Intent

Religious Education is the “core of the core curriculum” in a Catholic school (Pope St John Paul II).

At Christ the King, we place Religious Education at the heart of our curriculum because we recognise that the purpose of a Catholic education is not simply to develop academically successful pupils, but to help each child to discover their God-given dignity, gifts and vocation and to become the person God calls them to be.

Our mission statement, “God’s Kingdom we will build for our lives to be fulfilled,” further emphasises our intention to provide everyone in our school community, particularly our pupils, with the fullness of life that God desires.

Through Religious Education, we seek to develop pupils who are religiously literate, theologically curious, spiritually reflective and able to discern how their faith shapes the way they understand and respond to the world around them. We want our children to develop a deep and secure knowledge of the Catholic faith, rooted in Scripture and the teaching and Tradition of the Church, whilst also developing the ability to think critically, ask meaningful questions and reflect upon the implications of faith for their own lives and the lives of others.

We believe that without Religious Education, pupils would be deprived of an essential element of their formation and personal development, which helps them to attain a vital harmony between faith and culture.

Catholic schools, with Religious Education at their core, exist in partnership with parents, priests and the wider Church to pass on the faith in its fullness to a new generation. At Christ the King, we therefore seek to ensure that Religious Education enables pupils to become Christ-centred pilgrims of hope with kind hearts, questioning minds, a thirst for knowledge and a hunger for justice.

Our Religious Education is now rooted in the Religious Education Directory (RED), To Know You More Clearly, published by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales. The RED provides the national framework for Religious Education in Catholic schools and is being implemented fully in primary schools from September 2026.

The curriculum seeks to develop pupils through three Ways of Knowing:

• Understand – developing deep knowledge and understanding of Scripture, Catholic beliefs, Church teaching, prayer, liturgy and religious practice.
• Discern – thinking critically and theologically, making connections, asking questions and considering the meaning and significance of what has been encountered.
• Respond – reflecting personally and with integrity upon learning and considering how faith should shape our choices, relationships and actions.

These Ways of Knowing ensure that pupils do not simply acquire knowledge about religion but learn how to think, discern and respond as young people formed by the Catholic faith.

The RED also establishes a number of Knowledge Lenses, which identify the content pupils encounter and progressively understand:

• Hear – Scripture and the Word of God
• Believe – the teachings and beliefs of the Catholic Church
• Celebrate – prayer, liturgy and the Sacraments
• Live – living out faith in the world
• Dialogue and Encounter – engaging respectfully with other religions, worldviews and experiences.

Through these lenses, children encounter a rich and systematic study of Scripture, the person of Jesus Christ, the life and teaching of the Church, the Sacraments, prayer, Catholic Social Teaching and the relationship between faith and life.

Implementation

The Religious Education Directory is the national framework prescribed for Catholic schools, with the diocesan bishop having responsibility for Religious Education within the Archdiocese of Birmingham. We are supported in the development and implementation of our Religious Education provision by the Birmingham Diocesan Education Service (BDES).

At Christ the King, we dedicate 10% of our curriculum time to Religious Education, reflecting the centrality of RE within our Catholic curriculum. This protected curriculum time ensures that pupils receive sufficient opportunity to develop the knowledge, understanding and skills required by the Religious Education Directory.

From September 2026, Christ the King follows the Archdiocese of Birmingham's Discerning Disciples curriculum, which has been developed to implement the RED within our diocese.

The curriculum is structured around six curriculum branches, which are revisited progressively throughout the primary years:

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

Each branch provides a coherent journey through Scripture, Catholic teaching, prayer, lived faith and the relationship between faith and life. The branches form a progressive, spiral curriculum, enabling pupils to revisit key theological concepts and Scripture with increasing depth and challenge as they move through the school.

At Christ the King, the curriculum is carefully sequenced so that pupils build secure prior knowledge, revisit essential vocabulary and concepts and develop increasing theological sophistication. Teachers explicitly identify the knowledge pupils need to acquire and provide opportunities for children to explore, discuss, question, apply and respond to their learning.

Religious Education at Christ the King is not simply a discrete classroom subject. It is an integral part of the Catholic Life and Mission of our school and is enriched through Prayer and Liturgy, Celebration of the Word, Mass, Sacramental preparation, pupil leadership, Catholic Social Teaching, charitable outreach, parish engagement and opportunities for service.

We also work closely with our parish and clergy so that pupils experience Religious Education as part of a wider journey of faith. Sacramental preparation, Mass, visits, prayer and opportunities for service enable children to understand that the Catholic faith is not simply something to be studied but something to be lived.

