presence of God Catholic celebrations and its mission Church’s missionary activity
liturgical action as God’s presence sacred actions S4.4.b. determines and
expressions of an ongoing S2.4.b. plans and S3.4.b. explains how Catholics describes features of a Catholic S5.4.b. names and describes a S6.4.b. defines the nature of
relationship with God, a S1.4.b. identifies participates in are nourished and sustained community range of ways the Christian life both spirituality and religion and
capacity to plan and the purpose of communal as they reach out in service to is nurtured through prayer suggests how the Catholic
participate in them, and a prayer celebration others heritage contributes to personal
S5.4.LS. describes Christian spirituality and identity
desire to pursue a mature celebrations and practices *
spiritual life enriched by the S6.4.LS. explains the various
sacraments roles in ministry and liturgy and
identifies ways to participate *
ES1.5 identifies S1.5. identifies S2.5. explains the S3.5.a. identifies the nature S4.5.a. locates and explains a S5.5.a. analyses Biblical S6.5.a. demonstrates an
a knowledge and
the Bible as a book and recalls stories messages of and purpose of Biblical writings range of Scripture passages writings as the Word of God awareness of the impact
understanding of the through which all are invited to
Sacred Scriptures as the containing special from Sacred specific Scripture relevant to Biblical and revealed in history and culture contemporary Biblical
stories about God Scripture through passages and their share eternal life contemporary life scholarship has on Catholic
Word of God, the ability to and God’s people which God reveals relationship to S3.5.b. demonstrates how the S5.5.b. locates examples of the discipleship
apply their implications in a S4.5.b. identifies influences on Gospel in action in
himself prayer, worship and message of Scripture can be a number of Biblical authors
contemporary setting and a the Christian life applied to contemporary life contemporary Australia S6.5.b. investigates the manner
desire to live accordingly in which the Scriptures are able
S5.5.LS. recognises the to nurture prayer, reflection,
relationship between Gospel ritual and action
stories and contemporary
Christian living * S6.5.LS. identifies the role of
Sacred Scripture in Christian
life in relation to prayer *
* Life Skills Outcome

page 31
8. CONTENT
8.1 Organisation of Content
Content, expressed in terms of what students learn about and learn to do, is mapped against
the outcomes.
The outcomes described for Early Stage 1 – Stage 3 should be regarded as the basis for the
development of knowledge, understanding and skills in Religious Education. The achievement
of these Stage outcomes would typically demand 5 hours class time each fortnight.
The content for Stage 4 has been designed to be addressed by typical students within a 200-
hour Religious Education study.
The content described for Stage 5 Religious Education has been designed to be realistically
addressed by typical students as a study with an indicative time of 200 hours. Students will
typically fulfil the requirements outlined by outcomes (a) and (b) and their associated
content.
Some students with special needs, particularly those with intellectual disability, may best fulfil
the requirements for Religious Education by undertaking a program of study that allows them to
achieve the Life Skills (LS) with its associated content.
Students attempting the Board Developed Course Studies of Religion I or II unit, or the Board
Endorsed, Catholic Studies, will meet the diocesan Stage 6 outcomes through the study of
mandated content. Students will typically fulfil the requirements outlined by outcomes (a)
and (b) and their associated content.
Some students with special needs, particularly those with intellectual disability, may best fulfil
the requirements for Religious Education by undertaking a program of study that allows them to
achieve the Life Skills outcome (LS) with its associated content.

8.2 Content Table
Early Stage 1
God, Revelation and Human Destiny
Outcome GRHD ES1.1: Expresses an understanding of God’s love in the world
Learn About Learn To

• God’s love for all • observe and reflect upon God’s love in the
world, in creation and relationships
• God’s desire for love to be shared
• talk about and listen to experiences of love
• the expression of God’s love through the
caring people in their lives • name God as the source of all love
• God’s gifts of creation
Students are challenged to realise God’s love for all
Jesus, Human and Divine
Outcome J ES1.2: Identifies Jesus of Nazareth as the Son of God and names some of his
friends

• Jesus’ family • gather information about Jesus’ family.
• Jesus as friend • discuss qualities of friendship.
• Jesus as the Son of God • Name some of Jesus’ friends
• Some Scripture stories that tell us about • recount some stories about Jesus.
Jesus.
• identify witnesses and describe the scene of
• Jesus’ friends Jesus’ birth
• Qualities of friendship • link the story of the Annunciation to the birth
of Jesus
Students are challenged to hear and celebrate stories about Jesus
Church and Discipleship
Outcome: CD ES1.3a: Identifies communities where God’s love is expressed

• family relationships/celebrations • gather information about families
• the Parish as part of God’s family • reflect on and celebrate families
• the school within the parish • explore the relationship of Church, parish,
school and family
• key elements of gathering and celebrating
• identify the members of their family and the
relationships within
Students are challenged to feel part of family communities

Outcome CD ES1.3b: Identifies examples of Christian behaviour

• how Christians demonstrate love for each • creatively present examples of Christian
other behaviours
• how God invites people to love and care for • identify times when one needs to forgive/
themselves, others and the world say sorry
• identify ‘right’ words and actions
Students are challenged to care for self and others
Prayer and Sacraments
Outcome PS ES1.4: Participates in ways Catholics communicate with and celebrate God’s
presence

• prayer as a means of communication with • recite and sing age-appropriate traditional
God Catholic prayers and hymns
• liturgical celebration • talk and listen to God
• Lent as a period of preparing • participate reverently and appropriately in
liturgies
• Easter as a celebration of new life
• Advent as a period of waiting and preparing
• Christmas as a celebration of Jesus’ birth
Students are challenged to pray
Sacred Scripture
Outcome S ES1.5: Identifies the Bible as a book containing special stories about God and
God’s people

• Bible stories illustrating God’s love • listen, retell and respond to stories recorded
in the Bible
• creation as a reflection of God’s goodness
• represent Bible stories artistically
• the Church’s celebration of these stories
• name some Biblical characters
• the significance of selected Easter Triduum,
Advent and Christmas stories • recount the story of Jesus’ birth
• name Christmas Day as the day we
celebrate Jesus’ birth
• name Good Friday and Easter Sunday as
the days Jesus died and rose
• represent Easter Triduum/Advent/Christmas
stories
Students are challenged to hear and celebrate the Word of God

Stage 1
Outcome GRHD S1.1: Explores ways a relationship with God is experienced

• the gift of creation • locate and identify examples of God’s gift of
creation
• God’s presence in creative activity
• describe the relationship between
• God’s presence in others
humankind and the environment
• God’s love is expressed through Jesus
• identify how their sense enable them to
• the relationship between God, humankind experience and enjoy life
and the environment
• describe events that indicate God’s
• senses as an expression of God’s love for presence in others
people
Students are challenged to recognise God’s presence in the world
Outcome J S1.2: Sequences, records and communicates stories about Jesus

• the liturgical seasons • learn to identify key Lenten and Easter /
Advent and Christmas symbols and
• Jesus’ life
practices.
• the last days of Jesus’ life
• select Lenten practices to integrate into their
• the impact of Jesus’ death on his disciples daily life
• the change in the disciples as a result of • summarise events leading up to and
Jesus’ resurrection including the birth of Jesus
• Jesus’ ministry to the sick and the outcast • associate the celebration of Easter with the
• Jesus’ relationship with the Father resurrection of Jesus
• associate the celebration of Christmas with
• the genre of the ministry stories.
the birth of Jesus
• Jesus’ friends
• locate, research and record selected Biblical
• Jesus as model for friendship stories
• Being a disciple of Jesus • recount stories of Jesus’ ministry
• reflect on and express key messages from
Jesus’ ministry
• identify characteristics of friendship
• name actions appropriate to discipleship
Students are challenged to recognise the implications of Jesus’ words and actions

Outcome CD S1.3: Identifies and describes the place and purpose of Catholic worship

• the Church as a people who celebrate and • recognise and name using correct
proclaim terminology some sacred objects and
symbols
• Sacred space
• explain the purpose of a focal point for
• Parish ministries
prayer
• the classroom, school and church as
• contribute to a liturgical celebration
gathering points for celebration
• respond appropriately to a liturgical setting
• the parish as Church
• identify the physical elements of the parish
• the parish’s physical environment
and its ministries
Students are challenged to participate in school and parish worship
Outcome PS S1.4a: Identifies Catholic symbols and signs, naming sacraments as sacred
actions

• some symbols and signs associated with • name the seven sacraments of the Church
the Catholic tradition
• identify the signs and symbols particular to
• the purpose of the sacraments of Baptism/ the sacraments of Baptism/Confirmation/
Confirmation/Penance Penance
• rituals associated with the Sacraments of • convey meanings associated with the
Baptism/ Confirmation/Penance sacraments of Baptism/Confirmation/
Penance
• ways to celebrate receiving the Sacraments
• celebrate specific Sacraments
Students are challenged to participate in the life of the Church
Outcome PS S1.4b: Identifies the purpose of prayer

• the respective places of personal and • direct prayers to the Father
communal prayer
• pray spontaneously
• prayers of praise, petition and thanks
• formulate simple oral and written prayers
• different ways to pray
• follow directions for a liturgical celebration
• prayers traditional in Catholicism
• participate fully, actively and consciously at
• the Lord’s prayer and the Hail Mary an age appropriate level
Students are challenged to pray in a variety of ways

Sacred Scripture
Outcome S S1.5: Identifies and recalls stories from Sacred Scripture through which God
reveals himself

• the Bible as the Word of God • retell specific Scripture stories in their own
words
• the purpose of the Bible
• enact stories from the Scriptures
• stories of God’s call and people’s response
• ask questions to clarify meaning
• stories of the Bible revealing God’s love
• explain what these stories teach
• stories important to the Catholic community
• name times when Scripture is proclaimed
• special times when Scripture is proclaimed
• identify the response of Old Testament
• Old Testament characters
characters
Students are challenged to show reverence to and appreciation towards the Bible
Stage 2
Outcome GRHD S2.1: Identifies and describes God’s activity in the world today

