At St Thomas of Canterbury, Religious Education (RE) helps children to develop knowledge and understanding of the Catholic faith, to explore the meaning and significance of Scripture and Tradition, and to reflect on how faith can shape the way we live our lives. RE also gives children opportunities to ask thoughtful questions, consider different viewpoints and develop respect and understanding for people of different faiths and beliefs.
Our Religious Education curriculum follows the national Catholic Religious Education Directory, To Know You More Clearly. This provides a clear and progressive framework for what children should know, understand and be able to do as they move through our school.
To Know You More Clearly provides the foundation for our RE curriculum from the Early Years through to Year 6. It sets out the knowledge and understanding that children should develop as they progress through school, while allowing teachers to choose engaging activities, Scripture, artwork, music, prayer and discussion to help children explore each area.
The curriculum is organised through Knowledge Lenses, Ways of Knowing and Branches, which work together to develop children’s religious knowledge and understanding.
The Knowledge Lenses help children to explore religious education from different perspectives. They encourage children to look closely at what they are learning and to make connections between hear, believe, celebrate and live.
Through these lenses, children learn not only what Catholics believe, but also how beliefs are expressed through Scripture, prayer, worship, Sacraments, traditions and everyday life.
Children develop their understanding through three complementary Ways of Knowing:
Hear – encountering Scripture, the teachings of the Church and the experiences of others.
Believe – developing knowledge and understanding of Catholic beliefs and teachings.
Live – considering how faith is expressed through prayer, worship, relationships, choices and actions.
These ways of knowing help children to move beyond simply remembering facts. They encourage them to think deeply, make connections and consider how religious beliefs influence the lives of individuals and communities.
The curriculum is organised into six branches, which provide a progressive journey through the Catholic faith:
Branch 1 – Creation and Covenant
Children explore God as Creator, the dignity of human life and our relationship with God and creation.
Branch 2 – Prophecy and Promise
Children explore the prophets, God's promises and the coming of Jesus.
Branch 3 – Galilee to Jerusalem
Children learn about the life, teachings, ministry, death and Resurrection of Jesus.
Branch 4 – Desert to Garden
Children explore the Paschal Mystery, including Jesus' Passion, death and Resurrection, and the meaning of Easter.
Branch 5 – To the Ends of the Earth
Children learn about the Holy Spirit, the early Church and the mission of the Church throughout the world.
Branch 6 – Dialogue and Encounter
Children develop their understanding of other Christian traditions, religions and worldviews, learning about the beliefs and practices of others with respect and openness.
The branches are revisited and developed throughout the children's time at St Thomas of Canterbury, with knowledge becoming increasingly detailed and connected as children grow.
At each stage of their education, children work towards clear expected outcomes. These identify the knowledge and understanding that children should have developed by the end of each stage.
Our aim is for children to become increasingly confident in:
knowing key Scripture stories and teachings;
understanding important Catholic beliefs and traditions;
using religious vocabulary accurately;
asking and responding to thoughtful questions;
making connections between Scripture, belief and everyday life;
explaining how faith is expressed through prayer and worship;
recognising the influence of Christianity on individuals, communities and society;
engaging respectfully with different beliefs and worldviews.
RE is therefore both a subject in its own right and an opportunity for children to develop the knowledge, language and thinking skills they need to engage thoughtfully with the world around them.
An important part of our RE curriculum is learning about other faiths and worldviews. Through Dialogue and Encounter, children have opportunities to learn about the beliefs, traditions and lived experiences of people from different religious communities.
We want our children to be curious and respectful when encountering beliefs that may be different from their own. They are encouraged to ask questions, listen carefully, identify similarities and differences, and recognise the importance of treating everyone with dignity and respect.
Learning about other faiths is not about asking children to adopt different beliefs. Instead, it helps them to develop religious literacy, respect and understanding, preparing them to live positively and respectfully alongside people from a wide range of backgrounds.
At St Thomas of Canterbury, we want every child to leave our school with a strong foundation of religious knowledge, a love of learning, the confidence to ask meaningful questions and the ability to engage respectfully with the beliefs and experiences of others. Through Religious Education, children are encouraged to know, understand, question, reflect and live out what they learn.