As a Catholic School, we devote 10% of curriculum time to the teaching of Religious Education; this is separate from times of prayer and collective worship, such as assemblies, liturgies and class prayer which happen in addition to the taught curriculum. 

At St Joseph's  we follow the Religious Education Directory (RED) Model Curriculum in ‘To know you more clearly – June 2023’. The RED fulfils the requirements of the Bishop's Conference which sets forth the expectations for what should be covered by Religious Education teaching in Catholic Schools in England and Wales. 

The RED is a transformative Religious Education programme designed to deepen students’ spiritual growth by nurturing a rich understanding of Catholic beliefs and values. 

At our school, we use the Day by Day Religious Education resources provided by the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton, developed in partnership with St Mary’s University, Twickenham. These resources support the teaching of the Religious Education Directory (To Know You More Clearly) and are carefully designed to be age-appropriate and engaging. Created with input from experienced Early Years and primary practitioners, Day by Day helps children grow in their understanding of the Catholic faith through Scripture, prayer, and reflective learning. The resources are being introduced in phases, starting with Early Years and progressing through the primary year groups. They have received Canonical approval and are aligned with national Catholic education standards. We are proud to use Day by Day to nurture the spiritual development of all our pupils and to help them encounter the love of God in meaningful, accessible ways.

Inclusion and Equality

All pupils in our school, irrespective of ability, faith and background will have appropriate differentiated access to the Religious Education programme. The governing body have wider responsibilities under the Equalities Act 2010 and will ensure that our school strives to do the best for all of the pupils, irrespective of disability, educational needs, race, nationality, ethnic or national origin, sex, gender identity, religion or sexual orientation or whether they are looked after children.

Right of withdrawal from RE

Parents have the right of withdrawal from RE for their children. The school will refer to the Catholic Education Service (CSE) document ‘Guidance on the right of withdrawal from religious education and / or collective worship’ in the event of such a request being received.