In the life of faith of St Thomas More Catholic Voluntary Academy , religious education plays a central and vital part. It is the foundation of the entire educational process. The beliefs and values studied in Catholic religious education inspire and draw together every aspect of life in our Catholic school.  The school recognises the importance of children having a sound understanding of their faith, its stories, teachings and practices. The school follows the Religious Education Directory (RED) scheme of work.  Religion lessons aim to inspire and engage pupils, developing their understanding and skills whilst recognising the unique nature of the subject and the importance of cultivating a sense of awe and wonder. Inclusion is an important part of all of our teaching and learning and pupils achieve highly in Religious Education and making good progress both during the year and throughout their time at the school.

At St Thomas More, Jesus is at the heart of everything we do. His life, teachings, and example shape our values and guide our daily lives. As such, Religious Education is a core priority within our curriculum and is given dedicated time — with 10% of weekly teaching time allocated to RE.

We follow the Religious Education Directory (RED) syllabus, which provides a rich and structured framework for faith formation. Our staff and governors are deeply committed to nurturing the seeds of faith within each child and their family, working in partnership with parents, carers, and the parish community to build a strong, supportive faith environment.

We believe that faith development is integral to the growth of the whole child — socially, emotionally, physically, academically, and spiritually.

Each term, children explore a central belief or “Big Question” through three key themes:

• Domestic Church (family and home life)

• Local Church (parish and community)

• Universal Church (global faith and Church)

This structure ensures that children engage with the richness of Christianity, while also learning about other world religions. Themes are carefully linked to the liturgical year, creating meaningful connections between classroom learning and the rhythms of the Church’s life.

Religious Education Directory (RED)

The RED has been intentionally designed around the model of a ‘spiral curriculum’, with themes and concepts revisited throughout the primary RE curriculum. To signal this, six themes (referred to as curriculum branches) are used to frame the topics covered each year. The child at a Catholic school is being invited to approach RE as a curriculum or learning journey that they follow each year, which delves deeper each subsequent year. The framing curriculum branches are: Creation and Covenant, Prophecy and Promise, Galilee to Jerusalem, Desert to Garden, To the ends of the earth, and Dialogue and encounter.

Religious-Education-Directory-RED-To-Know-You-More-Clearly

From Extra -ordo-nary from NDCYS – The Nottingham Diocesan Catholic Youth Service 

The link below outlines the focus for each week from the NDYYS linked to our faith https://www.ndcys.com/resources/#single/0  (opens in new tab)

Nottingham Diocesan Catholic Youth Service – NDCYS

Find out more about opportunities for young people to discover community, come to a friendship with Christ and a deeper awareness of themselves https://www.ndcys.com/

Diocese of Nottingham

Discover our diocese, our faith, and more by clicking on the link below https://www.dioceseofnottingham.uk/(opens in new tab)

The God who Speaks

https://www.godwhospeaks.uk/