The RE Curriculum

‘In the life of faith of the Catholic school, religious education plays a central and vital part. At the heart of Catholic education lies the Christian vision of the human person.

This vision is expressed and explored in religious education.

Therefore religious education is never simply one subject among many, but the foundation of the entire educational process.

The beliefs and values studied in Catholic religious education inspire and draw together every aspect of the life of a Catholic school. We are committed to classroom RE, then, because all pupils have the right to receive an overall education which will enable them, in the light of the faith of the Church, to engage with the deepest questions of life and find reasons for the hope which is within them.

Religious education is, then, the core subject in a Catholic school.

Religious Education in Catholic Schools, Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales 2000

The outcome of classroom Religious Education is:

‘religiously literate and engaged young people who have the knowledge, understanding and skills – appropriate to their age and capacity – to reflect spiritually, and think ethically and theologically, and who are aware of the demands of religious commitment in everyday life’.

Education Curriculum Directory, Department of Catholic Education and Formation, Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, 2012, p.6

Whilst evangelisation and catechesis are happening in our school for some pupils, the specific contribution Religious Education makes to the Catholic Life of the school is primarily educational and will be planned, taught, assessed and monitored with the same rigour as other curriculum subjects.

Overview of the Content

10% of curriculum time is allocated to Religious Education. This does not include worship.

Programme of Study

To fulfil the above aims and to address the four areas of study outlined in the Religious Education Curriculum Directory 2012 , (Revelation, Church, Celebration and Life in Christ) we use ‘In God’s Name’, a resource for Religious Education in Catholic Schools by Margaret Carswell, as the basis of our planning.