• the world’s need for healing and forgiveness • determine expressions of God’s activity
• God’s forgiving and healing activity • compare and contrast Christian and non-
Christian responses
• Christian values
• outline and communicate ways of saying
• the value of life
‘sorry’
• God-given gifts and talents
• reflect upon and recount examples of
• God’s presence in creation forgiveness and healing
• Stewardship of creation • explain and demonstrate an appreciation of
gifts and talents given by God
• celebrate God’s presence through words
and actions
Students are challenged to respond as Christians to the presence of God in the world

Outcome J S2.2: Names and describes the modes of Christ’s presence in the world today

• the presence of Jesus in community • name ways in which Jesus’ presence is
celebrated
• the characteristics of Christianity that Jesus
taught • talk about experiencing Jesus through
relationships
• Jesus’ presence in Eucharistic celebration
• identify ways to live like Jesus
• the call to discipleship
• express their understanding of discipleship
• events, symbols and ceremonies of Holy
Week • discuss the meaning and relevance of the
gifts of the Holy Spirit.
• Jesus’ resurrection
• pose questions and talk about the
• the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost
implications of the actions of Jesus for the
• Jesus’ actions as examples of how disciples world today
live
Students are challenged to recognise Jesus in others and treat them accordingly
Outcome CD S2.3: Identifies the Church as a community of disciples of Jesus guiding and
supporting Christians through moral teaching and example

• the Pentecost story • name characteristics of a believing
community
• the Church as a believing community
• give reasons for belonging to a community
• the story of the local parish
of disciples
• ways of participating in the Church
• participate fully, actively and consciously in
• saints as models of discipleship liturgical celebrations
• ministries • research and recount the lives of saints
• the role of liturgy • name and describe the role and functions of
• the Ten Commandments some ministries
• identify people who live like Jesus
• the law of love
• describe features of Christian life
• the Catholic Church as a community of
disciples of Jesus
Students are challenged to be part of the parish and school faith communities

Outcome PS S2.4a: Explains sacraments as celebrating the presence of God

• Baptism • identify rituals associated with the
Sacraments
• the sacrament of Confirmation
• celebrate specific Sacraments
• the sacrament of Reconciliation
• express the welcoming and healing
• the sacrament of Anointing of the Sick
presence of God
• forgiveness of sins and life in the Spirit
• name modes of Jesus’ presence in
• the modes of Jesus’ presence in Eucharistic Eucharist celebrations
celebrations
• reflect upon and describe the purpose/role
• ways Jesus is present in the Church’s of specific Sacraments to one’s life
celebration of the sacraments
Students are challenged to participate in the sacraments
Outcome PS S2.4b: Plans and participates in communal celebration

• the purpose of prayer • describe, explain and participate in
important celebrations of the Church
• forms of prayer
• recite formal prayers associated with
• the Lord’s Prayer
Eucharistic and non-Eucharistic liturgy
• Lent and Easter celebrations
• participate in a variety of prayer forms
• Advent and Christmas celebrations
• appreciate prayer as a means of
• Easter and Christmas customs and communication with God
traditions
• engage in spontaneous prayer opportunities
• the Way of the Cross
• the structure of the Eucharistic liturgy
• prayer as a means of strengthening
relationship with God
Students are challenged to participate in liturgical celebrations

Sacred Scripture
Outcome S S2.5: Explains the messages of specific Scripture passages and their
relationship to prayer, worship and the Christian life

• the importance of the Word of God in • explain why Scripture was valued by and
ancient Israel included in gatherings of the early Christian
communities
• Christian traditions of Scripture
• develop skills to listen to Scripture
• how Jesus speaks to all through Sacred
Scripture • discuss the message of Scripture
• psalms • describe the importance of including
Scripture in liturgical celebrations
• The use of Scripture in prayer
• compare and contrast selected passages of
• ways to respond to Jesus’ teaching
Scripture using a variety of texts
• the importance of spreading the Word
• responding to selected psalms
• write simple psalms of praise and thanks
• relate stories from the New Testament to
their lives
• proclaim Scripture
Students are challenged to pray the Scriptures

Stage 3
Outcome GRHD S3.1a: Identifies and expresses ways in which God calls all to share in the
work of creating and renewing the Kingdom of God

• the concepts of Kingdom of God and • identify Biblical leaders
Servant Leadership • identify manifestations of the Kingdom of
God
• equality in the eyes of God
• recognise and respect religious belief of
• faith as a gift from God others
• read and critically respond to a variety of
• God’s call to reconciliation
Scripture passages
• the Holy Spirit inspiring Christians to create • develop and communicate an
and renew the world understanding of ‘Kingdom of God’
• the responsibility to promote justice and • determine ways the creation and renewal of
peace in the world. the Kingdom of God can be achieved
• identify ways the Holy Spirit inspires
• the role of the Catholic school Christians to be peacemakers, bringing
justice to the world.
• identify and discuss ways the kingdom of
God is revealed through Jesus’ ministry
• become critically focussed in their
judgements
• research and identify local parish ministries
• research and identify issues related to
Reconciliation in Australia
• develop school based action plans to
achieve Reconciliation
Students are challenged to act responsibly in response to God’s call
Outcome GRHD S3.1b: Describes how Christian life, nurtured by the Holy Spirit, is a
response to God’s love for creation

• the responsibilities of co-creators • name and describe the responsibilities of
Christians’ as co-creators
• ways to fulfil the role of co-creator
• formulate plans of commitment and action
• ways the Holy Spirit is active in renewing
creation • identify the Holy Spirit as active in a
Christian response
• sacred stories of the indigenous people
• recall Aboriginal creation stories
• identify and describe Aboriginal ways of
viewing and caring for the environment
• identify the meaning and significance of
Aboriginal creation stories
Students are challenged to care for God’s creation

Outcome J S3.2a: Recounts the stories of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus relating
them to the Church’s liturgy

• the significance of the Easter liturgies • demonstrate creatively the relationship of
the events of Jesus’ birth, life, death and
• the significance of the birth narratives resurrection for Catholics
• significant biblical characters and the role • describe the role of selected prophets in
they played in Jesus’ birth, death and these experiences
resurrection • explain and reflect upon the significance of
• Jesus’ death for the forgiveness of sins these events
• articulate the value of participation in formal
• the role these events have in the liturgical liturgical celebrations
life of the Church
• describe the impact of these events on their
• Church celebrations of these events lives today
• plan liturgies to celebrate the birth, passion
and resurrection of Jesus
Students are challenged to celebrate Jesus through liturgy
Outcome J S3.2b: Identifies those for whom Jesus shows particular concern

• the marginalised in Jesus’ time • determine and define characteristics/profile
of a ‘marginalised’ group or person in Jesus’
• the marginalised today time
• teachings of Jesus in relation to the • determine and define characteristics/profile
marginalised of a ‘marginalised’ group or person in
today’s society
• formulate and implement a plan of action
Students are challenged to reach out to others in love as Jesus did
Outcome CD S3.3a: Identifies the centrality of the sacraments in the life and mission of the
Church

• the meaning of symbols and rituals in the • name and explain the sacraments of
sacraments of service service.
• the nature and responsibilities of the • identify the symbols and rituals
Christian vocation • identify ways in which married couples and
• the ministry of the priesthood priests serve
• marriage as a sacrament reflecting God’s • reflect on and discuss the meaning of
love for all “vocation”
• Students are challenged to make choices as a response to God’s call

Outcome CD S3.3b: Researches and reports on significant figures in the history of the
Catholic Church

• God’s gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost • describe the characteristics of the life and
• the establishment of the early Church. faith of early Christian communities.
• Saints Peter and Paul • research and evaluate the lives and
• the key figures and the impact of their work contributions of key figures in the history of
on the Church the Catholic Church
• research and identify a range of ministries
• the history of the Catholic Church in
Australia. started by significant figures in the
Australian Church
• the character and establishment of the local
parish community • discuss opportunities for involvement in the
local faith community
Students are challenged to be involved in their local faith community
Outcome PS S3.4a: Explains how prayer, sacraments and liturgical action are integral to the
faith life of a Catholic

• traditional Catholic prayers • plan and co-ordinate liturgical celebrations
according to liturgical principles and
• meditative expressions of prayer guidelines
• liturgical action as an active and integral • plan and participate in Eucharistic
expression of faith celebrations
• liturgical principles and guidelines • reflect on the role of prayer in developing a
• prayer and worship as expressions of • name ways Catholics enhance a
religious belief relationship with God
• name ways others enhance their
Students are challenged to embrace Catholic liturgical and sacramental life
Outcome PS S3.4b: Explains how Catholics are nourished and sustained as they reach out
in service to others

• the Eucharist as the source and summit of • make connections between the mission of
Christian life. the Church and the sacraments
• the Mass: Liturgy of the Word and Liturgy of • make connections between the sacraments
the Eucharist and everyday life
• the Church year: seasons, colours and • reflect upon and evaluate the role of
readings sacraments in the life of the disciple
Students are challenged to reach out and minister to others

Sacred Scripture
Outcome S S3.5a: Identifies the nature and purpose of Biblical writings through which all are
invited to share eternal life

• major literary forms in the Bible • recall, locate and classify major literary
forms
• the audiences of the Bible
• read the Scriptures for meaning
• genre and context in Biblical studies
• compare and contrast Biblical books from
• parables
different genres
• God’s self-disclosure through the Scriptures
•
Students are challenged to value the richness of the Sacred Scriptures
Outcome S S3.5b: Demonstrate how the message of Scripture can be applied to

contemporary life .

