Religious Education
at St Joan of Arc Catholic School

At St Joan of Arc School, Religious Education (RE) is the core of the core curriculum—the source and summit of everything we teach. It is treated as a rigorous academic discipline that informs every other subject, accounting for at least 10% of our weekly timetable. Our ultimate goal is to nurture religiously literate, engaged young people who can reflect spiritually, think ethically, and live out their faith in contemporary society.

Everything we do is anchored in our core mission: ‘Through Love, Service, Respect and Courage, we grow closer to God.’ This vision is brought to life through a comprehensive and balanced curriculum structure.

At St. Joan of Arc, we use The Religious Education Directory – the official curriculum framework issued by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales for all Catholic schools. Titled ‘To Know You More Clearly’, the program focuses on four key components: knowledge lenses, ways of knowing, expected outcomes, and curriculum branches.

Knowledge lenses which indicate what should be known by the end of each age phase. These are split into hear, believe, live and celebrate.

The ‘ways of knowing’ are the skills which develop as the children progress through their curriculum journey. These are split into understand, discern and respond.

Expected outcomes are set for each age phase and indicate what pupils are expected to know, remember and be able to do.

The six curriculum branches are: Creation and Covenant, Prophecy and Promise, Galilee to Jerusalem, Desert to Garden, To the Ends of the Earth, and Dialogue and Encounter. Each half term will focus on 1 branch.

Autumn 1

Creation and Covenant

Encounter the God who creates and calls all people with a focus on the accounts of Creation.

Autumn 2

Prophecy and Promise

Explore the expectant waiting for the Messiah through the Advent season.

Spring 1

Galilee to Jerusalem

Experience the ministry of Jesus and the Word of God. They will learn through parables, encounters, miracles and teachings.

Spring 2

Desert to Garden

Study the season of Lent and its culmination in the events of Holy Week.

Summer 1

To the ends of the Earth

Study the events that flowed from the Resurrection and Ascension in the coming of the Holy Spirit and the work of the apostles and early Church.

Summer 2

Dialogue and Encounter

Learn how Christians work together with people of different religious backgrounds, building an understand that all people work towards a common good and should respect all humanity.