Religious Education
We follow the guidance of the Catholic Religious Education Curriculum Directory.
Intent
We are a Catholic school and we are committed to the Catholic Faith, recognising and valuing every individual as special and unique in the image and likeness of God.
Religious Education at St Joseph’s respects and promotes each child’s innate capacity for wonder, awe, reverence and spirituality. Our Religious Education curriculum leads our children to aspire not to have more, but to be more; children are taught about God’s love; they learn about their Christian responsibilities; and they are provided with experiences of church, Catholic and Christian traditions, as well as being taught to be respectful and understanding of people and traditions from other faith backgrounds. Through Religious Education, our children learn about their unique place within the home, school and parish community.
Catholic Social Teaching (CST) principles are woven into everything we do and teach. They underpin our curriculum, collective worship, school ethos and daily life, helping children to live out Gospel values in practical ways such as stewardship of creation, preferential option for the poor and promoting human dignity.
Implementation
Religious Education is at the centre of everything we do as a Catholic school and permeates through every aspect of the curriculum and school life. We ensure that a minimum of 10% of curriculum time is allocated for RE teaching across all key stages.
At St Joseph’s, the whole school now follows the new Religious Education Directory (RED) through Lighting the Path, the programme chosen by the Archdiocese of Southwark to support the delivery of the RED in Catholic schools. The programme is carefully structured to reflect the RED’s vision, ensuring that pupils encounter the story of salvation through Scripture, Tradition, prayer, liturgy, Catholic Social Teaching and dialogue with other faiths and worldviews.
The RED is built around the knowledge lenses of Hear, Believe, Celebrate, Live, Dialogue and Encounter, alongside expected age-phase outcomes. This ensures that pupils develop strong religious literacy while also growing spiritually, morally and socially. The curriculum is spiral in nature, revisiting and deepening key ideas year on year, enabling children to make meaningful connections and progress in their understanding of the Catholic faith.
Lighting the Path provides a consistent and progressive approach to Religious Education from EYFS to Year 6. Through the programme, pupils develop their knowledge and understanding of Scripture, the teachings and traditions of the Catholic Church, prayer and worship, Catholic Social Teaching and the beliefs and practices of other religions and worldviews. Pupils are encouraged to ask theological questions, engage in thoughtful dialogue and consider how their faith calls them to live in relationship with God, others and the wider world.
Through the high standard and exceptional teaching of RE, pupils are inspired to become critical thinkers and to reflect deeply upon their own faith journey. They are challenged through the topics taught to consider how they can put the teachings of the Church and Jesus into practice in their daily lives. A high priority is given to the formation of pupils in their understanding of, involvement in and service to building the Kingdom of God and taking care of our common home.
Other Faiths and Religions
As part of Lighting the Path and the RED, pupils learn about Judaism and other world religions and worldviews. This supports the RED’s commitment to dialogue, encounter and respect, enabling children to develop an understanding of different religious traditions and to engage respectfully with people whose beliefs and experiences may differ from their own.
Assessment
Ongoing formative assessment against the RED’s age-phase outcomes, alongside appropriate assessment tasks, is used to inform planning, identify areas for development and provide appropriate support and challenge for pupils. Assessment is moderated internally and, where appropriate, externally through cluster meetings to support consistency and ensure that pupils make appropriate progress in their knowledge and understanding of Religious Education.
Impact
As a result of these strategies, children at St Joseph’s:
- Are well prepared for the next stage of their education as confident and enthusiastic learners.
- Produce good quality work, which they are proud of.
- Achieve consistently well in all areas of Religious Education and make exceptional progress.
- Are happy, well-rounded individuals who have developed a deep-rooted relationship with God and understanding of their Catholic faith.
- Become ambassadors for Christ who are ready to go out into the world and proclaim the values of the Gospel confidently, building the Kingdom of God through compassion, justice, love and forgiveness in their relationship with others.
- Understand that they are part of the family of God and know how they can play their part in this global family united by Christ.
- Deepen their appreciation of their faith and fulfil their God-given talents through study, prayer, liturgy and action.
- Grow in knowledge of the Saints and Christian witnesses, linking their lives and teachings to their own experiences.
The school environment reflects and celebrates our Catholic faith, supporting children’s spiritual development and their mission to live out Gospel values in everyday life.
Additional information can be found under the RE Curriculum page here.
Useful Links
'Lighting the Path', Vocabulary based on RED.
Examen for children
Wednesday Word leaflet