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Religious Studies Subject Overview

Statement of Intent

It is our intent for the Religious Education element of our Academy curriculum to engage, inspire, challenge and encourage students, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to answer challenging questions about the world around them. Religious Education is the “core of the core curriculum” (Pope St John Paul II) at St Mary’s Catholic Academy. Our mission is to educate the whole person in discerning the meaning of their existence. Religious Education is concerned with more than just intellectual knowledge as it includes emotional learning. It is through Religious Education that students are able to consider what it means to be truly human.

St Mary’s follows the Religious Education Directory as laid out by the CatholicEducation Service. The curriculum is structured around six curriculum branches—such as “Creation and covenant” and “Galilee to Jerusalem”—that follow the narrative of salvation history and are revisited sequentially to deepen understanding. It integrates content through four “knowledge lenses” (Hear, Believe, Celebrate, Live) and three “ways of knowing” (Understand, Discern, Respond), focusing on developing a knowledge of Catholic faith, scripture, liturgy, and the application of these beliefs to life and social justice issues. Significant emphasis is also placed on fostering interreligious and intercultural dialogue with other Christian denominations, Abrahamic faiths, and other worldviews.

The model curriculum presented in the Religious Education Directory uses a structure of six curriculum branches that correspond to the six half-terms of the school year. This framework is rooted in the narrative of salvation history, allowing learning to be sequential and progressive.

Below is an overview of the content covered in each of the six half-terms (Branches) for Year 7, Year 8, and Year 9, drawing on the model curriculum outlines provided in the sources.

Subject Overviews
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KS3 Curriculum Map

Year 7 Overview of Content

Branch 1: Creation and covenant
Focus: God’s Revelation. Students study the nature of revelation, including the distinction between general (through natural reason/Creation) and special (divine) revelation. They explore the Creation accounts (Genesis 1 & 2) and their central truths about God, Creation, and human beings. Content includes the compatibility of scientific accounts and Catholic belief, the universal human call to prayer, and the ethical implications of Creation (e.g., Stewardship and the four core principles of Catholic Social Teaching: dignity, common good, subsidiarity, and solidarity).

Branch 2: Prophecy and promise
Focus: Sacred Scripture. Students study divine revelation not possible by human effort alone, focusing on the role of Sacred Scripture (the Bible). This includes the relationship between scripture, tradition, and the magisterium (Dei Verbum 9); the meaning of ‘inspired’ and ‘without error’; the structure of the Bible (canon, literary forms, original languages, and translations); and the value of the Old Testament, noting its arrangement and interpretation by Jewish people (Tanakh). Students also learn how scripture is used in the Liturgy (Liturgy of the Word) and prayer (e.g., Lectio Divina).

Branch 3: Galilee to Jerusalem
Focus: Jesus Christ and the Incarnation. Students explore the belief that Jesus is the full and final revelation of God, the Word made flesh (Incarnation). Content includes the titles of Jesus (Son of Man, Son of God, Christ/Son of David, Lord), and the doctrine of the Trinity (one God in three Persons). They study the Nicene Creed as a defense against heresy (e.g., Arianism) and examine the relationship between Christian prayer and belief (lex orandi, lex credendi). Jesus is presented as the model of perfect human living.

Branch 4: Desert to garden
Focus: The Eucharist. Students study the sacraments as extensions of the Incarnation, making present the Paschal mystery (Christ’s saving death and resurrection). This unit specifically focuses on the Eucharist as the ‘source and summit’ of Christian life. Content covers connections between the Jewish Passover (Ex 12:1-14), the Last Supper (Lk 22:14-20), the structure of the Mass (Liturgy of the Eucharist), and the belief in Christ’s ‘real presence’ (Sacrifice of the Mass). Students compare Catholic beliefs about the Eucharist with other Christian denominations’ views on the Lord’s Supper.

Branch 5: To the ends of the Earth
Focus: The Holy Spirit and the Church. Students study the completion of revelation through the sending of the Holy Spirit (the third person of the Trinity), particularly at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-12). The unit examines the Church as the People of God, Body of Christ, and Temple of the Holy Spirit. Content includes the origins, rite, meaning, and effects of the Sacrament of Confirmation, making links with Pentecost and symbols of the Holy Spirit (fire, dove).

Branch 6: Dialogue and encounter
Focus: Christian Unity and Dialogue. Dialogue content includes how Councils of the Church clarify faith (dogma) and the historical causes/effects of schism (breakaway groups). Students define ecumenism (working towards Christian unity). Encounter involves an initial study of a different religion or worldview (e.g., Judaism, Islam, Dharmic pathways), using the concentric circles model of dialogue (Ecclesiam Suam) to understand relations between the Catholic Church and others.

Year 8 Overview of content

Branch 1: Creation and covenant
Focus: Sin and Moral Law. Students study the human condition through the account of the Fall (Genesis 3) as a figurative reflection on flawed human nature. They distinguish between original sin and personal sin. The moral law is introduced through the Sinai covenant (Decalogue/Ten Commandments). Students explore the concepts of human dignity, freedom, responsibility, and conscience, recognizing the duty to inform conscience. The Sacrament of Baptism is revisited, linking its meaning and effects (forgiveness of sins) to the Fall.

Branch 2: Prophecy and promise
Focus: New Covenant and Prophetic Witness. Students study the pattern of prophetic texts (call, message, fulfillment), examining figures like Isaiah, Ezekiel, or Jeremiah. They see prophecy fulfilled in John the Baptist. They learn that through baptism, lay people participate in Christ’s threefold office (priest, prophet, and king), emphasizing the prophetic mission of being witnesses to Christ in the world. The importance of prophetic texts in Advent devotions is explored (e.g., O Antiphons, Jesse tree).

