RE

Intent

The content of the Religious Education programme of study is guided by the Religious Education Directory (for Catholic Schools). As a Loreto school we endeavour to incorporate the values of Mary Ward through our teaching.

We aim to educate our students to:

Make excellent academic progress
Provide an education where pupils from all abilities and backgrounds make progress
Become mature young adults with a grounding in the fundamental beliefs of the Catholic Church, Sacred Scripture and Catholic Social Teaching
Continually deepen their religious and theological understanding and be able to communicate this effectively
Present an authentic vision of the Church’s moral and social teaching to provide students with a sure guide for living and the tools to critically engage with contemporary culture and society
Appreciate and respect the religious beliefs of other faiths and those with no faith
Become confident to confront and engage in the social, political, moral and religious issues of their time and in the context of the rest of the world
Enable students to relate the knowledge gained through religious education to their understanding of other subjects in the curriculum.

We as a school, through the Religious Education Department, hope that students will:

Enjoy their study of Religious Education
Achieve their full potential
Become religiously literate and consciously engaged young people who have the knowledge, understanding, and skills – appropriate to their age and capacity – to reflect spiritually, and think ethically and theologically, and who recognise the demands of religious commitment in everyday life
Embrace the opportunities for reflection, prayer and Liturgy in its many forms
Carry forward the vision of Mary Ward and her values of freedom, justice, truth, sincerity and joy.

Implementation

Religious Education is the core of the core of the curriculum and is an academic subject with the same systematic demands and rigour as other subjects studied at Loreto. Religious Education lessons are given 10% of curriculum time for Key Stage 3 and 4 and it is compulsory for students in 6^th form to be taught CORE RE for 1 hour per week. Some students in 6^th form opt to study Catechetics, which is part of CORE RE, where they are given the opportunity to give back to the community by working in local primary schools. Other aspects of our curriculum include Liturgy, Holy Days and retreats.

The curriculum in Religious Education is broad and balanced and students are challenged and encouraged to enhance their knowledge and understanding of the subject. The foundation of the subject is continually built upon as students progress through the Key Stages.

Homework is given once per week to consolidate learning. Homework is set on the app, ‘EduLink’, where parents can monitor it. Time spent on homework varies depending on the task but should take on average, 45 minutes per week for KS3, 1 hour for KS4 and 2 hours plus for KS5.

We use a variety of resources to deliver the curriculum including the following textbooks:

Years 7-9: Source to Summit
Years 10-11: AQA Religious Studies B; Catholic Christianity with Islam and Judaism
Years 12-13: Pearsson Edexcel Religious Studies A Level/AS Student Guide. (There is one for each of the three papers: Philosophy, Ethics, and New Testament).

Impact

Students achieve good grades
Students enjoy and are motivated to make good academic progress and reach their full potential
Students are challenged academically and socially, gaining an understanding of their role in the world around them
Homework is marked effectively and is informative. Targets are set to help the learner move forward
Students become more confident learners
Students take responsibility for their learning and can work independently
Through sequencing and retrieval, students are able to retain knowledge and understanding
Differentiated tasks enable all students to make progress
Students are able to express their views, and they respect and understand other people's views
A good recording of marks/grades and discussions improve pupil attainment
Students know the history of the school and understanding the importance of Mary Ward’s values
Students recognise the importance of faith – The Bible, tradition of the Church and the magisterium helps student to make informed moral decisions
Students are committed to challenging injustice in the world and have the desire to help others through charitable means.

Key Stage 3

Students are taught in their mixed ability form groups and are assessed twice per half-term using the FAR model (Feedback, Action, Response). Students are tested on the three main skills: knowledge, understanding and evaluation.

In Year 7, students study the following units, as outlined by the Religious Education Directory:

