At St Mary's, Religious Education is at the heart of everything we do. Through our RE curriculum, we seek to nurture each child's relationship with God, deepen their understanding of the Catholic faith, and inspire them to live out Gospel values in their daily lives.
Our Religious Education curriculum follows the guidance of the Religious Education Directory (RED): To Know You More Clearly, published by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales. The RED provides a renewed vision for Catholic education, helping children develop a rich understanding of Scripture, Catholic Tradition, and the teachings of the Church while encouraging them to reflect on how faith shapes their lives and the world around them.
To support the implementation of the new Religious Education Directory, St Mary's follows Source to Summit: Lighting the Path, the Catholic Primary Religious Education programme developed by Oxford University Press and strongly recommended by the Diocese of Salford. This curriculum is carefully structured around the six branches of learning identified within the RED, enabling children to build their knowledge and understanding progressively throughout their primary years.
As part of the Diocese of Salford's transition to the new curriculum, we have also engaged with the Salford Diocese Pilot Curriculum, which supports schools in implementing the Religious Education Directory effectively across Key Stage 2. The pilot materials have provided valuable opportunities for staff development and curriculum innovation, ensuring that our children receive high-quality, engaging and faithful Religious Education.
Through Lighting the Path and the diocesan pilot programme, pupils encounter the story of salvation through six core branches of learning:
Creation and Covenant
Prophecy and Promise
Galilee to Jerusalem
Desert to Garden
To the Ends of the Earth
Dialogue and Encounter
These branches help children understand God's plan of salvation, the life and mission of Jesus Christ, the work of the Church, and the call to engage respectfully with people of other faiths and beliefs.
At St Mary's, we are committed to helping every child grow in faith, knowledge, understanding and discipleship, ensuring that Religious Education remains the foundation upon which all learning and personal development is built.