Religious Education

“At the heart of Catholic education lies the Christian vision of the human person. This vision is expressed and explored in religious education, which recognises the human person as one ‘created in “the image and likeness” of God.”

- 'To Know You More Clearly' The Religious Education Directory for Catholic Schools 2023 p.13

Our Mission

As a Catholic school, English Martyrs is dedicated to the Catholic faith, recognizing each individual as special and unique in God's image. We live out our mission daily: "Through Christ to believe, inspire, and achieve."

We teach children about the Catholic faith and traditions, working with parents and the parish. We encourage children to care for the environment and live out their faith in society.

How we teach RE

RE is a core part of our curriculum, making up 10% of the timetable for all students. From September 2026, we are following the Archdiocese of Liverpool's rollout of the Religious Education Directory as follows:

• Nursery to Year 5: Follow "To Know You More Clearly" by the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of England and Wales, taught through six half-termly themes.
• Year 6: Follow the "Come and See" program, covering nine topics per year plus two weeks on Judaism and Islam.

We celebrate each topic, inviting the wider community to join. Children learn to respect prayer, worship, and each other.

Parents have the right to withdraw their child from all or part of an RE lesson.  To do this you should contact the school office in advance by emailing admin@englishmartyrs.co.uk

Prayer and Liturgy

The children’s experience of prayer and liturgy is immersive from the youngest years. Sacred silence is modelled to children from their earliest days at school. All those present are invited to participate in prayer. Pupils understand that prayer time is special. Pupils are encouraged to actively and consciously participate, within an ethos of inclusivity.

For example, the school seeks opportunities for the pupils to experience sign language or movement as part of their spoken or sung prayer. Pupils’ prayer times are at an appropriate length for their age and stage. As pupils progress through the school they experience a variety of forms of prayer and different ways to pray as part of the Catholic tradition.

Impact

At English Martyrs, children deepen their knowledge and understanding of Religious Education, becoming religiously literate by discussing and understanding different aspects of RE. We are developing our own resources aligned to the Religious Education Directory that help the children learn and remember more in all aspects of RE. Examples of these can be seen in the evidence of work below and through the regular RE pupil book studies that are undertaken by staff and governors. 

Our program inspires children, helping them develop knowledge of the Catholic faith and other religions. They leave prepared for modern life, knowing their purpose and responsibility towards others.