• the relationship between humans and the • research and report upon the lives of
world prominent Christians
• the covenant relationship between God and • identify opportunities for the application of
God’s people messages from Scripture
• the story of God’s people
• the connection between the messages in
Scripture and the lifestyle of Christians
Students are challenged to relate messages from the Sacred Scriptures to daily life

Stage 4
Outcome GRHD S4.1a: Identifies and describes the Catholic understanding of the mystery of
God

• the image of God as Father • articulate how the doctrine of the Trinity is
expressed in Catholic liturgy
• the relationship of Jesus to the Father
• recount Jesus’ acknowledgments of the
• the Holy Spirit as Advocate and life giver
Father and the Holy Spirit
• Trinitarian formulae in prayer
• locate the Biblical passages describing the
• representations of God in art and literature presence and action of the Holy Spirit
Students are challenged to recognise mystery and awe as dimensions of their
Outcome GRHD S4.1b: Describes ways God invites people to respond

• the call to the people of Israel to be God’s • Identify the way Israel responded to God’s
people call
• the call of prophets to speak the Word of • locate and explain the meaning of selected
God Biblical passages
• Mary’s response to the Annunciation • identify individuals who have responded to
God’s call.
• Jesus’ call to his disciples
• identify the response of individuals to God’s
• Paul’s conversion
call as their sharing in the realisation of the
• Individuals in the Catholic tradition who Kingdom
have responded to God’s call
Students are challenged to respond to God’s call in their own lives

Outcome J S4.2a: Identifies the cultural and historical influences on Jesus of Nazareth

• key geographical features of Israel and • locate key geographical features of Israel
Palestine at the time of Jesus and and Palestine at the time of Jesus and
references to them in the Bible references to them in the Bible.
• features of daily domestic, public and • compare features of daily domestic public
religious life in Palestine at the time of and religious life in the Palestine at the time
Jesus of Jesus with the students’ world
• Jewish rites and traditions • identify the Jewish rites and traditions.
• popular attitudes of Jewish people at the • describe popular attitudes of Jewish people
time of Jesus to various groups (e.g. at the time of Jesus to various groups.
Romans, tax-collectors, Samaritans,
• appreciate Jesus’ response to his own time
women, those suffering illness, and sinners)
and culture
• Jesus as a 1st century Jew
Students are challenged to identify with the humanity of Jesus
Outcome J S4.2b: Interprets the teachings of Jesus and applies them to a contemporary
setting

• key events in the life of Jesus • sequence and identify key events in the life
of Jesus.
• how Jesus challenged the attitudes and
practices of people and groups in the • list examples of how Jesus challenged the
society in which he lived attitudes and practices of people in His
society.
• the implications of New Testament morality
for contemporary Christians • identify the values of the Beatitudes
throughout the Gospel
• applying the Gospel message to the needs
of contemporary society • locate and describe examples of
contemporary responses to the teaching of
Jesus – individual and contemporary.
• identify situations where Jesus’ teaching
could be applied in their school and their
lives
Students are challenged to seek out opportunities to live out the Gospel

Outcome CD S4.3a: Identifies and describes ways people respond to the call to discipleship

• the spread of Christianity from Jewish roots • explain the ways in which Christianity
out into the Gentile world through spread from Jewish roots out into the
successive generations Gentile world through successive
generations.
• the place and role of Mary and the saints in
the life of the Church • identify the place and role of Mary and the
saints in the life of the Church.
• how individual have responded to the
challenges and opportunities for proclaiming • describe the ways the Christian message is
the gospel spread today.
• common features of the call to discipleship • describe and analyse the way individuals
as a model for Christian living. have responded to challenges and
opportunities for proclaiming the gospel.
• identify common features of the call to
discipleship
Students are challenged to model their daily living on Jesus
Outcome CD S4.3b: Describes how Christian life requires informed moral decisions and
appropriate actions

• the disciple of Jesus as one who • identify core Gospel values
demonstrates Gospel values in everyday life
• trace the development from Old to New
• the development from Old Testament to Testament morality
New Testament morality
• identify and describe ways in which gospel
• the Church’s role in assisting the disciples values can be demonstrated in daily life in
of Jesus in their living of Gospel values the school
• personal values, strengths and beliefs • identify, describe and reflect on their own
values, strengths and beliefs.
• the demonstration of values in the
behaviour of individuals • identify how values are demonstrated by
actions
Students are challenged to make informed decisions and act in response

to the message of the Gospels

Outcome PS S4.4a: Explains the significance of the Sacraments of Initiation

• Scriptural origins of the Christian • identify and name the sacraments of
Sacraments of Initiation. Initiation
• initiation as welcoming into the community • locate passages in Sacred Scripture related
• initiation as a sign of belonging to the Sacraments of Initiation
• the development of the practice of Initiation • trace the development of the Sacraments
rites through history of Initiation
• the place of the Sacraments of the Initiation • recognise features of the celebration of the
in the contemporary Church Sacraments of Initiation in the local Church.
Students are challenged to integrate the celebration of Sacraments into life
Outcome PS S4.4b: Determines and describes features of a Catholic community

• the Creed: the Church as one, holy catholic • identify core beliefs of Catholics
and apostolic • identify and explain the responsibilities
• the rights and responsibilities of a member Catholics accept as members of the
of the Catholic Church Catholic community
• participation in the Eucharist as central to • investigate the role of prayer and ministry
Christian life groups within the local Church
• prayer and ministry groups within the • investigate how their school is an
Catholic Church expression of the mission of the Universal
• devotional practices in the Church Church
• research and present examples of
devotional practices
Students are challenged to identify themselves as part of the Catholic community
Sacred Scripture
Outcome S S4.5a: Locates and explains a range of Scripture passages relevant to Biblical and
contemporary life

• the challenges and opportunities for • describe and analyse the challenges and
proclaiming the gospel in the contemporary opportunities for proclaiming the gospel
period. • identify and name books of the Bible
• the structural characteristics of the books of
• locate various scriptural passages.
the Bible eg contents, index, chapter, verse,
abbreviations, book names. • describe the significance and influence of
• the application of selected biblical texts to particular stories and books, including the
their own lives. Bible, in their own and other people's lives.
• Sacred Scripture in prayer • Pray the Sacred Scriptures
Students are challenged to respond to Christ’s message in daily life

Outcome S S4.5b: Identifies influences on a number of Biblical authors

• different genre used in Sacred Scripture: • classify biblical and other stories according
narrative, song, poetry, history, letters, to genre
parables, miracles, allegory etc
• name influences on New Testament writers
• the origins and formation of the Bible: how it
• describe the meaning of “inspiration” with
came to be, oral tradition, myths, legends,
regard to the writing of Sacred Scripture
‘library of books’
• identify key beliefs underpinning Scriptural
• the meaning of Biblical inspiration
texts
• intended audience of the New Testament
• writings of the New Testament as products
of believing communities
Students are challenged to renew their appreciation of the Sacred Scriptures
Stage 5
Outcome GRHD S5.1a: Communicates the relationship between respect for creation and
creation as an act of God

• the context and genre of the two creation • recognise the religious truths expressed in
stories in the book of Genesis biblical accounts of the creation
• science and scholarship in a Catholic • respect the scientific and biblical accounts
Worldview; historically and in the of Creation
contemporary world
• articulate the implications of the belief that
• the theological implications of the Genesis humans are made in the image and likeness
accounts as the foundation for belief that of God
God has a special purpose for humanity
• articulate a Catholic perspective on care for
• humanity’s stewardship of creation and the the environment
growth of the environmental movement
• research and explain the view of Aboriginal
• the politics of power in relation to the politics custodianship of land
of stewardship
• compare and contrast Aboriginal views of
• the foundation for the Catholic Church’s pro- custodianship of land and land as a
life teaching commodity
Students are challenged to acknowledge and care for all creation as God’s gift

Outcome GRHD S5.1b: Identifies various manifestations of the Spirit’s activity in the world

• the role of psychology in a contemporary • engage in reflection on their own attitudes to
understanding of sin and illness sickness and suffering
• the role that ritual plays in healing and • appreciate the role that ritual plays in
reconciliation healing and reconciliation
• renewal groups in the Church • articulate a view on the significance of faith
in the lives of people
• the momentum leading to the Second
Vatican Council and its effects • search for meaning in their lives and the
world around them
• Catholic Social Justice activity
• identify sources of disharmony in the world
• the centrality of the sacraments in Catholic
around them
life and mission
• recognise the processes of reconciliation as
• the variety of reconciliation movements in
manifestations of the Spirit at work
the world today
• the proliferation of faith education groups in
contemporary Catholicism
Students are challenged to develop a consciousness of the Holy Spirit’s activity
Outcome GRHD S5.1 LS: Expresses ways in which God calls us to embrace the stewardship
of creation through harmony and reconciliation

• belief that God has a special purpose for • list cases for and against protection of the
humanity environment
• humanity’s stewardship of creation and the • develop a Catholic perspective on care for
growth of the environmental movement the environment
• differences and similarities between • articulate the qualities that make individuals
individuals within a Catholic perspective unique within a Catholic perspective
• renewal groups in the Church • recognise differences/similarities within
individuals
• Catholic Social Justice activity
• describe how these qualities reflect
• the centrality of the sacraments in Catholic
Christian living
life and mission
• identify sources of disharmony in the world
• the variety of reconciliation movements in
around them
the world today
• recognise the processes of reconciliation as
manifestations of the Spirit at work
• engage in reflection on their own attitudes to
sickness and suffering
• recognise how faith influences their
individual lives
Students are challenged to care for the environment and one another as God’s creation

Outcome J S5.2a: Identifies and describes a distinct feature of a portrait of Jesus in the
Gospels

