Religious Education at St Mary’s

Saint Mary’s Roman Catholic Primary School is part of the Saint Thomas Aquinas Multi Academy Trust which is made up of 17 primary schools and 4 secondary schools. ‘To Know You More Clearly’ is the new programme of study that will become statutory in all Catholic Schools in England and Wales from September 2026 and will replace the previous Come and See Curriculum that we had in place.

Take a look at our policies below and explore our website to see how R.E., Catholic Life and Celebration of the Word are central to all we do each day.

We live by our school Mission Statement:

With Jesus as our guide, we promise to care for one another, to work hard, to build a community in Christ’s love.

Intention Statement

Religious Education is at the core of our curriculum, allowing us to develop children’s religious knowledge and understanding of their faith. The study of RE at Saint Mary’s is based on the fundamental truth that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life and each person is made in His image.

RE is a core subject and, in line with the Bishops’ Conference recommendations, 10% of teaching time is allocated to RE per week. This equates to two hours for Key Stage One classes, and two and a half hours for Key Stage Two classes. At Saint Mary’s we will be teaching the RE curriculum through the ‘To Know You More Clearly’ programme from the new Religious Education Directory (RED) from September 2025.

Please see this programme here: To Know You More Clearly Handbook RED

Implementation

Based on the constitutions of the Second Vatican Council and rooted in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the objective of the new programme is to produce religiously literate and engaged young people, with the knowledge, understanding and skills to reflect spiritually, think ethically and theologically, and recognise the demands of religious commitment in everyday life. While nurturing the faith of Catholic pupils, the curriculum prepares all pupils to play their part as critical citizens in a plural and diverse culture.

Within the RED curriculum, there is also a focus on broadening opportunities for pupils’ RE learning through the use of art, music, literature, science, and architecture, equipping young people to engage with the Church beyond intellectual remits.

Branches and Lenses

There are six branches in the RED Curriculum. Each class will study one topic per half term.

The branches are:

  1. Creation and Covenant
  2. Prophecy and Promise
  3. From Galilee to Jerusalem
  4. From Desert to Garden
  5. To the Ends of the Earth
  6. Dialogue and Encounter

Each branch follows:

  • Here
  • Believe
  • Celebrate
  • Live

At the heart of our RE curriculum are our ‘Big Questions’, which ultimately drive the learning of each topic. Each year group’s ‘Big Question’ gets gradually more thought provoking and provides opportunity for in-depth responses. Nonetheless, all the questions for each year group remain open-ended and challenging, providing children with opportunities to engage with the deepest questions of life (Peter 3:15), encouraging pupil collaboration, discussion and reflection. Children are exposed to the mystery of God, the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Church, lives of Saints and the relationship between faith and life.

At the end of each branch and lenses the children will:

  • Understand
  • Discern
  • Respond

at the appropriate level for their year group. The expectations for each year group progress to develop a deeper and broader understanding of Religious Education. We make use of external and internal moderation opportunities to ensure the quality of teacher’s judgments, as well as half-termly book scrutinies to ensure work is engaging and is sufficiently challenging for all pupils.

You are most welcome to visit our school to find out more about R.E. provision.  The Chaplaincy team would love to show you around too!

Impact

The Religious Education curriculum at St Mary’s Catholic Primary School has a profound and measurable impact on pupils’ spiritual, academic, moral, social and cultural development, fully reflecting the school’s mission to nurture young people who are religiously literate, engaged and equipped to live out their faith.

  • Deepening religious knowledge and understanding: Pupils demonstrate increasing knowledge of Scripture, Church teaching, Catholic tradition, and the life of Jesus Christ, progressing year-on-year through the carefully sequenced To Know You More Clearly programme.

  • Spiritual and ethical reflection: Children grow in their ability to reflect spiritually and think ethically and theologically. They can articulate thoughtful responses to big questions about faith, life, and morality, showing evidence of personal reflection as well as academic understanding.

  • Active application of faith and values: Pupils translate their learning into action by living out Gospel values in school life—showing compassion, kindness, and respect for others—and by actively participating in prayer, collective worship and community life.

  • Respectful engagement with diversity: Through study of Catholic teaching alongside respectful dialogue about other worldviews, pupils show inclusive attitudes and empathy, preparing them to contribute positively to a diverse and plural society.

  • High quality outcomes and engagement: Book scrutinies, assessment outcomes and pupil discussions indicate motivated learners who engage meaningfully with RE content. Pupils at all abilities make strong progress and can discern, understand and respond to curriculum content at age-appropriate expectations.

  • Supporting whole-child development: The RE curriculum enhances pupils’ moral and social development, helping them weigh ethical issues, demonstrate compassion, and grow in personal integrity—as seen in their attitudes, behaviour and contributions to the school community.

Overall, Religious Education at St Mary’s enables pupils not only to gain substantial knowledge and understanding of the Catholic faith, but also to live that faith with confidence, thoughtfulness and a sense of vocation in everyday life.

Documentation

Please see the Whole School Overview below: RED Whole School Overview

Please see the Big Question Grid: Big Questions Grid