RE Curriculum
RE Curriculum
At St Joseph's, we participate in the Church’s universal educational mission to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. All staff ensure that Religious Education is at the heart of our curriculum and aim to create religiously literate and engaged young people who have the knowledge, understanding, and skills – appropriate to their age and ability – to reflect spiritually, and think ethically and theologically, and who recognise the demands of religious commitment in everyday life (RED 2023).
To fulfil our Religious Education aims and objectives, Years 4-6 currently use the ‘Come and See’ programme of Religious Education, whereas EYFS, Year 1-3 currently follow the new 'To Know You More Clearly' Religious Education Directory (RED). This programme is currently optional but will be compulsory for all year groups from September 2026. We have chosen to start the programme as it is rolled out by the Archdiocese of Liverpool for each year group. Both of these programmes are recommended by the Archdiocese.
'To Know You More Clearly' Religious Education Curriculum
Our new programme of study, To Know You More Clearly, has been approved by the Bishops’ Conference for the various age groups within our school. This framework will be progressively rolled out across our school and will replace the Come and See programme by 2026.
The ‘To Know You More Clearly’ Programme
Branches and Lenses
There are six branches in ‘To know You More Clearly’ – one per half term. The branches are:
- Creation and Covenant
- Prophecy and Promise
- From Galilee to Jerusalem
- From Desert to Garden
- To the Ends of the Earth
- Dialogue and Encounter
Each branch is looked through four lenses:
- Hear
- Believe
- Celebrate
- Live
Throughout each branch, the children will:
- Understand - See: What will I see and hear to help me understand?
- Discern - Judge: How will I discover more?
- Respond - Act: What can I do now?
'Come and See'
This programme is developed through three themes: Church, Sacrament, Christian living.
There are three Church themes throughout the year and each theme gradually builds on the understanding of the previous theme. In the Autumn term, we begin with looking at the Domestic Church. In the Spring term, we explore the theme of the Local Church, looking at the parish and the diocese. In the Summer term, we focus on Universal Church which is when we explore the worldwide community.
There are three Sacrament themes throughout the year and each theme gradually builds on the understanding of the previous theme. In the Autumn term, we focus on ‘belonging’. At KS2, the children learn about the Sacrament of Confirmation. Older KS2 children also explore the Sacraments of Ordination and Marriage. In the Spring term, we explore the Eucharist. In the Summer term, we explore the sacrament of Reconciliation. At Upper KS2, children also learn about the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick.
There are three Christian living themes and each theme gradually builds on the understanding of the previous theme. In the Autumn term, we explore Advent/Christmas. In this spring term, Lent and Easter are explored. In the Summer term, the study of the Ascension and Pentecost completes the Easter story. Each theme is explored through a different topic in each year group.