• Jesus ministering to the poor, the sick and • describe the key characteristics of Jesus’
the outcasts identity as portrayed by Luke
• the actions of Jesus as they reflect the • recount parables and miracles stories
themes of Luke’s Gospel consistent with the theme of compassion
• the parables of Jesus as they reflect the • locate key Scripture references to the
themes of Luke’s Gospel “compassionate” Jesus in Luke’s Gospel
• the image of Jesus as portrayed by Luke • research and compile relevant information
on authorship, audience and date of Luke’s
gospel
Students are challenged to integrate characteristics of Jesus into their own lives
Outcome J S5.2b: Constructs a project to promote social justice grounded in the message
of Jesus

• the role of the Catholic disciple in extending • identify Biblical texts in support of the
the Kingdom of God Church’s commitment to social action
• what is specifically Catholic about Catholic • identify and explain the need for
social action Reconciliation in Australia
• the nature of the disciple as one who • conduct a case study into the role and
develops the whole person in the footsteps purpose of Aboriginal Catholic Ministries in
of Christ NSW
• Jesus’ call to serve the marginalised as he • develop and increase their understanding of
did Catholic morality
• the early Christian commitment to caring for • determine the focus of an investigation into
the oppressed a moral issue
• Aboriginal Christian Ministries • identify ways in which they can reach out to
others
• Reconciliation in Australia
• work collaboratively on a social justice
project
Students are challenged to reflecting on their personal response
to the message of the Gospel

Outcome J S5.2 LS: Examines the relationship between the portrait of Jesus in the
Gospels and social action in the world today

• Jesus ministering to the poor, the sick and • describe the key characteristics of Jesus’
the outcasts identity as portrayed by Luke
• the parables of Jesus as they reflect the • recount parables and miracles stories
themes of Luke’s Gospel consistent with the theme of compassion
• Jesus’ example as he reached out to the • locate key Scripture references to the
marginalised “compassionate” Jesus in Luke’s gospel
• Jesus’ call to serve the marginalised • identify local Church social action groups
and their roles
• Reconciliation in Australia
• identify and explain the need for
Reconciliation in Australia
• develop and implement and action plan that
addresses issues of Reconciliation in
Australia
• work collaboratively on a social justice
project
Students are challenged to integrate characteristics of Jesus into their own lives
Outcome CD S5.3a: Names and describes a range of expressions of Christianity

• early Christian controversies • analyse the causes which led to a shift in
ideas or teaching in the Church
• the split between the Church of the East
and the West • describe some of the significant historical
figures from the time of the Reformations
• The Reformations
• identify points of divergence among
• Christian diversity in Australia
Christians from differing backgrounds
• the Ecumenical movement and inter-
• classify the range of Christian
denominational projects in Broken Bay
denominations today
Diocese
• compare and contrast beliefs and practices
• sects and cults in Australia
of Anglican, Protestant, Orthodox and
• the local parish structure and the Catholic Catholic traditions
school in parish life
• identify common features of modern sects
and cults
• identify the Catholic school’s role in the
mission of evangelisation
Students are challenged to proclaim the Gospel

Outcome CD S5.3b: Demonstrates an appreciation of the Church as committed to authentically
proclaiming the Word

• the relationship between personal faith and • articulate key beliefs of the Catholic Church
communal expressions of belief
• describe the role of Scripture and Tradition
• the early Church and its designated in Catholicism
ministries as described in the Acts of the
• locate and examine statements within the
Apostles
Nicene Creed relating to God the Creator/
• the role of Scripture and Tradition in Father, Jesus his Son, and the Holy Spirit
Catholicism
• develop criteria from the Catholic tradition
• the Nicene Creed as a statement of against which they may evaluate their own
essential Catholic belief and other people’s moral behaviour
• the Church’s response to moral issues • explain how all members of an active
through the ages Christian community are involved in
extending the Kingdom of God
Students are challenged to identify with the Catholic community
Outcome CD S5.3 LS: Identifies key characteristics of the Catholic Church

• the relationship between personal and • name key beliefs of Catholics
community belief
• develop and increase their understanding of
• the Ecumenical movement and inter- Catholic morality
denominational projects in Broken Bay
• determine the focus of an investigation into
Diocese committed to social action
a moral issue
• the strength for the individual gained by
• name activities in the Church that reflect its
participation in group activities
mission
Students are challenged to engage in actions that promote Catholic social justice

Outcome PS S5.4a: Identifies and describes the relationship between the Church’s
celebrations and its mission

• the history and development of the • locate and analyse stories from the
sacraments of Anointing of the Sick and Scriptures which are the basis of the
Reconciliation. sacrament of Anointing of the Sick
• the purpose and structure of the three rites • research and collect information on, and
of Reconciliation contrast ways in which the sacrament of
Reconciliation has been celebrated over the
• the centrality of reconciliation in the
centuries
Eucharistic community
• describe the various modes by which Jesus
• the centrality of the Eucharist flowing into
is present and active through the power of
and out of the community, calling the
the Holy Spirit in the celebration of the
disciple to prayer, fellowship and action
Eucharist
• the meaning and structure of the Liturgical
• describe Catholic beliefs about the
year and the cycle of Readings and major
connections between the Eucharist and
feasts
everyday actions of believers
• the meaning of a range of symbols and
• outline how the liturgical year expresses the
actions in the Catholic Church: use of holy
faith and teaching of the Catholic Church
water, sacred oils, icons etc.,
• describe the significance of liturgical
• the Catholic Church as united in faith but
symbols and actions for the contemporary
diverse in practice
disciple
• identify a variety of ministries in the Catholic
Church
Students are challenged to a renewed appreciation of the relationship between Catholic
liturgy and life
Outcome PS S5.4b: Names and describes a range of ways the Christian life is nurtured
through prayer

• the way individuals are called to a life of • differentiate between key beliefs and
prayer, action and relationships cultural conventions
• national and cultural expressions of • identify cultural influences in contemporary
Christian practice Christianity
• prayer communities in contemporary • formulate prayers in language accessible to
Australia their peers
• Psalms and canticles • develop a liturgical celebration integrating
appropriate symbol, art and music
• meditation and centring prayer
• contemporary expressions of prayer
• the role of symbol, art and music in prayer
Students are challenged to explore new ways of nurturing their prayer life

Outcome PS S5.4 LS: Describes Christian celebrations and practices

• the origin of the Sacrament of Reconciliation • locate and analyse stories from the
Scriptures which are the basis of the
• the origin of the Sacrament of Anointing of
Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick and
the Sick.
Reconciliation
• The rituals and actions of these sacraments
• identify the rituals and symbols in the
• contemporary approaches to Anointing the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Anointing
sick of the Sick
• the purpose and structure of the three rites • outline the different liturgical seasons of the
of Reconciliation Catholic Church
• the structure of Eucharistic celebrations • identify the major feasts in the Church’s
• the Liturgical year year
• research and report on liturgical symbols
• the meaning of a range of symbols and
actions in the Catholic Church: use of holy • outline the role and purpose of different
water, sacred oils, icons etc., Christian Ministries
• the way discipleship calls each person to a • help develop a liturgical celebration
life of prayer, action and relationships integrating appropriate symbol, art and
• the reverence for saints and the meaning of music
major feast days
• prayer communities and in contemporary
Australia
• Psalms and canticles
• praying in their own words
• symbol, art and music in prayer
Students are challenged to a renewed appreciation of the relationship between liturgy and
life within a Catholic community

Sacred Scripture
Outcome S S5.5a: Analyses Biblical writings as the Word of God revealed in history and
culture

• the significance of faith and other factors in • explain the significance of faith and other
the recording and interpretation of biblical factors in the recording and interpretation of
historical events biblical historical events
• the interpretation of literal and figurative • compare and contrast, using everyday and
language biblical examples, the interpretation of literal
and figurative language
• the social and historical context in which
Luke’s Gospel was composed • identify particular themes within a gospel
• the date and place of composition of Luke’s • appreciate the impact of context on the
Gospel composition of biblical writing
• the audience for whom the writer of Luke’s • discuss the scope of Old Testament writings
Gospel wrote and their relationship to the contemporary
world
• the thematic construct of Luke’s Gospel
• develop familiarity with biblical language
• the relationship between Luke’s Gospel and
and its application in contemporary Australia
other biblical writings
Students are challenged to share their appreciation of the Sacred Scriptures with others
Outcome S S5.5b: Locates examples of the Gospel in action in contemporary Australia

• the application of the Gospel to the • investigate Scriptural passages on the
contemporary world meaning of discipleship
• the work undertaken by religious orders in • describe how discipleship can be identified
the Catholic Church in Australia in their own school community
• social inequality in Australia • identify examples of discipleship in their
local area
• the growth of agencies to continue the work
of the Catholic Church in Australia • determine the scriptural basis for Christian
social activity
• lay involvement in contemporary ministry:
voluntary and professional • explain the causes and areas of inequality
in Australia today
Students are challenged to participate in Gospel motivated activity

Outcome S S5.5 LS: Recognises the relationship between Gospel stories and contemporary
Christian living

• biblical historical events • list biblical historical events
• the relationship between Luke’s Gospel and • identify similarities and differences between
other biblical writings Luke’s Gospel and other biblical writings
• the work undertaken by religious orders in • describe how discipleship can be identified
the in their own school community
• the role of the religious order associated • identify examples of discipleship in their
with the foundations of their school local area
• Catholic Church in Australia • implement Gospel activity in their own lives
• Social inequality in Australia • explain the causes and areas of inequality
in Australia today
• the growth of agencies to continue the work
of the Catholic Church in Australia
• lay involvement in contemporary ministry:
voluntary and professional
Students are challenged to participate in Gospel motivated activities with others

Stage 6
Outcome GRHD S6.1a: Identifies and explains how God is revealed through history and
culture