Branch 3: Galilee to Jerusalem
Focus: Proclamation of the Kingdom and Healing. Students study Jesus’ proclamation of the Kingdom of God through his actions, parables (e.g., Kingdom growth, mercy, eschatology), and miracles (e.g., power over evil, sickness, death, nature). They explore Jesus’ encounters with those on the margins (sinners, ritually unclean, women) and the ‘preferential love for the poor’. They define the moral sense of scripture (what people must do to act justly). The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick (origins, rite, meaning, effects) is covered as one of the Sacraments of Healing.

Branch 4: Desert to garden
Focus: The Mystery of Suffering and Reconciliation. This unit addresses the problem of evil and the meaning of suffering. Students study the Passion and Death of Jesus (Mk 14:32-15:39) linking it to the Fourth Servant Song (Is 52:13-53:12). They learn about the disciplines of Lent (fasting, almsgiving, prayer) as ways to achieve conversion. The Sacrament of Penance/Reconciliation (origins, rite, meaning, effects) is studied as the second Sacrament of Healing. The celebration of the Paschal mystery through the Triduum is also covered.

Branch 5: To the ends of the Earth
Focus: Resurrection and Eternal Life. Students look at God’s answer to suffering: the promise of life everlasting. They study one of the Resurrection accounts and St Paul’s teaching on the resurrection of the body (1 Cor 15). They learn about the four last things (death, judgement, heaven, and hell). The main elements of a Catholic funeral rite (Requiem Mass) are studied, linking them to beliefs about resurrection and life eternal. The concept of ‘baptism of desire’ is also introduced.

Branch 6: Dialogue and encounter
Focus: The Universal Church and Dialogue Models. Dialogue focuses on the Second Vatican Council’s principles, particularly Pope St Paul VI’s concentric circles model of dialogue from Ecclesiam Suam. Students learn about the internal diversity of the Universal Catholic Church, including the different Catholic Churches (e.g., Eastern Catholic Churches) and their distinct liturgical traditions. Encounter involves studying a non-Christian religion or worldview.

Year 9 Overview of Content

Branch 1: Creation and covenant
Focus: Dignity of the Human Person and Marriage. The unit revisits Creation (Genesis 1 & 2) focusing on imago Dei (image of God) and its implication for the inalienable dignity and radical equality of men and women. Students explore the moral implications of human dignity (e.g., sanctity of life, communal moral life). The Sacrament of Matrimony is studied: its origins, nature, purpose, rite, meaning, effects, and why it is a ‘sacrament at the service of communion’.

Branch 2: Prophecy and promise
Focus: The Blessed Virgin Mary and Salvation History. Students explore Mary’s unique role as the fulfilment of Old Testament promises (e.g., the Protoevangelium in Genesis). They study the relationship between Mary and holy women in salvation history, using the concept of typology. Content covers Marian dogmas (Mother of God, Ever Virgin, Immaculate Conception, Assumption). They examine how Mary’s prophecy (‘All generations will call me blessed’) is fulfilled through Marian devotions, feasts, titles, and prayers (e.g., the Magnificat, Rosary).

Branch 3: Galilee to Jerusalem
Focus: Discipleship and Vocation. The unit builds on themes in Mark’s Gospel (historical context of persecution) to study the nature and cost of discipleship, including the failures of the apostles (Mk 8:27-38). This links to the concept of vocation (the unique call to service). Students study the nature of religious life and the importance of the evangelical counsels (poverty, chastity, obedience). The Sacrament of Holy Orders (rite, origins, meaning, degrees: deacon, priest, bishop) is studied as a ‘sacrament at the service of communion’.

Branch 4: Desert to garden
Focus: The Mystery of Redemption. Students examine how Christ’s sacrificial death brings about redemption and salvation. They study the Letter to the Hebrews (Heb 9) to understand Christ as the High Priest. This requires understanding the Old Testament context: the structure of Herod’s Temple and the role of the High Priest in the Day of Atonement rite. The New Covenant superseding the Old is explained, linking to the symbolism of Christ as the Lamb of God (Agnus Dei) in the Mass.

Branch 5: To the ends of the Earth
Focus: The Communion of Saints. This unit studies the nature of the Church as a communion that spans heaven and earth. Students define the communion of saints and the three states of the Church: Church on Earth, Church in Heaven, and Church being purified (Purgatory). They study the visible structure of the Church on Earth. Content covers the role of angels and saints (intercession) and their place in the Liturgy (e.g., Sanctoral Cycle, popular devotions).

Branch 6: Dialogue and encounter
Focus: Intercultural Dialogue and the Common Good. Dialogue focuses on the teachings of the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales regarding intercultural dialogue (Meeting God in Friend and Stranger), outlining the four dialogues (life, action, religious experience, theological exchange). The unit emphasizes the commitment to the common good and its essential elements: respect for the person, social wellbeing/development, and peace/security. Encounter involves studying one of the listed religions/worldviews, demonstrating an understanding of common and divergent practices.

KS4 Curriculum Map

KS4 Overview

This area of study comprises an in depth exploration of Catholic Christianity as a lived religion in the United Kingdom and throughout the world. There are four sections: Beliefs and Teachings; Practices; Sources of Wisdom and Authority; Forms of Expression and Ways of Life. Students are expected to study Catholic Christianity within the context of the wider British society, the religious traditions of which are, in the main, Christian. Students should compare and contrast the areas of belief and practice within Catholic Christianity with wider Christian perspectives as outlined in the content below:

Year 10 Topics
Year 11 Topics

A Level Curriculum Map

A Level Overview

Philosophical Language and thought /The existence of God/God and the world/ The Nature of God / Religious Language Normative ethical theories: religious approaches. Applied Ethics. Development in Christian thought – Insight & Living

Year 12 Topics
Year 13 Topics