Creation and Covenant - This unit focuses on the mystery of God and how humans come to know Him: revelation. Students will learn that the Church teaches two kinds of revelation. This branch deals with the first: what can be known about God through natural reason by contemplating Creation and the human person.
Prophecy and Promise - This second unit explores divine revelation, which goes beyond what human reason can discover. While the previous unit focused on natural knowledge of God, this one examines revelation that humans cannot reach on their own. It emphasizes the nature and role of Sacred Scripture.
Galilee to Jerusalem - Building on previous learning, this unit teaches that Jesus is the full and final revelation of God. In him, all Old Testament covenants are renewed and fulfilled, and all Scripture points to him. The Church professes that in Jesus, God says all there is to say (CCC 65 & 102).
Desert to Garden - Students will understand the sacraments as the extension of the incarnation through time, rooted in Christ’s life and mysteries. The Liturgy makes present the risen Jesus who offered himself to the Father for the world’s salvation. All Christian prayer finds its source in the Liturgy and sacraments, which are both Paschal and Trinitarian. They transform those who receive them and engage with life’s deepest realities, pointing from darkness to light and death to new life.
To the Ends of the Earth - This final unit completes God’s revelation through the gift of the Holy Spirit in the Church. Students learn the Spirit’s role in the Church and individual lives. They understand the Spirit as the third person of the Trinity, drawing us into God’s life and enabling us to cry out “Abba! Father” (Gal 4:6). The unit links the Spirit’s life-giving power to the Sacrament of Confirmation.
Dialogue and Encounter - Students begin with a study of Church history and key ecumenical councils. They then explore the religion of Islam.

In Year 8 students study the following units, as outlined by the Religious Education Directory:

Creation and Covenant - Students return to the beginning of salvation history, focusing on the human condition and the figurative meaning of the Fall in Genesis 3 as a reflection on flawed human nature. This is connected to the importance of the moral law as a call to covenant fidelity with God and others. The unit emphasizes the role of the Decalogue in God’s covenant with Israel.
Prophecy and Promise - Building on the study of sin and its effects, this unit explores the role of prophets in calling people back to covenant fidelity, especially during Advent. Students examine prophetic texts, messianic prophecies, and Advent liturgies and cultural practices worldwide. They also conduct a detailed study of one prophetic text, such as Amos, to identify the prophetic pattern.
Galilee to Jerusalem - Students study the ministry of Jesus as the fulfilment of messianic prophecies, focusing on his proclamation of God’s kingdom through actions, parables, and miracles. This unit revisits Marcan themes, building on previous learning about St Mark’s titles for Jesus. It emphasizes Jesus as prophet, priest, and king.
Desert to Garden - In the last unit, students looked at Christ’s encounters with sinners, the sick, and those who suffer on the margins of society. In this unit, we ask the deeper question about the meaning of human suffering and confront the mystery of suffering: if God loves us, why does he allow us to suffer? This question can only be answered by a Christian in light of Jesus’ own suffering and death.
To the Ends of the Earth - The final unit addresses God’s ultimate answer to suffering: the promise that love will overcome all pain, death will be defeated, and humanity will see God face to face. It focuses on hope and eternal life as central to Christian belief.
Dialogue and Encounter - Students learn that principles of dialogue and proclamation in the Catholic Church were established during Vatican II and realized in its documents. They study Pope St Paul VI’s dialogical approach and the concentric circles model in Ecclesiam Suam. The unit also introduces the diversity within the Universal Catholic Church, including traditions and cultural riches of one Catholic Church other than the Latin Church.

In Year 9 students study the following units, as outlined by the Religious Education Directory:

Creation and Covenant - This unit explores the dignity of the human person, a principle of Catholic Social Teaching and a foundational scriptural truth: all people have inalienable dignity, and men and women are equal, made in God’s image. Students examine the moral implications of this dignity and its role as the basis for Christian marriage.
Prophecy and Promise – The focus is on the Blessed Virgin Mary’s role in salvation history. Students learn how Mary fulfils the Protoevangelium in Genesis and study typology in the allegorical sense of Scripture.
Galilee to Jerusalem - Students deepen their understanding of Mark’s Gospel by studying the theme of discipleship. They explore its historical context, especially the persecuted Roman Church, and why Mark emphasizes the disciples’ failures more than other Gospels.
Desert to Garden – This unit addresses how Christ’s death is redemptive. It connects the ordained priesthood to Christ as High Priest and builds on previous learning about salvation and life after death, examining how Scripture and the Church explain Christ’s salvific power.
To the Ends of the Earth – Year 9 concludes by studying the nature of communion brought about through Christ’s saving work: the Church. This builds on earlier learning about human beings as relational and created for communion.
Dialogue and Encounter – Students learn Catholic teachings on intercultural dialogue from Meeting God in Friend and Stranger and principles for fruitful dialogue, including respect for the person, social wellbeing, and peace. They also encounter one religion or worldview from the curriculum appendix (Judaism).