• Catholic beliefs about human destiny • conduct research in the variety of religious
• theological aspects of dealing with death responses to the world
• identify the impact of culture on the
• the variety of expressions of the concept of
expression of belief about life and death
divinity and a Divine Person
• articulate the concept of revelation as God
• cultural responses to belief in divinity and reaching out to humanity
transcendence
• reconcile the expression of belief with other
• inter-faith dialogue explanations
• Aboriginal beliefs about the presence and • articulate the Aboriginal belief that God is
revelation of God through the landscape present and revealed in the landscape
Students are challenged to develop a hope-filled God-centred philosophy of life
Outcome GRHD S6.1b: Explains the impact belief in eternal life has on the way Catholics
perceive and interact with the world

• the universal mission of the Church to • examine the place and importance of beliefs
embrace all of humankind for humanity
• the concepts of good and evil • recognise core beliefs of Catholics
• sin and forgiveness • identify Catholic teachings about God and
• Heaven, Hell and Purgatory the world, Jesus Christ, and salvation and
destiny
• the Kingdom of God as it is realised through
the actions of believers
• Stewardship of Creation
Students are challenged to interpret and respond to the world from a Catholic perspective
Outcome GRHD S6.1 LS: Investigates religious beliefs and practices and their impact on
daily life

• the universal mission of the Church to • conduct research in the variety of religious
embrace all of humankind responses to the world
• the concepts of good and evil • identify the impact of culture on the
• Heaven, Hell and Purgatory expression of belief
• chart the practices of people according to
their beliefs
• recognise core beliefs of Catholics
• identify Catholic teachings about God and
the world and Jesus Christ
Students are challenged to respond to the world from a Catholic perspective

Outcome J S6.2a: Identifies the doctrine of Jesus Christ, the Word of God, incarnate as
central to Catholicism

• the centrality of Jesus in Catholic teaching • identify cultural influences on various
representation of Jesus through history
• the search for the historical Jesus
• analyse contemporary Aboriginal
• the centrality of belief in the humanity and
representations of Jesus
divinity of Jesus to the Catholic faith
• outline differing portraits of Jesus presented
• images of Jesus as reflections of history
by the Gospels
and culture
• critically analyse various beliefs about the
nature of Jesus and the relationship
between members of the Trinity
• creatively present ideas and information
relating to Jesus in the Scriptures
Students are challenged to articulate a personal relationship with Jesus and the Church
Outcome J S6.2b: Explains how the life, death and resurrection of Jesus give new meaning
to human life, suffering and death

• Jewish Messianic expectations • articulate the meaning of Jesus’ resurrection
• Jesus’ interpretation of himself as “Messiah” • explain what is meant by the terms
“Messiah” and “Kingdom of God”
• Jesus’ death as salvific
• investigate Catholic beliefs about Jesus
• the relationship between Jesus’ resurrection
dying for the forgiveness of sins
and the realisation of the Kingdom of God
• source beliefs about Jesus Christ in the
• Christological controversies through the
Sacred Scriptures
ages
• use the terms ascending and descending
• the complementarity that exists between
Christology appropriately
ascending and descending Christology
Students are challenged to reflection on life as a Christian response to salvation

Outcome J S6.2 LS: Identifies the centrality of Jesus in Catholic teaching and the meaning he
gives to human life

• the centrality of Jesus in Catholic teaching • identify cultural influences on various
representation of Jesus through history
• images of Jesus as reflections of history
and culture • outline differing portraits of Jesus presented
by the Gospels
• creatively present ideas and information
relating to Jesus in the Scriptures
• articulate the meaning of Jesus’ resurrection
• explain what is meant by the terms
“Messiah” and “Kingdom of God”
• investigate Catholic beliefs about Jesus
Christ
• source beliefs about Jesus Christ in the
Sacred Scriptures
Students are challenged to articulate their relationship with Jesus and the Church
Outcome CD S6.3a: Researches and explains how the Church works through a range of
ministries

• the Church as a community of disciples • explain the meaning of the terms “mission”
extending the Kingdom of God and “evangelisation”
• the Pope as Bishop of Rome and the place • outline features of effective Christian
of the bishop as successor to the apostles leadership
• the priest as sharing in the ministry of the • reflect critically on the interaction of the
bishop Church with the world
• the response of the Catholic Church to • identify growth and change in the Church
different times and cultures
• access information about the diocese of
• the distinctive nature of a diocese as it Broken Bay
responds to the needs of its people
• identify the role of their own school and
• the mission of the Catholic diocese of parish in the mission and vision of the
Broken Bay as an expression of the mission diocese
of the universal Church
• parish and ministry structures in the
diocese of Broken Bay
Students are challenged to identify with the community of disciples
of the Diocese of Broken Bay

Outcome CD S6.3b: Interprets the role of the Church in guiding its members’ responses to
moral and social issues

• Catholic teaching regarding commitment, •
demonstrate a Catholic perspective on a
fidelity and indissolubility in marriage range of issues
• the development of Catholic Social • research evidence of a Catholic perspective
Teaching from Rerum Novarum (1891) in contemporary film, literature and art
• application of the concept of a Just Wage • identify the common themes in the Church’s
• the scriptural basis for workers’ rights social teaching

• analyse Scripture passages which provide
• the Catholic Church’s response to socialism
and unionism insights for social equality
• construct a framework which posits social
• the Church’s response to social conditions
equality as an outcome of the Eucharistic
in the 1960’s: Gaudium et Spes and the
community
encyclicals of John XXIII and Paul VI
• describe examples of radical Christian
• the development of a theology of liberation
social action
in Latin America
• formulate an overview of Christian action
• the social encyclicals of John Paul II motivated by justice and compassion
• the role and published statements by the • research and critically analyse official
Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference Church statements on social issues
Students are challenged to assume responsibility for moral choices
and social action based on Catholic discipleship
Outcome CD S6.3 LS: Examines a range of ministries of the Catholic Church and their
response to contemporary social issues

• the roles of the Pope and the bishops • identify a Catholic perspective on specific
• the response of the Catholic Church to issues
different times and cultures • research evidence of a Catholic perspective
• the works of the Church in the in contemporary film, literature and art
contemporary world • explain the meaning of the terms “mission”
• the distinctive nature of a diocese as it and “evangelisation”
responds to the needs of its people • outline features of effective Christian
• the mission of the Catholic diocese of leadership
Broken Bay • access information about the diocese of
• the role of the Catholic school in the mission Broken Bay
of the Church • identify the role of their own school and
• Catholic teaching regarding commitment, parish in the mission and vision of the
fidelity and indissolubility in marriage diocese
• application of the concept of a Just Wage • identify the common themes in the Church’s
social teaching
• the Scriptural basis for workers’ rights
• analyse Scripture passages which provide
• the Catholic Church’s response to socialism insights for social equality
and unionism
• the Church’s response to social conditions
in the 1960’s
Students are challenged to assume responsibility for choices and actions
based on Catholic discipleship

Outcome PS S6.4a: Demonstrates the relationship between the sacramental life and the
Church’s missionary activity

• the history and development of the • explain interconnectedness and
sacraments of vocation in the Catholic interdependence of Scriptures, beliefs,
tradition: Holy Orders and Matrimony worship and ethical teachings of
• Holy Orders and Matrimony as sacramental Catholicism
responses to the call to discipleship • analyse the significance of particular
• rituals and symbols of the rites of ordination Catholic rituals and prayer forms
and marriage • articulate the relationship between activity
• the sacramental relationship between and ministry in the Church
bishop, priest and deacon • frame and articulate informed opinions
• the role of the priest as leader of the about the contemporary Australian Church
Eucharistic community • describe specific ministries within the
• the doctrinal pedagogy embedded in ritual contemporary Australian Church
• describe the scope and nature of leadership
• the importance of the Sunday Eucharist in
the Catholic tradition roles in the Catholic community
• identify spiritual or pastoral needs in a
• the way ministries develop as a response to
particular needs in communities particular community of their choice
• the Catholic parish reaching beyond its
immediate worshipping community
Students are challenged to choose to participate in Catholic liturgy, ministry
and the sacramental life
Outcome PS S6.4b: Defines the nature of both spirituality and religion and suggests how the
Catholic heritage contributes to personal spirituality and identity

• the development of personal spirituality •illustrate personal experiences of liturgical
within the life of the community celebrations
• the interrelationship between creativity and • participate in the design, preparation and
tradition in Catholic liturgy celebration of a Liturgy
• articulate the relationship between personal
• Cultural influences in liturgical design
prayer and liturgical prayer
• the structure of the Catholic Mass: liturgy of
• evaluate a liturgical celebration
the Word; liturgy of the Eucharist
• discuss the roles of art, music, story, life
• the roles of various ministers in associated experience and symbol in liturgy
with liturgical celebrations
• choose appropriate Scripture passages
• the contemporary language of liturgy according to theme and need
• the complementarity of the role of priest and • choose musical and art enhancements
other ministers in liturgical celebration related to particular themes
• indigenous Catholic responses to liturgical • investigate the incorporation of Aboriginal
celebrations symbols, art, prayers into liturgies
developed by Aboriginal Catholics
Students are challenged to embrace the spiritual life
as members of the Catholic community

Outcome PS S6.4 LS: Explains the various roles in ministry and liturgy and identifies ways to
participate

• the history of the sacraments of vocation in • describe particular Catholic rituals and
the Catholic tradition: Holy Orders and prayer forms
Matrimony • describe specific ministries within the
• rituals and symbols of the rites of ordination contemporary Australian Church
and marriage
• describe the leadership roles in the Catholic
• the sacramental relationship between
community
bishop, priest and deacon
• identify spiritual or pastoral needs in a
• the role of the priest as leader of the
particular community of their choice
Eucharistic community
• the importance of the Sunday Eucharist in • participate in the design, preparation and
the Catholic tradition celebration of a Liturgy

