Religious Education

“Discerning Disciples” – BDES R.E. Curriculum

As a Catholic school, R.E. is a core subject. In fact, it is the core-of-the-core.

Information about the R.E. curriculum can be found here:

The Archdiocese of Birmingham’s Discerning Disciples curriculum has been developed to support Catholic primary schools in forming Christ-centred pilgrims of hope with kind hearts, questioning minds, a thirst for knowledge and a hunger for justice. The curriculum is rooted in the Religious Education Directory, To Know You More Clearly, and provides a coherent, progressive programme of Religious Education from Nursery to Year 6.

Through Scripture, Catholic belief, prayer and liturgy, Catholic Social Teaching and lived faith, pupils are invited to encounter Christ, deepen their understanding of the Catholic tradition and grow as active disciples. The curriculum is structured around six branches, enabling children to understand, discern and respond to God’s call in their lives.

The resources below are available to support schools in delivering high-quality, engaging and academically rigorous Religious Education across the primary phase.

Curriculum Branches

Branch 1: Creation and Covenant

Exploring God’s loving act of creation and humanity’s unique dignity as people made in His image and likeness. Pupils discover the beauty and goodness of creation, God’s relationship with His people through covenant, and their responsibility to care for the world and one another as stewards of God’s gifts.

Branch 2: Prophecy and Promise

Exploring God’s promises throughout salvation history and how they are fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Through the stories of the prophets and key moments in God’s relationship with His people, pupils discover God’s faithfulness and reflect on their own call to trust in Him and live as His disciples.

Branch 3: Galilee to Jerusalem

Encountering Jesus through His ministry, teachings, miracles and parables. Pupils explore how Christ reveals God’s Kingdom through love, healing, forgiveness and service, and consider how they are called to live out the Good News in their own lives.

Branch 4: Desert to Garden

Journeying with Jesus through Lent, Holy Week, His Passion, Death and Resurrection. Pupils explore the Paschal Mystery, God’s mercy and forgiveness, the sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist, and how Christ’s sacrifice and resurrection bring hope and new life.

Branch 5: To the Ends of the Earth

Discovering how the Holy Spirit empowers the Church and how Christians are called to share the Good News. Pupils explore discipleship, mission, witness and the role of the Church in continuing Christ’s work throughout the world.

Branch 6: Dialogue and Encounter

Exploring how Catholics engage respectfully with people of different faiths, beliefs and cultures. Pupils develop understanding of dialogue, encounter, human dignity and the Church’s call to build peace, solidarity and the common good.

Sacramental Preparation Resources

Preparing Children for the Sacraments

These resources have been developed to support schools, parishes, catechists and families in preparing children to celebrate the sacraments with understanding, confidence and faith. Grounded in Scripture, prayer and reflection, each programme helps children encounter Christ and discover how the sacraments strengthen their relationship with God and the Church.

The resources are suitable for use in schools, parishes and family catechesis and are designed to complement local sacramental preparation programmes.

Sacrament of Reconciliation

This resource helps children discover God’s mercy, forgiveness and healing love. Through Scripture, reflection and practical preparation, children learn that Reconciliation is an encounter with Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who welcomes us back when we have gone astray, forgives our sins and helps us begin again. The programme explores themes of conscience, repentance, forgiveness, God’s mercy and the celebration of the sacrament itself.

Sacrament of the Eucharist

This programme prepares children to receive Holy Communion by deepening their understanding of Jesus’ gift of Himself in the Eucharist. Through exploring the Feeding of the Five Thousand, the Last Supper, the Real Presence of Christ and the Mass, children learn that the Eucharist is both a gift and a calling, nourishing them to live as disciples who love and serve others.

Sacrament of Confirmation

This resource prepares children to understand and celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation. Through Scripture, prayer and reflection, children explore the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Spirit, and their own call to witness to Christ in the world. The programme encourages young people to grow in confidence as members of the Church and active participants in its mission.

Supporting Schools, Parishes and Families

These resources reflect the Archdiocese of Birmingham’s commitment to excellence in Catholic education and formation. Together, the Discerning Disciples curriculum and sacramental preparation programmes support children in growing in faith, knowledge, prayer and service as they come to know Christ more clearly and follow Him more faithfully.

Adaptive teaching and Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Adaptive teaching strategies are used to ensure that all pupils can access learning and remain in the classroom as much as possible. Lessons are carefully planned and scaffolded to ensure that all pupils will be able to achieve the shared learning objective at their own level. Children with the greatest need, for example those with Special Educational Needs (SEN), will be given more in lesson support. This will include: more quality teaching and learning time with the class teacher; activities being broken down into smaller, more manageable steps; a higher level of personalised scaffolding in activities. It is our goal for all learners to be able to achieve the learning objective successfully in every lesson. Through adaptive teaching we aim to foster independence, resilience and self-confidence for every child.