Kodesh Curriculum Statement

Intent

Our Religious Education (Kodesh) curriculum has been specifically tailored to meet the unique context of our school. It is designed to be broad and balanced, providing all pupils with the opportunity to master their learning and deepen the knowledge, making sense and giving purpose as to why we learn about Religion, which will help them change and transform our society, putting their faith into action.

As a Jewish school we are deeply committed to developing children’s faith. Our shared vision is made real as we put our mission into practice and our deep commitment to preparing children for modern life in Britain and the wider world, with a clear and moral purpose. We challenge them to become resilient, confident and independent learners. We develop children’s knowledge of other faiths and world religions respecting alternative viewpoints.

We recognise that the social, moral, spiritual and cultural diversity of our city and our local respective communities are a vital resource to be investigated, to encourage curiosity, tolerance and respect and to inspire pupils to understand how life in modern Britain and the wider world is continually changing  around them.

We aim to build high levels of competence in the subject specific skills of:

• Knowledge and understanding

• Engagement and response

• Analysis and evaluation

Implementation

The Kodesh  Education of our pupils is at the core of what we do at BJPS. The staffing and resourcing devoted to Kodesh is of the highest standard, reflecting its significance and importance in our school.

Accuracy and Fluency in Hebrew reading is tracked across the school with consistently high standards achieved.

Our pupils are inspired by exceptional teaching and consistently high expectations across the school through our bespoke curriculum. They are challenged throughout the curriculum, to engage with the ‘Big questions’ of the purpose and meaning of life as created and sustained by God. This allows for religious literacy to be developed to a very high level for all our pupils.

Each phase uses age related expectations to assess each child knowledge and understanding in Chumash (bible studies). A curriculum coverage file is kept for each cohort. This enables both class teachers and the subject leader to monitor coverage and identify progress made throughout the lifetime of a cohort in the school.

Our pupils, as part of their curriculum for life, are actively encouraged and supported in being pro-active citizens who participate in building a community and in appropriate decision making processes, at school, local, national and global level. A high priority is given to the appropriate formation of pupils in their understanding of, involvement in, and service to the common good.

Curriculum Impact

As a result of these strategies, most children:

• are well prepared for the next stage of their education as confident and enthusiastic learners who are promote Orthodox Judaism  in their words and actions.

• are happy, well-rounded individuals who can articulate how their Catholic education has impacted on their beliefs and values.

• produce good quality work across Kodesh , which they are proud of.

• achieve consistently well in all areas of Kodesh education.

• develop detailed knowledge and skills across a range of curriculum areas.

• show compassion, justice, love and forgiveness in their relationships with others.