The Religious Education Curriculum

To fulfil our aims we use ‘Come and See’ programme of Religious Education as recommended by the Diocese of Northampton.  This programme encourages the development of skills to explore, investigate, interpret and communicate.  In addition to this the Christian ethos is created by the example set by all adults in the community.  This ethos permeates all aspects of the school and provides a model for the children to follow.

‘Come and See’ is developed through three themes which are gradually explored year on year at greater depth.  These themes are Church, Sacrament and Christian Living.

Each year there are nine topics, three topics are taught each term.

The process for delivering the topics in ‘Come and See’ has three stages, ‘Explore’, ‘Reveal’ and ‘Respond’:

Explore

‘Explore’ is the introduction to the topic where the children’s life experience is explored.  The questions it raises are wondered at, shared, investigated and their significance reflected upon.

Reveal

‘Reveal’ is the heart of the programme where knowledge and understanding of the Catholic faith is revealed through the Word, in Scripture, tradition, doctrine, prayers, rites and Christian Living.

Respond

‘Respond’ is where the learning is assimilated, celebrated and responded to in daily life.

Other faiths

During the Autumn term every class participates in a Judaism week.  Every Summer term the children spend one week learning about Hinduism.

Religious Education Directory

Revisions to the RE Curriculum

A new Religious Education Directory (RED) agreed by the Bishops of England and Wales was published in 2023.  This, of course, will have implications for RE teaching in schools.  For primary schools the expectation is that this will be implemented by September 2026.  The new curriculum is called "To know you more clearly".

Knowing Jesus more clearly is the main aim of the new curriculum.  To know you more clearly programme ways of knowing:

Each term the children will follow a programme of study called "a branch".  Completing 6 branches within the school year.

The six branches are:

1. Creation and Covenant
2. Prophecy and Promise
3. From Galilee to Jerusalem
4. From Desert to Garden
5. To the ends of the earth
6. Dialogue and Encounter

Each branch follows these lenses:

• Hear
• Believe
• Celebrate
• Live

At the end of each branch and lenses the children will:

• Understand
• Discern
• Respond