Key Stage 4

Students are taught in sets for GCSE Religious Studies. Students are assessed twice per half-term using the FAR model (Feedback, Action, Response). This includes a formal end of unit assessment at the end of each of the 10 units covered. There are three components for the course:

Paper 1: Catholic Christianity – 6 units. (1) Creation, (2) Incarnation, (3) The Triune God, (4) Redemption, (5) Church and the Kingdom of God and (6) Eschatology.
Paper 2: World Religions – 2 units. (1) Judaism Beliefs and Teachings and (2) Judaism Practices.
Paper 2: Themes – 2 units (1) Religion, Relationships and Families and (2) Religion, Human Rights and Social Justice.

Students will sit two exams at the end of Year 11.

Paper 1: Catholic Christianity – Students are tested on 4 out of the 6 units.

Paper 2: World Religions and Themes – Students sit both components listed above at the same time and are tested on all 4 units studied.

At Key Stage 4 we aim to:

Support progression from Key Stage 3 – the content builds on the understanding developed at Key Stage 3
Develop pupils’ understanding of the Catholic faith and how it should impact in their lives as well as developing their knowledge and understanding of Jewish beliefs and practices
Broaden students’ knowledge of the world we live in, our role within the world and what responsibilities we must undertake to stop human suffering
Develop transferable skills for areas of study at KS5.

Key Stage 5

Students are taught in mixed ability groups, where a Grade 6 at GCSE is required to study A level. Students are assessed three times per half-term using the FAR model (Feedback, Action, Response). At the end of the course, they sit 3 exams on the following topics:

Paper 1 – Philosophy of Religion
Paper 2 – Religion and Ethics
Paper 3 – New Testament Studies

At Key Stage 5 we aim to:

Support progression from Key Stage 4 – the content builds on the understanding developed at Key Stage 4, while also ensuring that students new to the subject are appropriately supported
Develop an understanding and appreciation of religion
Develop a holistic understanding of religion – how it provides answers to fundamental questions about the purpose of human life and an understanding of the influences over time of religious beliefs and practices
Provide a focus on scholarship – Students are encouraged to compare the significant ideas presented in works of scholars selected from the fields of Philosophy, Ethics and Religion. This will enable students to reflect on and develop their values, opinions and attitudes in the light of their studies
Develop transferable skills for progression to higher education – students will use ideas from a range of approaches to the study of religions and beliefs in order to research and present a wide range of well-informed and reasonable arguments, which engage profoundly with moral, religious and spiritual issues. This will enable students to make a smooth transition to the next level of study.

Sixth Form Core RE

RE at Loreto makes a significant contribution to our students' personal development. It also plays a key role in promoting social cohesion and the virtues of respect and empathy, which are imperative in our diverse community. This knowledge leads them to have a greater awareness of how beliefs influence lives. They learn how to make connections and comparisons with different areas of study, developing and constructing arguments using sources and contextually accurate specialist language as evidence to support points of views. In the light of religious teaching, students compare and explain responses, coherently presenting arguments that show awareness of other points of view. This enables them to analyse and deconstruct different debates within Theology, Philosophy and Ethics ensuring that they develop the cultural capital to become knowledge-rich citizens of the future.

This is a two-year course in Religious and Moral Education. As a part of Core RE, students in Year 12 are given the option to study a one-year course in Catechetics.

Successful completion of the course is determined by:

Regular attendance – Students must be present for every lesson unless they are absent from school due to illness or any other authorised reason
Attitude to Lessons – Students are expected to engage actively in lessons through participation in class discussion and group work.

Impact

Students achieve good grades
Students enjoy and are motivated to make good academic progress and reach their full potential
Students are challenged academically and socially, gaining an understanding of their role in the world around them
Homework is marked effectively and is informative. Targets are set to help the learner move forward
Students become more confident learners
Students take responsibility for their learning and can work independently
Through sequencing and retrieval, students are able to retain knowledge and understanding
Differentiated tasks enable all students to make progress
Students are able to express their views, and they respect and understand other people's views
A good recording of marks/grades and discussions improve pupil attainment
Students know the history of the school and understanding the importance of Mary Ward’s values
Students recognise the importance of faith – The Bible, tradition of the Church and the magisterium helps student to make informed moral decisions
Students are committed to challenging injustice in the world and have the desire to help others through charitable means.

Loreto College St Albans

RE

Intent

Implementation

Impact

Key Stage 3

Key Stage 4

Key Stage 5

Impact

RE Curriculum Maps