• the way ministries develop as a response to • illustrate personal experiences of liturgical
particular needs in communities celebrations
• the Catholic parish reaching beyond its • evaluate a liturgical celebration
immediate worshipping community • discuss the role of art, music, story, life
• the development of personal spirituality experience and symbol in liturgy
within the life of the community
• choose appropriate Scripture passages
• the interrelationship between creativity and
according to theme and need
tradition in Catholic liturgy
• choose musical and art enhancements
• Cultural influences in liturgical design
related to particular themes
• the structure of the Catholic Mass: liturgy of
• investigate the incorporation of Aboriginal
the Word; liturgy of the Eucharist
symbols, art, prayers into liturgies
• the roles of various ministers in associated
developed by Aboriginal Catholics
with liturgical celebrations
• the contemporary language of liturgy
Students are challenged to a mature participation in liturgy and ministry and to embrace
the spiritual life as members of the Catholic community
Sacred Scripture
Outcome S S6.5a: Demonstrates an awareness of the impact contemporary Biblical

scholarship has on Catholic discipleship

• Catholic biblical scholarship in the past 100 • identify the Biblical foundations of Catholic
years discipleship
• literary criticism • investigate the implications of a
• Vatican II and biblical scholarship fundamentalist approach to the Sacred
• authorised and unauthorised versions of the Scriptures
Bible • trace the contemporary teaching of the
• the relationship between the Sacred Church to its Biblical origins

Scriptures and the teaching of the Church • identify Biblical texts according to genre
Students are challenged to make life choices consistent

with principles of Catholic discipleship

Outcome S S6.5b: Investigates the manner in which the Scriptures are able to nurture prayer,
reflection, ritual and action

• the distinctive place of Scripture in Catholic • select specific Scriptural passages
liturgical action according to themes
• the use of the psalms in the Liturgy of the • identify ways in which the Scriptures nourish
Hours the life of believers
• the Gospel as pivotal in the Liturgy of the • apply the Scriptures to a contemporary
Word setting
• Scripture hymns • choose Scripture passages for use in a
liturgical setting
• Praying the Scriptures
Students are challenged to integrate Sacred Scripture into personal and communal prayer
Outcome S S6.5 LS: Identifies the role of Sacred Scripture in Christian life in relation to prayer

• the relationship between the Sacred • select specific Scriptural passages
Scriptures and the teaching of the Church according to themes
• the distinctive place of Scripture in Catholic • apply the Scriptures to a contemporary
liturgical action setting
• the use of the psalms in the Liturgy of the • choose Scripture passages for use in a
Hours liturgical setting
• the Gospel as pivotal in the Liturgy of the
Word
• Scripture hymns
• Praying the Scriptures
Students are challenged to integrate Sacred Scripture into personal and communal prayer

3
9. CROSS CURRICULUM CONTENT
The Religious Education K–12 Syllabus incorporates cross-curriculum content to assist students
to achieve the broad learning outcomes defined in the K–12 Curriculum Framework. The
following cross-curriculum content has been embedded in the Religious Education syllabus:
• Information and Communication Learning Technology (ICLT)
• Key Competencies
• Literacy
• Numeracy
• Difference and Diversity
• Environment
• Aboriginal and Indigenous
• Work, Employment and Enterprise
• Civics and Citizenship
Information Communication Learning Technology (ICLT)
Opportunities exist within the teaching and learning of Religious Education to integrate ICLT.
Specific skills to be learnt and developed include accessing electronic communication in an
appropriate manner, designing multimedia presentations and using software such as
PowerPoint as well as learning about the ethics of communicating information through
technology.
Communication via the internet with other Religious Education learners can extend the
boundaries of the classroom. The internet can provide up-to-date information about Religious
Education and access to religious education resources. Evaluation regarding the strengths,
weaknesses and appropriateness of such resources is an essential component of religious
education.
Key Competencies
Key competencies are embedded in the Religious Education K–12 Syllabus to enhance
students’ learning and their continuing development of the effective thinking skills necessary for
further education, work and everyday life. The key competencies of:
• collecting
• analysing and organising information
• communicating ideas and information
• planning and organising activities and
• working with others and in teams
• problem-solving
• using technology
reflect core processes of Religious Education and are explicit in the objectives, outcomes and
content of the syllabus.
Literacy
The study of Religious Education provides students with a particular perspective on how ideas
are communicated, thereby enhancing literacy and language skills as they respond to Christ
and his words. Effective Religious Education is dependent on the communication and
interpretation of words, symbols and ideas.
3

Familiarity with various religious genre and text types is essential for the contemporary student’s
engagement with the Sacred Scriptures and the Catholic tradition.
Student writing, incorporating journaling, personal responses, creative writing and essay work
should be encouraged with the same degree of discipline as in all KLA areas.
Visual literacy has always formed a major part of the education and faith response of Catholics.
Its importance in the transmission of religious ideas is augmented by society’s increasing
acknowledgment of its value as a means of communication.
The development of student literacy through Religious Education reflects, supports and
enhances the challenge of addressing literacy in all of the Key Learning Areas, as described in
A Literacy Statement for Diocesan Systemic Schools K-12, 2003 – 2007, Diocese of Broken
Bay, 2003.
Numeracy
Mathematical knowledge is needed to empower today’s students in Catholic schools to be

people who can confidently and effectively be Gospel agents of change in their communities.
Content within the study of Religious education requires students to analyse data, construct and
interpret graphs, maps, charts, diagrams and timelines. Students may be required to read,
interpret and make judgments about data; to estimate, measure, compare, draw lengths, areas,
volumes and angles; and, use basic numerical skills of addition, subtraction, division and
multiplication. They may need to draw upon concepts of spatial relationships, and have
awareness of time and the ways in which it is calculated in particular texts.
Difference and Diversity
Through the study of Religious Education students develop awareness, understanding and
acceptance of difference and diversity in their personal lives, and within the local and global
community. Students learn about the different viewpoints, religious practices and belief systems,
customs and traditions in Religious communities, as well as the characteristics that are common
to all people.
The study of Religious Education helps instil in students the ideals of respect for others and of
tolerance and acceptance of diverse points of view, beliefs, attitudes and values.
Environment
In religious education students develop an understanding of the value of ecological and

economic sustainability and the interconnectedness of life, which is God’s gift. Students are
made aware that valuing the integrity of natural environments, their importance as the basic
sources of life support and the wise, equitable and sustainable use of resources are essential
Catholic perspectives. Students can be encouraged in their actions and styles of living to be
proactive in protecting environments for their intrinsic value, their heritage value and as a
resource to sustain life for future generations.
These principles may be considered in the consideration and developing awareness of:
• the environmental factors that impact on the lives of individuals and societies
• how religion has represented the natural world and our relationship to it (e.g. the
treatment of animals, threatened extinction of species vs human needs to develop)
• the use and place of natural, social and built environments in relation to concepts of the
Kingdom
• the built environment and its use as expression of belief (churches, sacred sites,
cathedrals, temples, shrines, representation in art, symbols etc)
• acting responsibly towards the environment - guardianship rather than exploitation -
social justice in the use of resources and the distribution of wealth

• the destruction of environment as a result of war. This is centered in the need to foster
Peace and to maintain and develop hope, spirituality and optimism, a sense of belonging
in local, national and global communities, cooperative and peaceful relations with others
and a sense of a shared destiny and stewardship of the earth. Students are helped to
understand the value of peace by cooperating and interacting to resolve conflicts; to use
the processes of negotiation, mediation and reconciliation in a range of contexts.
• the effects of environment on peoples’ ideas about God and their values re human life -
the ways people interact with each other and their environment
• controversial and challenging issues – the ethics of environmental use
• creating a quality of life for all in a world of limits.
Aboriginal and Indigenous
Students have opportunities to study indigenous people and culture in all Key Learning Areas.
The K-12 Religious Education syllabus integrates learning about Aboriginal heritage and
spirituality across the Stages. Through the study of indigenous cultures in Religious Education
young people may come to:
• a better appreciation of the social and economic issues facing indigenous people
• an understanding of the unique relationship between Aboriginal and other indigenous people
to the land
• an understanding of the sense of dispossession facing Aboriginal people today
• a deeper appreciation of the concept of Covenant and Land in the Old Testament
• a more profound understanding of the mystery of Creation and
• a developing consciousness of a unique Australian spirituality.
It is important to note that many Aboriginal people are offended by the use of the term myth in
relation to Aboriginal stories. Further it is this set of beliefs about the Dreaming that establishes
values for living. These values are inherent and unquestioned. Dreaming stories should be
treated with respect and valued in a similar way that stories of the Bible are valued and
respected. Wherever possible local Aboriginal people and stories should be used when
teaching about the Dreaming. The term Dreamtime is also perceived as offensive to Aboriginal
people as it infers that it is a time long ago in the past without connections to today. In
Aboriginal ways of seeing the Dreaming is connected and relived in the present whenever the
stories are retold, sites visited, responsibilities to land and people carried out, songs sung,
dances danced or the story painted. It is believed that this expression of Spirit brings the land,
story and people to life in the present moment.
Work, Employment and Enterprise
The Religious Education syllabus incorporates opportunities for students to examine and
experience the value of community work. Students develop an understanding of the importance
of community work on a global, national and local level, and are encouraged to give of their
talents by participating in some community activity.
In addition to this, learning about specific forms of work, values-based learning related to
honesty, integrity, generosity and justice enable students to form effective and positive
relationships which can be applied in the workplace. Such relationships should encourage open
and honest communication and commitment between employer and employee, so that work
and the product of work serve the needs of people and enhance the dignity of all humankind.
Engaging with and studying the ministries of the Church in their own diocese and around the
world enables students to develop an understanding of the wide range of works undertaken by
the Church. Furthermore, students are exposed to the possibilities of ministries in their own
lives, as full-time vocations, or integrated and balanced with the concerns of wider society.

