Religious Education

Our vision for religious education

Our mission and Catholic faith shape how children learn, pray, serve and reflect. We teach RE through Discerning Disciples, helping pupils encounter Scripture and Catholic tradition, discuss their questions and understand how faith informs action.

What children learn

The same six branches appear across Reception and the primary years, with age-appropriate knowledge and increasing depth. Year A is current; Year B continues the sequence in 2027–28.

Autumn	Spring	Summer
Creation and Covenant; Prophecy and Promise	Galilee to Jerusalem; Desert to Garden	To the Ends of the Earth; Dialogue and Encounter

The Year 3 outline connects Prophecy and Promise with First Reconciliation and To the Ends of the Earth with First Holy Communion. The Year 6 outline connects Galilee to Jerusalem with Confirmation. The two-year long-term outlines show how branches fit alongside virtues and Catholic Social Teaching.

Essential Knowledge and progression

Children build their knowledge of Scripture, the life of Jesus, the Church, prayer, sacraments and Catholic teaching. They learn to listen, explain ideas and respond thoughtfully. Each branch is revisited with new knowledge as children grow.

A learning journey: A younger child may recognise that God creates and cares for the world and respond through talk, image or prayer. Later, children revisit Creation and Covenant through more demanding Scripture and make connections with responsibility, relationships and covenant. By upper KS2 they can discuss more complex questions, explain beliefs using religious vocabulary and consider how Catholic teaching informs choices. Across the year, the six branches revisit and deepen knowledge rather than simply repeat the same activities. Preparation for the sacraments builds on this wider RE learning, while its specific steps are explained on separate pages.

How we teach it

Lessons use Scripture, discussion, reflection, appropriate resources and opportunities to connect faith with life. School prayer and liturgy offer a wider context for learning in RE.

DISCERN in this subject: When exploring a Scripture passage, children recall earlier teaching in Dialogue, hear the new Essential Knowledge clearly, use text and vocabulary support, then discuss meaning together. Questions Evaluate Understanding before each child records a response through talk, art or writing. Next Steps return to the passage and connect it with the next branch or a lived example.

How all children take part

Teachers introduce key vocabulary, make texts accessible and allow children to respond through talk and other suitable forms. We welcome children of all faiths and none while teaching the Catholic character of the school clearly.

How we check learning

Teachers listen to children’s explanations, review their responses and work, and revisit essential knowledge to find out what has been understood and what needs more teaching.

When reviewing RE work, staff look for evidence of the identified essential RE knowledge within Discerning Disciples. Feedback remains focused on religious understanding even when spelling or punctuation also needs attention. Discussion, written responses and appropriate practical or oral evidence help teachers decide what to revisit.

Beyond the classroom

Mass, prayer and liturgy, links with the parish, service and Catholic Social Teaching help children connect classroom learning to the life of the school. Sacramental preparation information for Catholic pupils is available separately.