Religious Education is a fundamental part of the curriculum at Dean Gibson and is woven into every aspect of school life. As the core subject, it lies at the heart of our identity as a Catholic school. Religious Education involves the structured study of the mystery of God, the teachings of Jesus Christ, the traditions of the Church, the lives of the Saints, and the connection between faith and everyday life.
Dean Gibson School is fully committed to the Catholic faith, recognising and valuing every child as a unique individual, created in the image and likeness of God.
Our Religious Education curriculum nurtures each child’s sense of wonder, awe, reverence, and spirituality. It encourages children not simply to strive for more, but to grow into being more. Children learn about God’s love, their Christian responsibilities, and are given opportunities to experience church life, Catholic and Christian traditions. They are also taught to show respect and understanding for people of other faiths and cultures.
Religious Education at Dean Gibson Primary School
To inform our teaching in Religious Education, we follow the national Religious Education Directory, To Know You More Clearly (RED), alongside the diocesan guidance and the Magister programme.
The Religious Education Directory was published in Spring 2023, and we have been on a journey of embedding the new curriculum across school. Full implementation across all year groups was completed from September 2025.
As we have mixed-age classes, our RE curriculum is carefully planned to ensure that children experience appropriate progression and coverage across the different year groups within each class. We use Magister to support teachers in planning and delivering the RED curriculum, adapting the units and activities where necessary to meet the needs of our mixed-age cohorts.
The RED is organised into six branches:
Creation and Covenant
Prophecy and Promise
Galilee to Jerusalem
Desert to Garden
Ends of the Earth
Dialogue and Encounter
Each branch is rooted in Scripture and enables pupils to develop their knowledge and understanding of the Catholic faith. The curriculum is centred on listening to, engaging with and becoming familiar with the Word of God, while making connections between Scripture, Catholic teaching and the children's own lives.
Through our mixed-age approach, we ensure that all pupils have opportunities to develop secure foundational knowledge, deepen their understanding and encounter the richness of Scripture and the Catholic faith at an appropriate level for their age and stage.
Religious Education is further enhanced and given expression through the liturgical life of the church by attendance and active participation in the Mass and the sacraments through the observance of religious services and festivals. We have regular masses both in school and at church led by Father Hugh. Please visit the Holy Trinity & St George Catholic Church for more information.
Although preparation for the Sacraments of Reconciliation and First Holy Communion are completed outside of school within the Parish community, during Year 3, the RE curriculum also supports children in this journey towards fuller participation in the Mass and the life of the Church.
The Catholic faith perspective is not an added extra, which we teach and offer to the children, it is integrated into the whole life of the school and into all the aspects of the curriculum. Please visit our Catholic Life page to find out more about how our faith and action is further reflected in our school life.