Religious Education

From September 2024, all Catholic schools across England and Wales have a new Religious Education Directory (often referred to as the RED) entitled “To know you more clearly” – this is the full RE curriculum to be taught in Catholic schools. 

In the Diocese of Shrewsbury, our Catholic schools use a scheme called The Vine and The Branches which teaches the new curriculum objectives.  There has been a staggered approach to introducing the new RED and scheme of work, with Years 1-4 starting in 24-25 and EYs, Years 5-6 in 25-26.  

In the new curriculum, all the year groups study the same half term topics, called 'branches', while their objectives, scripture, and content within them will be progressive through the years, building on what has gone before.  

The six branches are: Creation and Covenant; Prophecy and Promise; Galilee to Jerusalem; Desert to Garden; To the ends of the Earth; Dialogue and Encounter.

Each year group has an overarching theme for the whole year’s work:

EYFS - Wonder and Awe

Year 1 - Revelation – how do people know about God?

Year 2 - Baptism

Year 3 – Celebrating the Eucharist

Year 4 – People whose lives have been transformed by faith and hope in God.

Year 5 - Significance of the Old Testament as part of Christian understanding of the revelation of Jesus

Year 6 - Gospel Study on St John

At St Monica's, our Infant classes structure their RE in a two year cycle - cycle A - Year 1 content, cycle B - Year 2 content. While the teaching sequence follows this structure, the lessons are individually differentiated to match the learning needs and expectations of the different year groups.

Our KS2 mixed classes have RE sessions in the morning in their separate year groups.