Civics and Citizenship
Embedded into the aims of the Religious Education Curriculum is the key focus area of civics
and citizenship. The key value of the democratic process is based on a belief in the integrity and
rights of all people and promotes ideals of equal participation and access for individuals and
groups.
The National Goals for Schooling in the Twenty-first Century, agreed by all Education
Ministers, includes an emphasis on educating students to understand their role in Australia's
democracy. National Goal 1.3 states that students are expected to 'have the capacity to
exercise judgement and responsibility in matters of morality, ethics and social justice, and the
capacity to make sense of their world, to think about how things got to be the way they are, to
make rational and informed decisions about their own lives, and to accept responsibility for their
own action'.
Religious Education provides opportunities for students to further their understanding and
appreciation of civics and citizenship by:
• developing personal character traits such as respecting individual worth and human
dignity, empathy, respect for the law, informed about public issues, critical mindedness
and willingness to express points of view, listen, negotiate and compromise
• understanding and recognising the rights and responsibilities of citizens, both nationally
and globally, and the opportunities for exercising them
• contributing to a just society as an informed citizen.

These opportunities are reflected in our Catholic worldview of commitment to justice, creation of
values and affirmation of and respect for humanity and its environment. As disciples of Jesus
we are called to love one another, to take up our daily cross and respond to Jesus in the midst
of the world and its concerns.
10. STAGE STATEMENTS FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION K-12
Early Stage 1
At Early Stage 1, students are becoming aware of God’s love for them, their family and their
immediate world. Through Scriptural stories, they begin to learn about Jesus’ life and the way
he shows his feelings to his family and friends. They talk about the immediate environment of
their school and parish within their own lives. They begin to learn about prayer as talking and
listening to God and participate in classroom and school liturgy and prayer. They make the sign
of the cross and learn some traditional prayers.
Students are beginning to identify right words and actions and the need to say sorry when
others are hurt. They accept responsibility for classroom tasks and roles.
Students absorb biblical ideas in terms of concrete and literal images. They will identify the
narratives relating to Jesus’ birth, death and resurrection as part of their identity in Catholic
cultural celebration. The narratives are not understood in their literary forms.
They use language associated with time, change and place. They acquire information by direct
observation, talking to others, and by viewing, reading and listening to bible stories. They
communicate their understandings orally and through writing and drawing.
Stage 1
At Stage 1, students identify the groups to which they belong as well as their own roles in
various group situations, eg student, family member, school member, peer group member,
parish member. They recount important family and Church traditions and practices. They
identify some special days and associated signs and symbols in the Church year. They
celebrate specific sacraments.

Students identify and describe places of Catholic worship. They talk about how Jesus acted and
behaved and what it means for them in their lives in their family and at school. Students
demonstrate their understandings, about some different ways to pray and about some different
forms of prayer. They write personal prayers.
They retell and sequence stories about the life and ministry of Jesus. They learn about the Bible
as containing special stories about God’s family. The theology of many genres of the Bible is
not understood by this stage, the students’ understanding is literal.
Students have a natural curiosity, a sense of wonder and enthusiasm for fantasy and play. They
mix with others in a more complex way and friendships become increasingly important. They
are growing in self-awareness and beginning to make choices and decisions. Learning is
generally through direct experience.
Stage 2
At Stage 2, students are more aware of belonging to the Catholic community. They understand
that their lives are influenced by both past and present events. They understand the roles of
individuals and families, within the membership of Catholic communities.
Their better understanding of time and sequence gives Sacred Scripture greater meaning. They
are able to discuss meaning and application of selected Scripture. They explain some stories of
Jesus’ life and relate them to their own life. They celebrate specific sacraments. They participate
in important celebrations of the Church and in a variety of prayer forms.
The peer group becomes increasingly important and they also see fairness as a core moral
principle. They are able to relate the experience of the world’s need for healing and forgiveness
to their own lives and relationships to others. They are beginning to see God’s activity in the
healing and forgiveness in the world.
They are absorbed in collecting and organising information from a variety of sources including
electronic sources and can see the relationship between ideas and information. They are able
interpret and communicate ideas more proficiently.
Stage 3
At Stage 3, students have a deeper awareness of the wider world and its impact on their lives.
Students are beginning to base their moral judgements more on intentions than on
consequences. Peers have a significant influence on their values and judgements. They are
introduced to the concepts of ‘Kingdom of God’ and ‘stewardship’.
Students have an ability to think logically and have a sense of causality, time and space. They
have investigated the development of the Church in Australia and the current character of the
local parish community.
Students look for more serious answers to questions about Sacred Scripture and how the Bible
conveys truth. They begin to understand literary forms such as myth, legend, history, poetry,
and narrative in the Bible. They have the capacity for sequential and deductive reasoning and
are able to apply messages from Scripture.
They want to know about people, beliefs, celebrations and rules of their parish community, and
about the relationship between humans and the world. Story is a major way of identification and
appropriation through which they enter into the perspectives of others to gain meaning for life.
Students competently locate information from a variety of primary and secondary sources and
present this information in many different ways, including detailed timelines, electronic
publishing, stories, accounts and information reports.

Stage 4
Some students who have achieved Stage 4 have been introduced to the discipline of Religious
Education for the first time. They explore all of what it means to be Catholic for them as
members of the Church community. Sacraments of Initiation, core beliefs, practices and
responsibilities of Catholic discipleship are integral to this understanding.
Their faith is conformist in solidarity with beliefs and values held by significant others. The place
of the peer group is highly significant. Morally the students are more likely to judge wrongness in
terms of the motives underlying the act. They investigate the gospel values lived by Jesus and
their application to everyday life – to personal living and social conditions of the time. Students
grow in their capacity to reflect on self. Their search for identity, the need to explore ways of
relationship and to reflect on their personal commitment is supported by studies of Mary, the
prophets and saints.
They move from the more concrete thinking of late childhood to the next stage of cognitive
development. They are increasingly capable of thinking abstractly and connecting those
abstractions to reality. Some students are introduced to an understanding of literary forms such
as myth, legend, history, poetry, and narrative in the Bible. Other students deepen their
understanding of the various literary forms of the bible. Students are able to articulate different
layers of gospel stories and apply their meanings to a contemporary setting.
The natural curiosity and enthusiasm of students demands intellectually stimulating

experiences. They are capable of responding to visual and verbal imagery and symbolism.
They engage with print, film and electronic text with an informed awareness of the purpose and
structure of those texts.
Stage 5
Students who have achieved Stage 5 Religious Education have built on their knowledge of
Biblical tools and skills established in Stages 3 and 4 and have used these skills to investigate
stories of creation, portraits of Jesus in the gospels and the different contexts, purposes and
audiences of biblical writing.
The increasing cognitive abilities of these students call for more, rather than less intellectual
content in these data demanding years. Students at this stage infer, investigate similarities and
differences, and are able to respond imaginatively and critically to visual and verbal imagery
and iconography. From their responses they are able to generalise about the world, about their
own faith and about the faith of Catholics before them and Catholics around them.
Students use the emerging intellectual skills and their growing capacity for abstract thought to
explore their identity as maturing individuals in the surrounding culture. Their search for identity
continues and increases through their exploration of relationships and their personal
commitment and social obligations. They recognise the importance of the healing sacraments
for personal relationships and cohesive community life. They examine and evaluate social and
ethical issues from a Catholic perspective. They begin to engage in discussions of ecumenism
and diversity of Christianity in Australia.
Stage 6
By stage six, students are more articulate and specific about how meaning is shaped in the
world around them. They are increasingly able to draw connections across social, religious,
political and artistic fields.
Their highly developed skills of research enable them to make wide ranging comparison of
ideas, practices and explanations. Students are increasingly able to interpret the impact of
religion throughout history and on contemporary society. They can relate actions and words of
rituals to the lives and beliefs of religious people.

Students, because of their developed intellectual capacity and broader life experiences are
ready to see how scriptural themes can contribute to their philosophy of life. They recognise
how Sacred Scripture relates to their personal lives and to current social issues. They are
beginning to engage in critical reflection and begin to examine their religious beliefs and
practices and assume responsibility for their own values and lifestyles.
Students learn about Biblical scholarship and they make connections between scripture and life.
They engage in critical studies and interpretation of a variety of texts. They investigate the place
of Scripture for personal and communal prayer and are involved in experiences that nourish and
challenge their spiritual growth.
Students demonstrate a more sophisticated sense of responsibility concerning social,

environmental and ethical issues. As they grapple with the concerns of senior school and post
secondary life, students develop a stronger sense of their own potential.

