At St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, Religious Education is at the heart of our curriculum and the life of our school. We follow Discerning Disciples, a curriculum approach designed to support the delivery of the Catholic Church’s Religious Education Directory (RED), To Know You More Clearly.

The Religious Education Directory provides the framework for Catholic Religious Education from Early Years onwards. Discerning Disciples supports schools in translating this framework into a coherent and progressive curriculum, enabling children to develop increasing knowledge and understanding of Scripture, Catholic belief, worship, prayer, tradition and lived faith.

Across primary school, learning is structured through the six RED branches:

Creation and Covenant • Prophecy and Promise • Galilee to Jerusalem • Desert to Garden • To the Ends of the Earth • Dialogue and Encounter

These provide a coherent journey through the liturgical year and the story of salvation, with knowledge revisited and deepened as children progress through school.

The aim is not simply for pupils to acquire knowledge about Catholicism. Children are encouraged to wonder, question, reflect, discern and respond, considering how faith can shape the choices we make, the way we treat others and our responsibility within the world.

At St Joseph’s, our intention is for every child to develop a rich knowledge and understanding of the Catholic faith, rooted in Scripture and the teachings and traditions of the Church.

Inspired by St Joseph and our mission, Fidelis in Servitio – Faithful in Service, we want pupils to understand that faith is something that can be encountered, explored and lived. Children learn about God's love and consider how this calls us to demonstrate love, compassion, justice, forgiveness and service towards others.

Our curriculum enables pupils to develop an increasingly secure understanding of Sacred Scripture, the life and teachings of Jesus, the Trinity, the Sacraments, prayer, liturgy and Catholic tradition. Children are encouraged to make meaningful connections between different aspects of their learning and recognise how Scripture, belief, worship and lived experience are interconnected.

We want children to become religiously literate, able to use appropriate theological vocabulary and communicate their knowledge and thinking with increasing confidence and depth.

Religious Education also provides opportunities for children to ask and consider life's bigger questions. Pupils are encouraged to wonder, enquire, reflect and respectfully discuss different interpretations and perspectives.

Through Dialogue and Encounter, children also develop knowledge and understanding of other Christian traditions, religions and worldviews. This enables pupils to recognise similarities and differences while developing genuine respect for the beliefs and experiences of others.

Ultimately, our intention is to nurture discerning disciples: young people who are knowledgeable about their faith, thoughtful in their choices and increasingly able to recognise how they can put faith into action through service to others.

Religious Education is taught systematically and progressively through Discerning Disciples, in accordance with the expectations and structure of the Religious Education Directory.

Learning follows the six curriculum branches:

Creation and Covenant explores creation, God's relationship with humanity and the covenants found throughout Scripture.

Prophecy and Promise considers the prophets, God's promises and the expectation and celebration of the coming of Christ.

Galilee to Jerusalem focuses upon the life, ministry, teachings and actions of Jesus and what these reveal about who he is.

Desert to Garden explores Lent, Holy Week and Easter, helping pupils understand the significance of Jesus' suffering, death and Resurrection.

To the Ends of the Earth develops understanding of the Resurrection, Pentecost, the Holy Spirit and the mission of the Church.

Dialogue and Encounter provides opportunities to encounter other Christian traditions, religions and worldviews and to develop respectful dialogue and understanding.

Across these branches, knowledge is carefully sequenced and progressively deepened. Children revisit important concepts, Scripture and vocabulary at increasing levels of complexity as they move through school.

Teaching provides opportunities to hear and explore Scripture, investigate Catholic belief and teaching, use theological vocabulary, ask questions, discuss ideas and make connections between faith and life.

Children are encouraged not simply to recall information but to think deeply about what they have learned. Teachers use questioning and discussion to enable pupils to explain, reason, make connections and consider the significance of religious beliefs.

Prayer and liturgy are integral to the wider Catholic life of St Joseph’s. Children regularly participate in Mass, Collective Worship, class prayer, hymn practice and celebrations of the liturgical year, enabling them to experience the relationship between what they learn within Religious Education and the worshipping life of the Church.

Our learning is also connected to Catholic Social Teaching, helping children recognise that Catholic faith calls us to action. Themes such as human dignity, solidarity, the common good, care for creation, peace and preferential care for those who are vulnerable enable pupils to consider how they can live faithfully through their relationships and actions.

Teaching is inclusive and appropriately adapted so that every child can participate meaningfully in Religious Education, including pupils with SEND and pupils who do not come from a Catholic background. All children are welcomed into respectful exploration and dialogue while maintaining the distinctly Catholic nature of the curriculum.

By the end of their time at St Joseph’s, pupils will have developed a secure and increasingly connected knowledge of Catholic faith, Scripture and tradition.

Children will be able to recall important Scripture, recognise connections across the story of salvation and explain key Catholic beliefs using increasingly accurate theological vocabulary.

They will understand important aspects of the life and teachings of Jesus, the Sacraments, prayer, worship, the liturgical year and the mission of the Church, recognising connections between what Catholics believe and how those beliefs are expressed and lived.

Pupils will be confident in asking thoughtful questions, discussing religious ideas and explaining their thinking. They will recognise that some religious questions invite reflection and interpretation and will listen respectfully to the perspectives of others.

Through Dialogue and Encounter, children will develop appropriate knowledge of other Christian traditions, religions and world-views and demonstrate respect, curiosity and sensitivity towards people whose beliefs and experiences may differ from their own.

The impact of Religious Education will also be visible beyond children's books and lessons. Pupils will increasingly understand the connection between faith and action, recognising opportunities to demonstrate compassion, forgiveness, justice, stewardship and service within their school, local community and wider world.

Ultimately, we want children to leave St Joseph’s as knowledgeable, reflective and compassionate young people who understand the Catholic faith they have encountered and recognise their own capacity to make a positive difference.

Inspired by St Joseph, they will understand that discipleship is demonstrated not only through words, but through how we choose to live and serve:

Fidelis in Servitio – Faithful in Service.