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Catholic Life

Religious Education

To know You more clearly

Overview of Discerning Disciples

Discerning Disciples is a religious education programme for Catholic primary schools in the Archdiocese of Birmingham, officially endorsed to meet the requirements of the Religious Education Directory To Know You More Clearly. It is rooted in the diocesan mission of forming Christ-centred pilgrims of hope with kind hearts, questioning minds, a thirst for knowledge, and a hunger for justice.

To be a discerning disciple means learning to recognise what is true, good, and right, and making wise decisions in the light of faith, reason, and lived experience. The curriculum invites pupils to listen attentively to the Word of God, wonder at creation, know Jesus in the Gospels, and understand the mission of the Church. Through three ways of knowing (understand, discern, respond) across four knowledge lenses (hear, believe, celebrate, live), pupils grow in wisdom, virtue, and love, learning how faith illuminates life and bears fruit in care for creation, Catholic social teaching, and respectful dialogue with others.

Structured as a spiral curriculum, the programme features six core thematic branches—one for each half term—which pupils encounter at the exact same point in the liturgical and academic year as they progress from Nursery through to Year 6. This spiral structure ensures that foundational theological concepts, scriptural stories, and moral practices are continually revisited, reinforced, and deepened as children grow in maturity and understanding.

Branch 1: Creation and Covenant (Autumn 1)

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Branch 1 explores God as Creator and introduces human beings to their role as stewards tasked with caring for creation and developing ecological virtues. It examines the foundational Old Testament covenants made with Noah, Abraham, and Moses, showing how God initiates binding relationships with His people and invites a response of faith and obedience. Ultimately, pupils see how these covenants prepare the way for Jesus, who establishes the new covenant restoring humanity's relationship with God.

Branch 2: Prophecy and Promise (Autumn 2)

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Branch 2 focuses on the Old Testament prophets—such as Isaiah and Elijah—who called God's people back to covenant faithfulness and foretold the coming Messiah. Pupils explore salvation history through key biblical figures, including King David and key Old Testament women, while tracing Jesus’ ancestry through the Jesse Tree. This branch connects ancient prophecies directly to the Annunciation, Nativity, and the realization of God’s promises in Jesus.

Branch 3: Galilee to Jerusalem (Spring 1)

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Branch 3 follows the life, public ministry, and teachings of Jesus as He travels from His early life into Jerusalem. Pupils learn how Jesus reveals God’s love to everyone by welcoming children, transforming lives such as Zacchaeus, and proclaiming Good News to the poor and vulnerable. Through parables like the Sower and personal encounters, pupils explore what it means to receive God's Word and live out the values of the Kingdom of God.

Branch 4: Desert to Garden (Spring 2)

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Branch 4 guides pupils through the liturgical seasons of Lent and Easter. It connects Jesus' forty days in the desert with Christian practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, highlighting Lent as an opportunity for spiritual growth and a fresh start. The branch journeys through the events of Holy Week—from Palm Sunday and the Last Supper to the Crucifixion—culminating in the joy of the Resurrection on Easter Sunday and putting Catholic social teaching into action.

Branch 5: To the Ends of the Earth (Summer 1)

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Branch 5 focuses on the birth and expansion of the Church following the Resurrection and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Drawing from the Acts of the Apostles and St Paul's epistles, pupils follow the early disciples as they spread the Good News to all nations. The curriculum emphasizes belonging to the local parish and global Church, cultivating the fruits of the Holy Spirit, and understanding Jesus as the 'new Adam'.

Branch 6: Dialogue and Encounter (Summer 2)

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Branch 6 examines how Catholics live out their faith as part of a global Christian family while engaging in respectful dialogue with people of diverse faiths and worldviews. Pupils study Catholic social teaching, the "dialogue of life," and practical ways to collaborate for the common good, peace, and justice. It explores Jewish covenant traditions, Dharmic practices, and inspiring figures of dialogue such as St Francis of Assisi and Pope St John Paul II.