Gordon West Public School

Learn and Advance

Telephone02 9498 4644

Emailgordonwest-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au

Religion and ethics

NSW public schools offer special religious education and special education in ethics, delivered by approved providers wherever available.

During enrolment, you can choose a special religious education option for your child from the school’s available approved providers. You can withdraw your child from special religious education by selecting alternative meaningful activities, or special education in ethics if it’s available.

You can update your preference by writing to the school or through the online form available at participating schools.
 
Visit the department’s website for more information about religion and ethics. 

At Gordon West Public School, Special Religious Education (SRE) and Special Education in Ethics (SEE) are delivered on Wednesdays between 12.25pm and 1.00pm.  On enrolment parents/carers are given SRE and SEE participation forms to complete and return.  After the initial enrolment, notification of changes to a child's enrolment in SRE/SEE should be given in writing to the school office.

Christian SRE is education in Christian beliefs and practices for children of families from various Christian denominations and churches.. The curriculum explores the good news about Jesus Christ found in the Bible and the depth of God’s love for people. Each lesson has been developed to be taught in an age-appropriate manner.  Lessons include activities which make the lessons fun and inclusive for children and young people, and also give them the opportunity to critically explore and deepen their faith, pray, and reflect.

Research has shown that SRE contributes to students’ holistic education as it nurtures their spiritual wellbeing.

The following Scripture classes are provided

·         Combined Christian SRE: Anglican /Uniting

·         Catholic 

-         Islam

Ethics classes are offered too. Students who select not to attend scripture or ethics join a non-scripture group.

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Combined Christian SRE: Anglican/Uniting

Our school offers Combined Christian special religious education with providers from St. Matthew’s Anglican Church West Pymble and Gordon-Pymble Uniting Church.  The accredited teachers use the authorised curriculum of the Sydney Anglican Diocese and Uniting Church NSW/ACT which can be found at the following websites:

https://whysre.com.au/sre-curriculum/cep-curriculum-overview/

www.godspace.org.au

The teachers deliver combined SRE with students from a number of denominations being taught as one class.

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Catholic

Catholic SRE teachers (also known as Catechists) are authorised by the local parish and trained by the Diocese of the Catholic Church.

The Catholic SRE curriculum is approved by the Bishop of the Diocese in liaison with religious education experts. Lessons include activities that are fun and inclusive for students, whilst also providing them the opportunity to critically explore in depth their faith and to pray and reflect. For more information about the Catholic SRE curriculum go to the following link to the Catholic Diocese of Broken Bay's Curriculum Walking with Jesus:

https://www.bbcatholic.org.au/parish-community/ministries/ccd/curriculum

Catholic SRE teachers engage young people in hearing the Good News about Jesus Christ and learning the key elements of our Christian life and culture

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Islam

Islam scripture is also offered by the Islamic Council of NSW. The curriculum can be viewed on the following link:

Scope (Kindy – Year 6) – ISRE – Islamic Special Religious Education

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Special Education in Ethics (SEE)

SEE is provided by Primary Ethics.  For more information about SEE, including the authorised curriculum scope and sequence, please visit the Primary Ethics website.

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During the time that SRE/SEE classes are being held, students not attending are located in a separate space and participate in meaningful activities including reading and private study.