11. ASSESSMENT 4
11.1 Standards
The K-12 Religious Education Syllabus is a standards-referenced syllabus that describes, with
the support of other documents, the expected learning outcomes for students.
Standards in the framework consist of two interrelated elements:

• outcomes and content in syllabuses showing what is to be learned
• descriptions of levels of achievement of that learning
Exemplar tasks and student work samples help to elaborate standards.
Syllabus outcomes in Religious Education contribute to a developmental sequence in which

students are challenged to acquire new knowledge, understanding and skills.
The standards are typically written for two years of schooling and set high, but realistic,
expectations of the quality of learning to be achieved by the end of Years 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12.
Using standards to improve learning
Teachers will be able to use standards in Religious Education as a reference point for planning
teaching and learning programs, and for assessing and reporting student progress. Standards
in Religious Education will help teachers and students to set targets, monitor achievement, and,
as a result, make changes to programs and strategies to support and improve each student’s
progress.
11.2 Assessment for Learning
Assessment for learning in Religious Education is designed to enhance teaching and improve
learning. It is assessment that gives students opportunities to produce the work that leads to
development of their knowledge, understanding and skills. Assessment for learning involves
teachers in deciding how and when to assess student achievement, as they plan the work
students will do, using a range of appropriate assessment strategies including self-assessment
and peer assessment.
Teachers of Religious Education will provide students with opportunities in the context of
everyday classroom activities, as well as planned assessment events, to demonstrate their
learning.
In summary, assessment for learning:

• is an essential and integrated part of teaching and learning
• reflects a belief that all students can improve
• involves setting learning goals with students
• helps students know and recognise the standards they are aiming for
• involves students in self-assessment and peer assessment
• provides feedback that helps students understand the next steps in learning and plan how to
achieve them
• involves teachers, students and parents reflecting on assessment data.
4

Quality Assessment Practices
The following Assessment for Learning Principles provide the criteria for judging the quality of
assessment materials and practices.
Assessment for learning:
• Emphasises the interactions between learning and manageable assessment strategies

that promote learning
In practice, this means:

- teachers reflect on the purposes of assessment and on their assessment strategies
- assessment activities allow for demonstration of learning outcomes
- assessment is embedded in learning activities and informs the planning of future learning
activities
- teachers use assessment to identify what a student can already do.
• Clearly expresses for the student and teacher the goals of the learning activity

- students understand the learning goals and the criteria that will be applied to judge the
quality of their achievement
- students receive feedback that helps them make further progress.
• Reflects a view of learning in which assessment helps students learn better, rather
than just achieve a better mark

- teachers use tasks that assess, and therefore encourage, deeper learning
- feedback is given in a way that motivates the learner and helps students to understand
that mistakes are a part of learning and can lead to improvement
- assessment is an integral component of the teaching-learning process rather than being a
separate activity.
• Provides ways for students to use feedback from assessment

- feedback is directed to the achievement of standards and away from comparisons with
peers
- feedback is clear and constructive about strengths and weaknesses
- feedback is individualised and linked to opportunities for improvement.
• Helps students take responsibility for their own learning

- assessment includes strategies for self-assessment and peer assessment emphasising
the next steps needed for further learning.
• Is inclusive of all learners

- assessment against standards provides opportunities for all learners to achieve their best
- assessment activities are free of bias.

Making judgements about student achievement
Assessment for learning involves teachers using evidence collected in a range of contexts to
make on-balance professional judgements of the achievements and progress of students.
These can then be used for reporting at key points to different audiences in relation to the
intended learning outcomes.
The Catholic Schools Office will produce a range of annotated work samples and associated
model assessment tasks to assist teachers to make judgements about student achievement.
11.3 Reporting 5
Reporting is the process of providing feedback to students, parents and other teachers about
students’ progress.
Descriptions of levels of achievement will provide a common language for reporting. This can
make it easier for students, parents and teachers to understand how a student is progressing
and to set expectations for the next steps in learning.
Levels of achievement will be set in consultation with teachers.
11.4 Choosing Assessment Strategies 6
Assessment strategies in Religious Education allow students to demonstrate the level of their
knowledge of the subject content, their understanding of Catholicism as a religious system, the
interconnections between belief and practice, and their developing awareness of the
contemporary Catholic Church.
As students are introduced increasingly to a wide variety of assessment processes, they learn
to engage in self-assessment, peer assessment and collaborative assessment using techniques
including observation, conferencing and assessment against standards or specific criteria.
Assessment tasks become increasingly more challenging and allow for students to develop
interdependence and skills of reflection and evaluation associated with higher order thinking
skills.
Across all stages assessment tasks should cover a wide variety of strategies and should
provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate their proficiency in a knowledge of the
beliefs and practices of Catholicism in diverse ways. There should be a balance of in-class and
out-of-class assessment tasks.
For each assessment task teachers of Religious Education:

• decide the outcome and components to be assessed
• ensure the task type chosen will enable the outcomes to be assessed effectively
• ensure the task allows each student to demonstrate his or her level of achievement
• check that:
- the task is valid and reliable
- the instructions are clear
- the language level is appropriate
- the task is the right length
- the level of difficulty is appropriate
- the task is free from bias
5
6

• develop a set of criteria for judging and appropriately rewarding the quality of performance.
Criteria for judging performance reflect the nature and intention of the task and will be
expressed in terms of the knowledge and skills demanded by the task. The wording of
outcomes and the descriptions of levels of achievement can help with developing criteria for
judging performance.
• share their expectations in relation to the criteria for judging the quality of performance with
students
• ensure their classroom practices are consistent with school and Diocesan policies.
In planning for assessment teachers of Religious Education need to consider how results will be
recorded, with a view to ensuring that there is sufficient and appropriate information collected
for making an on-balance holistic judgement of the standard achieved by the student by the end
of the stage.
Teachers use the collected information for planning the next steps in learning and for providing
feedback to students. Feedback in this context can be viewed as an indication of what students
should be aiming for, the standard against which students can compare their own work.
Students are thus involved in decisions about their own learning and are able to reflect on their
own learning.
The evidence collected should enable teachers of Religious Education to make consistent
judgements to meet the various reporting requirements that the system, school and community
may have. Consistency of teacher judgement relies on a shared framework for describing
student learning outcomes, a shared understanding of what those learning outcomes mean and
a shared understanding of what student performance looks like at each stage and level of
achievement. It involves adhering to the same principles or standards to form an opinion,
estimate or conclusion based on evidence.
Consistency occurs when a teacher’s judgement accords with:

• those previously made for the individual student
• those made for all other students in a range of contexts
• those judgements made by other teachers for all students within a class, across classes and
throughout the system.
Assessment tasks in Religious Education will include tasks with a specified time limit and tasks
to be accomplished over a longer period. They include:
• impromptu conversations/role-plays
• prepared oral presentations
• written or spoken, short or extended responses, including presenting points of view
• listening and responding tasks, for example, responses to taped interviews, television
programs, conversations, songs
• reading and responding tasks, eg responses to letters, advertisements, cartoons, articles
• writing for a specific context, purpose and audience
• evaluating written and spoken texts to identify points of view
• research tasks using information drawn from library, internet, databases and spreadsheets
• planning and participating in liturgical celebrations
• planning and initiating school and community projects
• reflective tasks, for example, completing a written text and self-assessing the text

• extended research and presentation (for example, development of multimedia texts and
presentations)
• reading tasks requiring skimming, scanning or close reading
• drafts and completed versions of written texts or representations
• editing texts to remove errors, improve style, shorten, lengthen, or adjust for a different
purpose, audience and context.
• self-assessment of the achievement of outcomes during a series of tasks (for example, peer
evaluation of performance for particular audiences)

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Biblical References are taken from the New Jerusalem Bible, Darton, Longman and Todd, London 1985

Produced and published by:

Director of Schools: Br Tony Whelan cfc

Head of Mission Services: John McGrath

K-12 Project Officer: Chris Comerford

K-6 Project Associate: Luanna Fletcher

Taskforce: Tanya Armstrong, Marcia Charles, Chris Comerford, Luanna Fletcher,

Layout and design: Karen Stephenson, Marjorie Blakeley

Nihil Obstat: Richard Lennan, DrTheol, MPhil, STB, BA (Hons)

Imprimatur: Bishop David Walker, DD MTh (Lond)

First published November 2004

© Diocese of Broken Bay 2004

Dear Teachers, Parents and Priests,

Catholic schools in the Diocese of Broken Bay exist to educate

Being Catholic is a personal and communal response to the love

Systematic, coherent and co-ordinated Religious Education is

This curriculum recognises that learning in Religious Education is

I pay tribute to all those engaged in the complex and challenging

I authorise this Curriculum and direct that it be used as the source

Yours sincerely in Christ,

It is with great pride that I introduce the first K-12 Religious

The curriculum is grounded in its Foundations, a statement of

The Syllabus provides the essential components of knowledge,

The Religious Education curriculum promotes the Catholic

Another distinctive feature of the new curriculum is the concept

Br Tony Whelan cfc

Diocese of Broken Bay K-12 Religious Education Curriculum page 7

The Curriculum in Context

page 8 Diocese of Broken Bay K-12 Religious Education Curriculum

Components of the K –12 Religious Education Curriculum

Diocese of Broken Bay K-12 Religious Education Curriculum page 9

Places Religious Education in its wider ecclesial,

Specifies the requirements for Classroom

Resource packages assisting teachers in the

The sequence of modules within each stage will

page 10 Diocese of Broken Bay K-12 Religious Education Curriculum

The Meaning of Catholic Discipleship

The Church and Discipleship

Offering Students Experiences of Catholic Discipleship

Diocese of Broken Bay K-12 Religious Education Curriculum page 11

page 12 Diocese of Broken Bay K-12 Religious Education Curriculum

‘The Catholic school participates in the evangelising mission of the Church

This mission of evangelisation belongs to all members

The place of the Catholic school in the mission of evangelisation

Diocese of Broken Bay K-12 Religious Education Curriculum page 13

The role of parents in education is of such importance that it is almost impossible to

page 14 Diocese of Broken Bay K-12 Religious Education Curriculum

Diocese of Broken Bay K-12 Religious Education Curriculum page 15

3.3 The Purpose and Character of the Catholic School

Catholic schools exist as places of education in their own

The Catholic school has the particular task of offering quality

Such a worldview is not merely articulated or delivered as a slogan:

In a school where such a Catholic worldview operates Religious Education is multi-dimensional:

page 16 Diocese of Broken Bay K-12 Religious Education Curriculum

3.4.1 Catholic Religious Education

• encouraging the gospel values of love, compassion,

Diocese of Broken Bay K-12 Religious Education Curriculum page 17

3.4.2 Classroom Religious Education

Similarly, as in other Key Learning Areas, it is the Distinct yet Complementary