“To know you more clearly” - Prayer of St Richard of Chichester

Our Curriculum Intent

The intent of the Religious Education (RE) curriculum in Catholic schools is set out clearly in the new Religious Education Directory (2025). Its vision can be summarised as follows:

  • At the heart of Catholic schools is the person of Jesus Christ, whose presence shapes everything the school is and does. Religious Education flows from this, being both fully religious and genuinely educational. It seeks to hold together the Church’s mission with respect for freedom of conscience, integral human formation with preparation for civic life, and a rigorous subject discipline with a unifying Christian vision.
  • The purpose of RE is to serve the missionary mandate of the school. It is where faith seeks understanding, where pupils learn to love God with their minds, and where they encounter the systematic study of the mystery of God, the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, the teachings of the Church, and the relationship between faith and life. In this way, RE acts as the “engine room” of the school’s Catholic mission.
  • The curriculum aims to form pupils holistically: helping them to reflect spiritually, think ethically and theologically, and to recognise the demands of religious commitment in everyday life. The Directory states that the outcome of excellent RE is religiously literate and consciously engaged young people who can dialogue respectfully with those of other worldviews, integrate faith with life, and be prepared for participation in society.
  • RE is the ‘core of the core curriculum’ – it is not just one subject among others but the lens through which the whole curriculum is bound together and illuminated. It informs and is related to every other subject, ensuring a coherent Christian vision of reality across the school.
  • Pluralism and dialogue are integral. Given the diversity of Catholic schools today, RE is called to include the study of other religions and worldviews, fostering interreligious and intercultural dialogue, while maintaining the Catholic worldview as its foundation.

In short, the intent of RE in Catholic schools is to place Christ at the centre, nurture a deep and critical understanding of the Catholic faith, engage respectfully with other worldviews, and form young people as thoughtful, virtuous, and faithful contributors to both the Church and society.

Implementation of the new Religious Education Directory (September 2023-2026)

We began implementing the new Religious Education Directory (RED) in September 2023. The roll-out has been carefully sequenced to ensure high-quality provision, with each year group building securely on the foundations of the revised curriculum. By the end of the 2025/26 academic year, the RED will be fully embedded across Key Stages 3 and 4. Pupils in Year 9 are already beginning the final phase of the new Key Stage 3 RED curriculum this year, ensuring that progression and continuity are secured. This staged implementation allows staff to develop expertise, adapt resources, and provide pupils with a coherent and rigorous journey through the faith.

Curriculum Overall Learning Journey – For pupils up to and including Year 9.

For our current Y10 and Y11 pupils, we have followed the legacy RECD curriculum in full fidelity, auditing the curriculum against the expectations and content outlined in the legacy RECD.

Curriculum Overall Learning Journey – For pupils currently in Y10 and Y11.

For GCSE, we follow the Eduqas Route B GCSE course over two years.

Curriculum time allocated: 10% (all year groups across phases).

Specific Skills Development

  • Research and Analysis
  • Critical Thinking
  • Interpretation
  • Empathy
  • Independent Thinking
  • Extended Writing
  • Problem Solving
  • Communication
  • Literacy

Next Steps

Upon completion of this two-year GCSE course, students will have the skills and experience to progress onto A-level and beyond. Many of our students go on to study Religious Studies at A Level. As many of the skills developed in our subject are transferable, they will also prove useful in vocational post-16 courses such as the armed services, the police service, social work and health professions, as well as religious vocations such as chaplaincy, priesthood or other religious orders. Many employers value GCSE Religious Studies due to the variety of skills the subject develops and the enriching respect for the individual.

Possible Future Careers

Future careers could include:

  • Police Officer
  • Youth Worker
  • Nursing and Healthcare
  • Doctor/Nurse
  • Advertising/PR Executive
  • Journalism
  • Social Work
  • Teacher
  • Ministry
  • Archivist
  • Charity/Fundraising
  • Civil Servant

Famous students of this subject include:

Charles Darwin, William Paley, C.S. Lewis.

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