Religious Education

At Our Lady’s, our rich and vibrant curriculum places our Catholic Faith at its heart. Religious Education is central to everything we do and fully complies with the Religious Education Directory (RED) 2023 for England and Wales. Through high‑quality teaching, prayer and lived experience, we support every child in growing as a disciple of Christ who understands God’s love and their unique place in His family;

Our RE Curriculum

We follow Kip and Friends, the RED‑compliant programme by Dr Margaret Carswell, which we adapt thoughtfully to meet the needs of all classes and learners. This ensures that RE is:

Relevant – rooted in the children’s own experiences
Meaningful – connected to real life and the wider world
Accessible – allowing all children to succeed
Reflective – enabling pupils to understand, discern, record and respond to their learning and to the richness of the Catholic faith

Our curriculum is designed to help pupils think spiritually, ethically, and theologically, becoming increasingly confident in expressing what they believe and why it matters.

Partnership With Our Parish

We are truly blessed to have the support of our Parish Priest, Father Andrew, who visits classes regularly and journeys with our children and staff in faith. His presence helps our pupils deepen their understanding of prayer, liturgy and the life of the Church.

As a school community, we frequently gather with our parish for Whole‑School Masses and Class Masses, strengthening our sense of belonging to the wider family of the Church.

Living the Liturgical Year

Our children experience the beauty and rhythm of the liturgical year through:

Feast Day Masses
Celebrations of the Sacrament of Reconciliation
Advent and Lenten assemblies
Liturgical prayer and seasonal reflections

These opportunities help children grow in appreciation of Catholic worship, tradition and celebration.

Experiences Beyond the Classroom

We want every child to see themselves as part of a wider community, both locally and globally. To enrich their understanding of faith in action, we provide:

Educational visits
Guest speakers
Community links
Opportunities for service and outreach

These experiences help our pupils live out Catholic Social Teaching in practical and meaningful ways.

Prayer and Liturgy

Prayer is at the heart of school life at Our Lady’s. We strive to offer quality, age‑appropriate experiences of prayer and liturgy that support children’s spiritual development.

Our pupils pray in many ways, including:

Traditional Catholic prayers
Spontaneous and informal prayer
Song, gesture, symbol and silence
Meditation
The daily Examen, helping children reflect and grow closer to God

Prayer is not limited to timetabled moments; it flows naturally throughout the day and across all aspects of school life.

In All Things, Christ at the Centre

Through a curriculum grounded in scripture, worship, community and service, we guide our pupils to grow in faith, understanding and love. At Our Lady’s, Religious Education is not just a subject — it is a lived experience, shaping the hearts, minds and actions of every child.