High expectations ensures RE is taught with the same rigour, enthusiasm and academic study as any other core curriculum subject. Teaching RE at St. Joseph’s dynamically contributes to children’s education by provoking challenging questions about meaning and purpose in life, beliefs about God, whilst allowing them to fully understand the implications of thinking there can only be a right or wrong response. Furthermore, we provide a Catholic curriculum which is broad and balanced; one which recognises that everyone is unique and is created in the image of God.
You can find relevant policies for RE, RSE, Collective Worship, and Prayer by clicking here.
Children also have a knowledge organiser for each unit that outlines the key people (who they will cover) and key vocabulary to support them with their understanding to ensure they can recall key terms by the end of their unit. Children are also persuaded to refer back to these during their learning to help them to apply newly taught vocabulary.
At St Joseph's, we believe that learning about other religions is an important part of living out our faith. The Church teaches respect for all people and encourages dialogue and understanding. By exploring different faith traditions, children learn to appreciate the richness of human belief and the values that unite us, such as peace, compassion, and justice.
Studying other religions also helps our pupils grow in their own Catholic identity. When they understand the beliefs and practices of others, they can see more clearly what makes our faith unique and how it calls us to love and serve everyone.
Why We Include Other Subjects
To deepen this understanding, we connect the religious study with subjects like music, geography, art, and computing. These subjects bring culture to life; helping children see how faith shapes communities, traditions, and creativity across the world. For example, exploring Islamic art; knowing that Google was created by two Jewish programmers; or marvelling at the early Hindu scientists who explained how eclipses worked. All these extra opportunities help the children to aspire higher in the future..
This cross-curricular approach nurtures curiosity, respect, and empathy; qualities that prepare our children to be thoughtful, compassionate citizens in a diverse world.