Assessment

Assessment in Religious Education is aligned with the RED Ways of Knowing: Understand, Discern and Respond.

Teachers assess pupils' developing knowledge, understanding and skills against the expected outcomes provided within the RED and implemented through the Discerning Disciples curriculum.

Assessment is used formatively throughout each branch to identify what pupils know, remember and understand, as well as their ability to make connections, discern meaning and respond to their learning.

Teachers use a range of evidence, including:

• questioning and classroom dialogue;
• retrieval and recap activities;
• discussion and theological questioning;
• pupils' written and recorded work;
• learning journals;
• practical and creative responses;
• prayer and reflection;
• pupil voice;
• independent and collaborative tasks; and
• end-of-branch assessment opportunities.

Assessment is used to inform subsequent teaching and ensure that pupils build progressively upon prior learning. Moderation enables teachers to develop a shared understanding of expected standards and supports consistency across year groups.

Other Religions and Worldviews

The RED places Dialogue and Encounter within the Religious Education curriculum, ensuring that pupils develop appropriate knowledge and understanding of other religions and worldviews whilst remaining firmly rooted in their Catholic identity.

At Christ the King, pupils encounter people, beliefs and traditions beyond their own experience through curriculum learning, visitors, community links and, where appropriate, visits to places of worship.

Our approach is rooted in respectful dialogue rather than superficial comparison. Pupils are encouraged to develop accurate knowledge, ask thoughtful questions and recognise both the diversity of religious belief and the dignity of every human person.

This prepares our pupils to participate respectfully and confidently in a diverse society whilst developing a secure understanding of their own Catholic faith.

Impact

The impact of our Religious Education provision is seen in pupils who develop secure religious knowledge, theological understanding, thoughtful discernment and a willingness to respond through their lives.

By the time pupils leave Christ the King, they:

• know and understand key Scripture and Catholic teaching;
• use increasingly precise religious and theological vocabulary;
• understand the relationship between Scripture, Church teaching, prayer, liturgy and lived faith;
• ask meaningful questions about God, faith, life and the world;
• think critically and theologically about religious ideas;
• make connections between their RE learning and their own lives;
• recognise the dignity of every human person;
• understand their responsibility to care for creation and the common good;
• engage respectfully with people of different faiths and worldviews;
• participate confidently in prayer and liturgy;
• recognise their own God-given gifts and vocation; and
• respond to their learning through choices, relationships, service and action.

Our assessment data demonstrates the consistently strong outcomes achieved by pupils in Religious Education at Christ the King. Pupils of all abilities, including those with SEND, are able to achieve and make progress in RE. High expectations, carefully adapted teaching and appropriate scaffolding ensure that all pupils are supported to access the curriculum and demonstrate their learning. Our data consistently demonstrates that pupils make strong progress from their individual starting points, reflecting the effectiveness of our curriculum, teaching and assessment approaches.

Assessment in RE enables us to identify what pupils know and understand, how they discern and make connections, and how they respond to their learning. We use this information to identify gaps, address misconceptions and ensure that pupils build securely on prior knowledge. As a result, every pupil is given the opportunity to succeed in Religious Education and to develop as a religiously literate, thoughtful and engaged young person.

The impact of our provision is also evident in pupils' ability to connect their classroom learning with their lived experience of faith. This is reflected in their contributions to Prayer and Liturgy, Celebration of the Word, Mass, Catholic Social Teaching, charitable outreach, stewardship and service to others. Pupils increasingly recognise that their RE learning is not simply knowledge to be acquired, but something which should influence the way they think, act and live.

In our Section 48 Inspection of June 2019, the quality of Religious Education at Christ the King was judged to be ‘Outstanding’. The report recognised that:

“As pupils progress through the school, they develop the skills required to engage in examination of and reflection upon religious belief and practice. Teaching consistently make links between life and faith and focuses on how pupils can apply what they are learning in Religious Education to their own lives and thus live out the school mission statement...Teachers place an emphasis on deeper discussions and behaviour in lessons is outstanding because teachers make the work interesting.”

Whilst this inspection evidence relates to our previous curriculum, its findings continue to reflect an important aspect of our approach to Religious Education: pupils are encouraged to engage deeply with their learning, make meaningful connections between faith and life, and consider how their learning should shape their response to the world around them.

Our ultimate aim is that pupils leave Christ the King not only knowing more about their faith, but knowing how to discern and respond to the call of Christ in their lives.

In this way, Religious Education contributes directly to our school mission:

“God’s Kingdom we will build for our lives to be fulfilled.”