Our Faith and Teachings

Making Jesus known today is at the heart of our Faith.

As a Catholic school, Jesus Christ is central to every part of school life, permeating every aspect of what we do. All pupils are educated in the beliefs and devotional practices of the Catholic Church. Participation in our daily acts of collective worship guides every morning and afternoon session, within RE lessons and at the start and end of each day. Every class plans and leads Mass throughout the year, with parents, families and parishioners warmly welcomed.

Children are taught about and celebrate their Class Saints and will learn through our RHE programme. Our pupils take part in special liturgies during the school year which are timed to coincide with events in the Church’s calendar. Our Parish Priest works closely with school staff and families, to help prepare Year 3 children for the Sacrament of First Holy Communion and the Sacrament of Reconciliation, whilst pupils in Y6 prepare for Confirmation.

Relationships and Family Life (Sex Education) is taught formally in all classes and is integrated into Science and RE.

All pupils learn about other religions and cultures and are encouraged to show respect and acknowledgement of the beliefs of others through open discussions and shared experiences. This is reflected through the involvement of pupils, both within school and in the wider community.

Below you will find an overview of the taught RE curriculum and our policy on Prayer and Liturgy, which acts as our guide in providing prayerful opportunities for our pupils. 

The Curriculum 

As a Catholic school, we follow the Discerning Disciples Religious Education curriculum, which is designed to form Christ-centred pilgrims of hope with kind hearts, questioning minds and a hunger for justice. The curriculum follows the planning guidance of the Birmingham Diocese Education Service (BDES) and is built around the DISCERN pedagogical model.

Discerning Disciples follows a spiral curriculum, with pupils revisiting six core branches throughout their journey from EYFS to Year 6. These branches provide opportunities for children to build on prior learning, deepen their knowledge and understanding, and make meaningful connections between Scripture, Church teaching, prayer, worship and their own lives.

The six curriculum branches are:

• Creation and Covenant – exploring God as Creator, human dignity and the stories of Genesis.
• Prophecy and Promise – exploring Advent, the Annunciation and our response to God's promises.
• Galilee to Jerusalem – exploring the life, ministry, teachings and miracles of Jesus.
• Desert to Garden – exploring Lent, repentance, forgiveness and the Paschal Mystery.
• To the Ends of the Earth – exploring the Resurrection, the early Church and the work of the Holy Spirit.
• Dialogue and Encounter – developing respect, understanding and a commitment to the common good within our diverse world.

Across each branch, learning is developed through four Knowledge Lenses:

• Hear – engaging with Scripture and the Word of God.
• Believe – developing knowledge and understanding of Catholic doctrine and teaching.
• Celebrate – exploring prayer, liturgy and the sacramental life of the Church.
• Live – considering how faith is lived out through actions, choices, relationships and service.

The curriculum also develops three Ways of Knowing:

• Understand – developing secure knowledge and understanding.
• Discern – asking questions, making connections and thinking critically about faith and life.
• Respond – applying learning through personal, moral and practical responses.

Teachers should use the Discerning Disciples planning and resources as the foundation for their Religious Education teaching. Lessons should be thoughtfully adapted to meet the needs of individual classes and pupils, while ensuring that the required knowledge and understanding are secured.

The DISCERN model provides a clear structure for lesson delivery:

D – Dialogue
I – Introduce
S – Scaffolded Support
C – Collaborative Conversation
E – Evaluate
R – Record
N – Next Steps

This approach encourages pupils to be active participants in their learning, giving them opportunities to listen, question, discuss, reflect and respond. Teachers should create opportunities for children to explore their faith with kind hearts and questioning minds, while developing the confidence to discern how their learning can influence the way they live and serve others.

Planning should ensure that pupils make progress in their religious knowledge and understanding while also being given regular opportunities to discern and respond. Staff use the knowledge statements, discovery questions and response activities within each unit to support effective planning and assessment.

Through our Religious Education curriculum, we seek to develop children who know and understand their faith, are confident to ask thoughtful questions, can discern what it means to follow Jesus, and are inspired to live lives of love and service in response to our school motto:

“Love one another as I have loved you.”

John 13:34