RE Curriculum

The outcome of Religious Education is religiously literate young people who have the knowledge, understanding and skills – appropriate to their age and capacity – to think spiritually, ethically and theologically, and who are aware of the demands of religious commitment in everyday life.

[Religious Education Directory - To know You more clearly 2023]

The Vine and The Branches

Religious Education is a fundamental part of our school life and is taught as a core subject. We ensure that each class fulfils the Diocesan recommendation of 10% teaching time and we follow the Bishop’s chosen scheme of “The Vine and The Branches” in a creative way. RE is so much more than just lessons at St Joseph's as our faith permeates everything that we do.

What is 'The Vine and The Branches'?

Since September 2025 a new RE curriculum was implemented across classes from Year 1. “To Know you more clearly, The Religious Education Directory” sets out the new curriculum following a pattern where Children hear, believe, celebrate and live out the Gospel. 

Since September 2024, we began teaching the new Curriculum following the Year 1, Year 2, Year 3 and Year 4 objectives. Since September 2025, Year 5 and Year 6 will also follow the new curriculum. To support in teaching this new curriculum teachers will use a resource called “The Vine and the branches” supplemented with other resources. Reception are in the process of transitioning to follow the new curriculum too and therefore the details of their scheme are within the documents below.

The Programme is divided into Six Branches.

By clicking the relevant branch below, you will view the curriculum content taught from Reception to Year 6.

1: Aut 1: Creation and Covenant                      2: Aut 2: Prophecy and Promise

3: Spring 1: Galilee to Jerusalem                          4: Spring 2: Desert to Garden

5: Sum 1: Ends of the Earth                          6: Sum 2: Dialogue and Encounter

For each of the six branches there are five or six units. Each unit begins with Scripture and the whole scheme is based around listening to and becoming familiar with the Word of God.