Greenwich Public School

Partnership and Opportunity, Excellence and Success

Telephone02 9436 3217

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

Religion and ethics

Greenwich Public School provides SRE or SEE in the following options:

Special Religious Education (SRE): Combined Christian SRE

Christian SRE is provided by SRE teachers from different Christian denominations and churches. The approved provider in this combined arrangement is the local parish St Giles Anglican.  All Christian SRE teachers are authorised and trained by an approved provider.

The Christian SRE curriculum is authorised by the Archibishop of the Anglican Diocese of Sydney. The curriculum is based on Good News about Jesus Christ and learning the key elements of our Christian life and culture and can be found at https://cepconnect.com.au/curriculum Christian SRE engages students in conversations as they question life, explore values and discover faith.

Special Religious Education (SRE): Catholic SRE

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 https://ccd.sydneycatholic.org/publications/curriculum-resources/

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

In Protestant SRE, children are introduced to the truths of the Bible through age-appropriate use of music, drama, video, reading and writing, puzzle solving, drawing and discussion. Students in our classes are encouraged to explore the deeper questions of the nature of mankind, the character of God and our relationship with God as well as the moral implications of how we should live. All our teachers are Christians who are authorised by the Anglican church in Sydney and are required to complete their accreditation training prior to commencing SRE teaching. Our authorised teaching curriculum is called Connect which has been designed for use in Australian schools. If you have any more questions or you would like to see the curriculum, please go to why SRE?

BJE provides a structured curriculum for students in Jewish ‘Scripture’ classes. Students are encouraged to feel positive about being Jewish and to identify with the Jewish community. They learn about Jewish holidays, values, synagogue basics, and Israel. Older children also explore ethical aspects of Judaism and explore some areas of Jewish history. Basic Jewish prayers are incorporated into each lesson. Where possible, lessons are also enriched with activities such as demonstration Sedarim for Pesach (Passover), hands-on experiences, craft activities, guest presenters and visits from Jewish youth groups.

Special Religious Education (SRE): Baha'i SRE

Baha’i SRE is provided by The Australian Baha’i Community.  More information about Baha’i SRE, including the authorised curriculum scope and sequence, please visit The Australian Baha'i Community website

Special Education in Ethics (SEE)

SEE classes support children to develop a life-long capacity for making well-reasoned decisions about ethical issues. Through balanced argument students learn to disagree respectfully, to challenge ideas and to support their arguments with considered evidence. Our volunteer SEE teachers use lesson materials which present a range of stories, scenarios and questions to generate discussion. SEE teachers are trained to impartially facilitate student discussions, helping students develop their critical thinking and collaborative inquiry skills. SEE teachers support student learning by: 

  • showing genuine curiosity and interest in the questions being discussed 
  • staying neutral
  • creating space for students to think, share ideas, give reasons and ensuring

SEE is provided by Primary Ethics. You can find out more information about the program from the Primary Ethics website.

During the time that SRE/SEE classes are being held, students not attending will be located in a separate space and will participate in meaningful activities like reading or drawing 

Bites - online ethics

Ethics lessons aren't able to be taught in school at the moment - but there is an online alternative based on the Primary Ethics curriculum.

Bites are short stories that present ethical dilemmas designed to get children practising their skills of close listening and careful reasoning.

There are Bites for K-2 and for Y3-6. They come with notes for parents/carers and are available to all children.

A completely new series of Bites for Term 4 is now available: https://primaryethics.com.au/education/

Write to the school if you wish to withdraw your child from special religious education, sometimes known as scripture.