Nature of Subject
Religious Education is the centre of our core curriculum, inspired by the living presence of Jesus Christ, who is at the heart of our Catholic community. It is both an academic discipline and a spiritual journey, shaping every aspect of school life and learning. It nurtures students to grow in wisdom, compassion, and understanding, guided by the Gospel values of faith, love, and service.
In line with the Roman Catholic Religious Education Directory (2023):
- Religious Education is taught with the same rigour and intellectual challenge as any other core subject.
- It engages students in the systematic study of the mystery of God, the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, and the beliefs, practices, and traditions of the Catholic Church.
- It is delivered within a broad and balanced curriculum, informing and enriching all other subjects.
- It is allocated at least 10% of curriculum time in each year of compulsory schooling, and 5% in sixth form, ensuring its centrality in the formation of our students.
- It invites every pupil, whatever their background, to encounter Christ and explore life’s deepest questions.
Intent
Key Stage 3
Students engage in a spiral curriculum that revisits six theological themes each year: Creation & Covenant, Prophecy & Promise, Galilee to Jerusalem, Desert to Garden, To the Ends of the Earth, and Dialogue & Encounter.
Students will:
- Systematically study the mystery of God, the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, and the beliefs and practices of the Catholic Church. Same re: bullet points.
- Deepen their theological understanding and communicate it effectively
- Engage critically with contemporary culture and society.
- Explore other world religions (including Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism) and develop respectful dialogue.
- Relate RE knowledge to other subjects, fostering a holistic understanding of truth and meaning.
Key Stage 4
Following the AQA GCSE Religious Studies Specification B, students will:
- Study Catholic Christianity in depth, including Creation, Incarnation, The Triune God, Redemption, Church and the Kingdom of God, and Eschatology.
- Explore Judaism and ethical themes including relationships and families, human rights and social justice.
- Engage with primary sources of authority and relate them to personal belief and contemporary issues.
- Develop their knowledge of key Biblical texts and evaluative skills.
Key Stage 5
Following the OCR A Level Religious Studies Specification (H573), students will:
- Study theology, philosophy, and ethics with academic rigour.
- Explore topics including Natural Law, Utilitarianism, Religious Experience, Gender and Society, and Liberation Theology.
- Reflect critically on faith, reason, and society in a pluralistic world.
- Develop independent research, essay writing, study primary sources, and engage with diverse perspectives and arguments whilst also valuing others’ views as matters for respectful dialogue in an increasingly pluralistic world.
Design
Key Stage 3: The curriculum is rooted in spiral learning, allowing students to revisit and deepen understanding of key theological themes while developing skills in explanation and evaluation.
Key Stage 4: The curriculum follows the AQA GCSE specification, ensuring structured progression and exam readiness.
Key Stage 5: The curriculum follows the OCR A Level specification, promoting advanced critical thinking and philosophical engagement.
Across all key stages, the curriculum is designed to:
- Build fluency and depth in theological knowledge. Promote reasoning, evaluation, and respectful dialogue.
- Encourage students to develop their own spiritual and moral perspective, while valuing others’ views.
Delivery
Our pedagogy is informed by cognitive theory and Catholic theology, ensuring that learning is both effective and meaningful.
- Retrieval practice to help transfer knowledge into long-term memory.
- Build deeper understanding.
- Extended writing tasks are carefully scaffolded to promote resilience and intellectual growth.
Students are guided toward a growth mindset, encouraging reflection on choices and values. Through intelligent practice, Students are challenged to think deeply, apply their skills, and become versatile problem solvers, both in the classroom and in life.
Christ at the Centre
In every lesson, Christ’s example of compassion, courage, and wisdom shapes our relationships and discussions. Religious Education at Coloma forms young people who:
- Aim to achieve academic excellence.
- Reflect spiritually and think ethically.
- Live as faith-filled citizens, inspired by Christ to serve others.
Our subject mission is to create, “religiously literate and consciously engaged young people who reflect spiritually, think ethically and theologically, and recognise the demands of religious commitment in everyday life"