Religious Education is at the heart of our curriculum at St Robert Southwell. As a Catholic school, we recognise RE as the “core of the core curriculum” and ensure that it receives the same high expectations, careful planning and importance as other core subjects.
Religious Education helps our children live our mission to:
LOVE LEARN SERVE MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Through Scripture, Catholic teaching, prayer and reflection, children discover that faith is not simply something we learn about; it influences how we treat others, how we use our God-given gifts and how we respond to the needs of our local and global community.
In accordance with the requirements of the Catholic Church and the Diocese of Arundel & Brighton, at least 10% of curriculum teaching time is dedicated to Religious Education. The Diocesan Directives require Catholic schools to give RE no less than parity with other core subjects and to devote at least 10% of taught curriculum time to it.
We teach Religious Education through the Religious Education Directory – To Know You More Clearly, using the Diocese of Arundel & Brighton’s Day by Day resources to support teaching and learning.
The Diocesan Directives identify Day by Day as the primary resource which meets the requirements of the Religious Education Directory within the Diocese.
From Early Years to Year 6, children build their knowledge and understanding through six curriculum branches:
Creation and Covenant
Prophecy and Promise
Galilee to Jerusalem
Desert to Garden
To the Ends of the Earth
Dialogue and Encounter
Learning builds progressively each year so that children revisit important ideas at increasing depth and develop a secure understanding of Scripture, Catholic belief, worship and the way Catholics are called to live.
Our curriculum is organised through four Knowledge Lenses:
Learning from Scripture and the Word of God
Understanding Catholic beliefs and teachings
Discovering how faith is expressed through prayer, liturgy and the sacraments
Discovering how faith is expressed through prayer, liturgy and the sacraments
Children also develop three Ways of Knowing:
UNDERSTAND → DISCERN → RESPOND
Discovering how faith is expressed through prayer, liturgy and the sacraments
Discovering how faith is expressed through prayer, liturgy and the sacraments
Discovering how faith is expressed through prayer, liturgy and the sacraments
Our RE curriculum is carefully sequenced so that children’s knowledge builds year by year. Key concepts, Scripture, theological vocabulary and Catholic teaching are revisited and deepened as pupils move through the school.
Teachers use children’s prior learning to plan appropriate next steps and provide opportunities for every pupil, including pupils with SEND, to successfully access and engage with Religious Education.
We have high expectations for all children and encourage them not only to remember what they have learned but also to make connections, ask thoughtful questions and think theologically.
Our children learn that the Catholic Church is part of a diverse religious and cultural world.
Through the Dialogue and Encounter branch of the Religious Education Directory, pupils learn about other Christian traditions, Judaism and other religions and worldviews. They develop knowledge, curiosity and respect while becoming confident in understanding and explaining their own Catholic faith.
Assessment is an integral part of teaching and learning in RE.
Teachers assess how successfully children can:
Understand religious knowledge and make connections;
Discern meaning, significance and evidence; and
Respond thoughtfully to what they have encountered.
Assessment helps teachers identify what children know and understand, address misconceptions and plan the next steps in learning.
Branch 1 – Creation and Covenant Knowledge Organisers EYFS to Year 6
