Notre Dame Catholic College
and Sixth Form

Talk sense to your children, religion without doubt, but let's begin with common sense. That is the most useful thing in the world for finding a way into their hearts.”

– St Julie Billiart (Letter 206)

Religious Education

Our religious education curriculum provides pupils with an introduction to the essential knowledge that they need to be educated and spiritually literate citizens. It introduces students to the best that has been thought and said; and helps engender an appreciation of human spirituality, creativity and achievement.

Mrs E Jones

Mrs E Jones

Head of Religious Education

Our Religious Education curriculum provides pupils with an introduction to the essential knowledge that they need to be educated and spiritually literate citizens. It introduces students to the best that has been thought and said; and helps engender an appreciation of human spirituality, creativity and achievement.

 

It has been carefully designed and delivered to:

 

  • inspire pupils’ curiosity to know more about the Catholic faith, God’s love and Gospel teachings (OPENING HEARTS through inspiration)
  • develop in pupils a coherent knowledge and understanding of other world faiths, beliefs and societies (OPENING MINDS to new knowledge)
  • help pupils understand the complexity of people’s religious lives, beliefs, customs and traditions, identifying and celebrating similarities and differences between them in order to foster understanding, tolerance and appreciation (OPENING MINDS to deeper understanding)
  • equip pupils to ask evaluative questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments, and develop perspectives that have a moral nature (OPENING DOORS through the application of developing skills)

 

Year 7, 8 and 9 Curriculum Content

Our three-year Key Stage 3 curriculum is an adaption of the ‘People of God/Called to Serve’ scheme.   The Framework People of God – Called to Serve is mapped against the Religious Education Curriculum Directory. The purpose of the Framework is to provide the basis from which schools and colleges can develop Religious Education Schemes of Work/Programmes of Study.

Year 7Unit/Topic
Autumn HT1Unit 1: What is a Community? Creation and covenant
Autumn HT2Unit 2: Prophecy and promise
Spring HT1Unit 3: Galilee to Jerusalem
Spring HT2Unit 4: Desert to garden
Summer HT1Unit 5: To the ends of the earth
Summer HT2Unit 6: Dialogue and encounter
Summer HT2Unit 7: What are the Hindu signs of identity?
Year 8Unit/Topic
Autumn HT1Unit 1: Can one person change the world?
Autumn HT2Unit 2: Do we need rules?
Spring HT1Unit 3: Are there limits to forgiveness?
Spring HT2Unit 4: How do we know what is fair?
Summer HT1Unit 5: How can we live as Covenant people
Summer HT2Unit 6: What are the Muslim signs of identity?
Year 9Unit/Topic
Autumn HT1Unit 1: How do we live as people as God?
Autumn HT2Unit 2: Who is God for the people of God?
Spring HT1Unit 3: How do we respect the Sanctity of life?
Spring HT2Unit 4: Who is God for the people of God: Environmental and Medical Issues
Summer HT1Unit 5: Who is God for the people of God: Crime and Punishment
Summer HT2Unit 6: Jewish identity and practice in Britain today

Year 10 and 11 Curriculum Content

Pupils will be expected to demonstrate an understanding of the influence of religion on individuals, communities and societies. They will be expected to support their responses using appropriate knowledge and understanding of key sources of wisdom and sacred texts.

 

Year 10 Unit/Topic
Autumn HT1Unit 1: Origins and Meaning
Autumn HT2Unit 2: The Bible
Spring HT1Unit 3: Good and Evil
Spring HT2Unit 4: The Trinity
Spring HT2Unit 5: The Incarnation
Spring HT2Unit 6: Jesus and Moral Authority
Spring HT2Unit 7: Sculpture and Statuary
Spring HT2Unit 8: Popular devotion as practised in Catholic communities in Britain and elsewhere
Summer HT1Unit 9: Life and Death
Summer HT1Unit 10: Beliefs and eschatology
Summer HT2Unit 11: The Magisterium
Summer HT2Unit 12: Artefacts
Summer HT2Unit 13: Music and the funeral rite
Summer HT2Unit 14: Prayer within Catholic communities
Year 11Unit/Topic
Autumn HT1Unit 1: Sin and Forgiveness
Autumn HT1Unit 3: Church
Autumn HT1Unit 2: Redemption
Autumn HT2 Unit 4: Buildings
Autumn HT2 Unit 5: Sacraments
Autumn HT2 Unit 6: Mission and Evangelisation
Spring HT1Unit 7: Judaism Beliefs
Spring HT2Unit 8: Judaism Practices
Summer HT1 Revision
Summer HT2Revision

Key Stage 4 RE students follow the WJEC Religious Education specification. For further details, please follow the link below.

Download Full GCSE Religious Education Specification

Please click on the logos below to visit Religious Education-specific materials and resources.

  • BBC Bitesize KS3: 
  • BBC Bitesize KS4:
  • Oak National Academy:

 

Please click on the First Careers logo to visit their website.

A Student’s view

Religious Education at Notre Dame offers students the opportunity to develop their skills of ethical and moral thought. I can say wholeheartedly that RE is a most enjoyable subject, and has allowed me to both question and strengthen my faith in Catholicism.

Joseph Riley, Year 11