Journey in Love
RSE - A Journey in Love
‘Growing Together in Faith, Love & Learning’
At St Bernadette’s Catholic Primary School we recognise that as parents you are the first educators of your children, and in doing so have primary responsibility in teaching your children how to build healthy, loving relationships. Our catholic school also plays a vital part in supporting you in doing this.
The Governors of St Bernadette’s have adopted the 'Journey in Love' programme to support Relationships and Sex Education throughout the school (Reception to Year 6)as one part of our RSHE curriculum offer alongside HeartSmart.
The programme is authentic to the teachings of the Catholic Church.
Journey of Life
For each of us, life is like a journey
Birth is the beginning of this journey,
And death is not the end; but the destination.
It is a journey that takes us
From youth to age,
From innocence to awareness,
From ignorance to knowledge,
From foolishness to wisdom,
From weakness to strength and often back again,
From offence to forgiveness
From pain to compassion,
From fear to faith,
From defeat to victory and from victory to defeat,
Until, looking backward or ahead,
We see that victory does not lie
At some high point along the way,
But in having made the journey,
Stage by stage.
Adapted from an Old Hebrew Prayer
‘Love is an art to be learned.
It is a giving experience, a selfless act.
Every experience of love gives us yet another glimpse of the meaning of love in God himself.
Human love is the instrument we can use to explore the mystery of love which God is’
Cardinal Basil Hume
A Journey In Love is a resources created by Sister Jude Groden of BRES. It is the recommended programme of study for Catholic schools for Sex and Relationship Education, and has been written as a progressive scheme of work that supports the Religious Education, PSHE and Science curricula taught within the school.
As children progress through the school, they discover more and more about themselves and the wider world. The thirst for learning new things is fostered by the school, as we create a safe and stimulating environment for learning and supporting all children in their development.
A Journey in Love supports children in growing and developing healthy and holistically towards an understanding of their gender and its implications for successful relationships, for this is happen children must be at ease with themselves and grow in self-knowledge.
Throughout ‘A Journey In Love’ an aspect of the mystery of love is focussed upon in each group, children and young people are encouraged to marvel at the wonder and beauty of God’s creative love. This is reflected in each stage of a person’s growth in the Primary Years through a series of suggested, progressive and developmental tasks, activities and reflections which focus on physical, social, emotional, intellectual and spiritual development.
As with all aspects of learning, children are naturally curious and many will have questions related to their lessons. Opportunities to discuss questions form part of the lessons and again these are treated with care and understanding.
Below, is a brief outline of the content of the programme:
Reception: God loves each of us in our uniqueness
Y1: We meet God’s love in our family
Y2: We meet God’s love in the community
Y3: How we live in love
Y4: God loves us in our differences
Y5: God loves me in my changing and development
Y6: The wonder of God’s love in creating new life
Please click on the links for our policy, summary overview and a guide for parents.
