Enjoying the wonders of God's creation
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Setting up our prayer space
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Diwali Dancing workshop
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Introducing Discerning Disciples Our New Religious Education Curriculum from September 2026 At SS Peter and Paul
Christ is at the heart of everything we do. As a Catholic school within the Archdiocese of Birmingham, we are committed to providing an outstanding Religious Education that nurtures children's faith, knowledge, understanding and spiritual growth. From September 2026, we are excited to begin teaching Discerning Disciples, the new Religious Education curriculum for Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Birmingham. The curriculum has been developed to support the Religious Education Directory, To Know You More Clearly, and seeks to form children as confident, knowledgeable and faith-filled disciples of Jesus Christ.
What is Discerning Disciples? Discerning Disciples is a rich and engaging Religious Education curriculum designed to help children develop a deeper relationship with God while growing in their understanding of the Catholic faith. The curriculum encourages pupils to: Encounter Jesus Christ through Scripture, prayer and worship. Develop a secure knowledge and understanding of Catholic beliefs and teachings. Reflect thoughtfully on questions of meaning, purpose and faith. Recognise the presence of God in their own lives and in the wider world. Grow as compassionate, responsible and active members of their communities. Become discerning disciples who are inspired to live out Gospel values in their daily lives.
The Six Branches of Learning The Discerning Disciples curriculum is organised into six branches. These branches are revisited each year, allowing pupils to deepen their knowledge and understanding as they progress through school.
1. Creation and Covenant Children explore God's loving act of creation and learn that every person is made in God's image and likeness. Through the stories of Creation, Noah and Abraham, pupils discover God's covenant relationship with His people and understand the importance of stewardship, dignity and caring for our common home.
2. Prophecy and Promise This branch focuses on God's promises throughout salvation history and the role of the prophets in preparing for the coming of Jesus. Children learn about Advent, the Annunciation and Mary's response to God's call, recognising how God faithfully fulfils His promises.
3. Galilee to Jerusalem Pupils journey with Jesus through His life and ministry. They study His teachings, miracles and encounters with others, discovering how Jesus revealed God's love and called people to become His followers.
4. Desert to Garden Through Lent and Holy Week, children explore themes of repentance, sacrifice, forgiveness and hope. They reflect on the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus and deepen their understanding of the Paschal Mystery at the heart of Christian faith.
5. To the Ends of the Earth This branch explores the mission of the Church after Jesus' Resurrection. Pupils learn about Pentecost, the work of the Apostles and how Christians are called by the Holy Spirit to share the Good News and serve others in today's world.
6. Dialogue and Encounter Children learn about other faiths and worldviews while deepening their understanding of Catholicism. Through respectful dialogue and encounter, they develop appreciation for the dignity of every person and learn how people of different faiths can work together for the common good.
How Children Learn Within each branch, pupils develop their learning through four key lenses: Hear - encountering Scripture and Church teaching. Believe - understanding what Catholics believe. Celebrate - exploring prayer, liturgy and the sacramental life of the Church. Live - applying faith to everyday life.
Children are also encouraged to: Understand what they have learned. Discern through reflection and thoughtful discussion. Respond by making connections between faith and their own lives.
Our Vision Through the Discerning Disciples curriculum, we aim to ensure that every child: Knows they are loved by God, grows in faith and understanding, and is empowered to make a positive difference in the world. We want our pupils to become: Rooted in the Gospel. Knowledgeable about their faith. Thoughtful and reflective learners. Compassionate towards others. Committed to justice and service. Confident disciples of Christ who are ready to contribute positively to society. In the words of the Birmingham Diocesan vision, we seek to form"Christ-centred pilgrims of hope with kind hearts, questioning minds, a thirst for knowledge and a hunger for justice."
Working Together with Families Parents and carers play a vital role in the faith development of their children. We look forward to working closely with families as we introduce this exciting new curriculum. Throughout the year, we will share information about the topics being studied and provide opportunities for families to support learning, prayer and faith formation at home.
Find Out More If you would like further information about our Religious Education curriculum, please contact the school office or speak with our Religious Education Subject Leader. Together, we look forward to this exciting new chapter in nurturing faith, inspiring learning and helping every child to become a Discerning Disciple of Christ.
"Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."
Matthew 5:16
The Aims at SS Peter and Paul for the curriculum of RE are:
*Develop knowledge and understanding of the mysteries of God and of Jesus Christ, of the Church, and of the central beliefs which Catholics hold;
*Develop awareness and appreciation of Catholic belief, understanding of its impact on personal and social behaviour and of the vital relationships between faith and life, life and faith;
*Study, investigate and reflect;
*Develop listening and thinking skills;
*Foster appropriate attitudes including: respect for truth; respect for the views of others; awareness of the spiritual, of moral responsibility, of the demands of religious commitment in everyday life and especially the challenge of living in a multicultural, multi faith society.
*To encourage questioning and enquiring to develop children’s faith more deeply
Get thinking and challenge questions
Pupils get thinking at the start of each lesson, developing oracy and deeper thinking skills in re. pupils with send are also well supported in order to make good progress. challenge and effective questioning is woven throughout our re lessons.
RE whole school projects
we actively set wholeschool RE projects to develop home school links, examples include making romero crosses and nativity scenes.
RE superstars
We celebrate achievements in RE by awarding termly RE superstar cerificates recognising effort and deeper learning.
Building the kingdom
We actively encourage enrichment in re lessons, for example recently our nursery celebrated mardi gras to mark the start of lent. we also learn about different faiths. during our lessons we discuss how we can put our faith into action through our catholic social teaching and try to live our lives living out our virtues and values.
