Religious Education
Religious Education Directory
In line with Bishops’ Conference, we are working to implement the new Religious Education Directory, ‘to know you more clearly’. We are working with other Trust and Diocesan schools to ensure an effective and successful implementation, following a carefully constructed timeline of implementation designed by a working party of professionals from across the Diocese of East Anglia.
Timeline for each year group:
Year group |
Diocesan training |
Implementation |
EYFS |
Summer term 2023 |
Autumn term 2023 |
Year One |
Autumn term 2023 |
Spring term 2024 |
Year Two |
Autumn term 2023 |
Spring term 2024 |
Year Three |
Spring term 2024 |
Summer term 2024 |
Year Four |
Spring term 2024 |
Summer term 2024 |
Year Five |
Summer term 2024 |
Autumn term 2024 |
Year Six |
Summer term 2024 |
Autumn term 2024 |
All primary schools should be fully implementing the new Religious Education Directory by September 2026, as directed by the Bishops’ Conference. The timeline to which we are working fully complies with this.
The Religious Education Directory consists of six branches, across each year group to allow children to discover, develop and deepen their understanding as they move through the school. These are:
Autumn 1 |
Branch 1: Creation and Covenant |
Autumn 2 |
Branch 2: Prophecy and Promise |
Spring 1 |
Branch 3: Galilee to Jerusalem |
Spring 2 |
Branch 4: Desert to Garden |
Summer 1 |
Branch 5: To the Ends of the Earth |
Summer 2 |
Branch 6: Dialogue and Encounter |
RE Curriculum Intent
Through our RE teaching, our intention is to teach all pupils about God’s great love for everyone and the world he created; to develop an understanding of, and ability to reflect on, the ‘Good News’ of Jesus and the beliefs, values, and teachings of the Catholic faith; to become knowledgeable about and show a growing awareness and respect for other faiths and cultures.
RE Curriculum Implementation
The school follows the Diocesan Primary Religious Education Curriculum which incorporates all aspects of the ‘Curriculum Directory for Catholic Schools’. The scheme provides opportunities for the children to learn about the beliefs, traditions, and teachings of the Catholic Church and about the celebration and ritual of worship. They investigate how faith is reflected in the social practices and moral decisions of life. They learn to talk about their own experiences and feelings and to respect those of others. They are encouraged to engage with questions of meaning and purpose, questions that are sometimes difficult to answer. Judgements on the impact of the RE curriculum on pupils are based upon evidence from half-termly subject ‘Deep Dives’ conducted jointly by the RE subject leader and a member of SLT, regular ‘drop-in’ lesson observations and outcomes of pupil assessments. ‘Deep Dives’ involve a discussion with the subject leader about their subject organisation, provision, delivery, and vision as well as a book scrutiny. ‘Drop-in’ lesson observations follow a schedule and occur regularly: with prompt staff feed-back focused on strengths and areas for development. Pupils are assessed at the end of each RE teaching unit: with teachers making judgements for each pupil against ‘I can statements’- working towards, expected, and greater depth. At the end of each term, teachers make an overall standard judgement for each pupil.
RE Curriculum Impact
Moreover, the impact of the RE curriculum is evidenced in the behaviours and attitudes that can be seen every day in all learners in the classroom, on the playground, and around the school. The impact is seen in the daily interaction of all members of our school community.