Religious Education at St Edmund’s
Our Vision
At St Edmund’s Catholic Primary School, Religious Education (RE) is at the heart of everything we do. Rooted in our mission “Through Christ, we learn”, our RE curriculum nurtures children’s faith, deepens their knowledge, and helps them to grow as compassionate, thoughtful, and responsible individuals.
We follow the Religious Education Directory (RED, 2023), which sets out the national programme of study for Catholic schools in England and Wales. The RED provides a clear and progressive framework, ensuring that all pupils are taught with theological depth, creativity, and a spirit of encounter.
RE Curriculum Map
Our curriculum is built around the six thematic branches of RED:
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Creation and Covenant – exploring God as Creator and His promises to His people.
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Prophecy and Promise – reflecting on the Old Testament prophets and God’s promise of salvation.
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Galilee to Jerusalem – following Jesus’ life, ministry, and teaching.
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Desert to Garden – meditating on Christ’s Passion, Death, and Resurrection.
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To the Ends of the Earth – encountering the birth of the Church and the mission of the apostles.
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Dialogue and Encounter – learning about other world faiths and building respect for all people.
Each branch is revisited throughout a child’s journey at St Edmund’s, allowing knowledge, skills, and faith to develop in a spiral of progression.
[Download RE Curriculum Map below]
Skills and Knowledge Progression in Religious Education
At St Edmund’s, we follow the Religious Education Directory (RED 2023), which sets out a clear and ambitious progression of skills and knowledge from Nursery to Year 6.
Our progression is built around the six branches of study:
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Creation and Covenant
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Prophecy and Promise
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Galilee to Jerusalem
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Desert to Garden
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To the Ends of the Earth
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Dialogue and Encounter
Through these, pupils develop in three key areas of knowing:
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Understand – building secure theological knowledge of Scripture, belief, sacraments, and the life of the Church.
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Discern – interpreting, analysing, and making connections between faith, life, and the wider world.
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Respond – reflecting personally, applying Gospel values, and living out Catholic Social Teaching in action.
Progression is carefully sequenced across year groups so that:
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Early Years pupils retell and recognise key stories of Jesus and creation.
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Key Stage 1 pupils begin to describe religious actions, symbols, and stories of faith.
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Lower Key Stage 2 pupils explain how belief shapes life and make links across Scripture and tradition.
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Upper Key Stage 2 pupils evaluate and apply Catholic teaching, express reasoned views, and lead worship and social action.
[Download our full RE Skills and Knowledge Progression Document]
Curriculum Intent & Enrichment
Our intent is to provide a curriculum that is:
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Faith-centred: rooted in Scripture, Tradition, and the teachings of the Church.
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Engaging: enriched with drama, art, music, debate, ICT, and creative writing.
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Inclusive: respectful of diversity, encouraging dialogue with other world faiths.
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Challenging: enabling all pupils to achieve theological literacy, critical thinking, and a personal response of faith.
Enrichment opportunities include:
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School Masses and liturgies in partnership with our parish.
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Class saint projects and feast day celebrations.
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Visits to churches, synagogues, mosques, and other places of worship.
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RE Creative Arts Week and inter-school competitions.
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Cross-curricular links with history, art, drama, and social action.
RE in Action
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Displays: Every classroom and corridor features RE displays that reflect the liturgical year and pupil learning.
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Work Samples: Pupils’ RE work includes essays, theological reflections, art, drama, and digital projects. QR codes in displays showcase drama and musical performances.
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Celebration of the Word: Weekly assemblies link the Gospel, our mission, and Catholic Social Teaching.
Year 3 stepped into the story of Creation through expressive drama, transforming our Prayer Garden into a living scene from Genesis. As they explored the theme of Stewardship, the children reflected on how we can all care for God’s world with wonder, gratitude, and responsibility.
Pupil Voice in Religious Education
At St Edmund’s, our children play an active role in shaping Religious Education. We regularly gather pupil voice across all year groups to understand how they experience RE lessons, Collective Worship, and the wider Catholic life of the school.
Through surveys, class discussions, and digital tools such as Mentimeter, pupils share their thoughts on what helps them learn, how they grow in faith, and the impact of Gospel values in their daily lives.
Their feedback directly informs our planning, teaching, and enrichment in RE. It ensures that our curriculum is meaningful, engaging, and responsive to the needs of our learners.