EYFS

Branch 1: Creation and Covenant

Branch 2: Prophecy and Promise

Branch 3:

From Galilee to Jerusalem

Branch 4:

From Desert to Garden

Branch 5:

To the Ends of the Earth

Branch 6:

Dialogue and Encounter

Hear

The words and actions of the Sign of the Cross.

God created the world and said, ‘Indeed it is very good’. (Genesis 1:31)

The whole of creation shows God’s love for us. (Laudato Si’ 84-88)

The Annunciation (Lk 1:26-31, 38) The Nativity (Lk 2:4-7)

The Shepherds visit the manger (Lk 2:28-30)

The Visit of the Magi (Matt 2:1-12)

What?

Jesus blesses the little children (Mk 10:13-16)

How?

 Feeding of 5000 (Jn 6:1-14)

A simplified version of key events of Holy Week especially Good Friday and Easter Sunday (to recognise key events).

The great commandment (Lk 10:25-28)

Story of Pentecost (simple telling).

The early Christian community (Acts 2:42-47)

Dialogue:

Friends of Jesus: Hear a simple life of St Peter and St Paul, friends of Jesus (link to St Charles’ Feast Day)

Ask a local parishioner to talk about their faith and why it matters to them to be a friend of Jesus.

Explore a range of pictures of Jesus from a non-European tradition.

Encounter:

 Talk with a local or school community member about their local (faith) community and what it means to them.

Encounter music, food, smells, tastes and clothing to enrich experiences.

Believe

God is love.

God made each one of us.

God loves each one of us as a unique person.

God made a wonderful world and what God creates is good. God loves us and we are part of a family.

Catholic Social Teaching

God made: the earth and sky, all the people all over the world, all the animals and plants, the air, the ground and the water.

God tells us we must take care of them. It is an important job!

Stewardship

Mary was chosen by God to give birth to his son.

Jesus was born in a stable and laid in a manger.

Shepherds were told by angels to visit him.

The Magi visited Jesus with gifts.

Jesus is God’s son and came for everyone.

Jesus’ birth is celebrated at Christmas.

 Jesus came to show God’s love and welcomes everyone.

 Jesus takes care of everyone.

Listen and talk about the season of Lent and Easter.

Jesus died on Good Friday and rose again on Easter Sunday. Easter is a celebration that Jesus is with us still.

Easter celebrates new life.

Simple religious symbols in Lent and Easter.

Coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

The Good News of Jesus lived out by the early Christian community

Celebrate

Celebrate God’s beautiful world.

The words and actions of the sign of the cross.

We enter God’s family, the Church, through Baptism.

The tradition of the crib to tell the story of Jesus’ birth.

That the Church prays the ‘Glory Be’ as a response to the coming of Jesus.

The Church uses purple and ashes as signs of Lent and being sorry. Representations of Holy Week and Easter: palms, the cross, Easter gardens and symbols of new life.

Pentecost is a special celebration in the Church. Sunday is a special day for the Church to celebrate.

Live

Care and love for self, family, others and God’s world.

 Catholic Social Teaching

God made each of us, so each one of us is very special.

We must treat others in a caring way because God made them too. The Dignity of the Human Person

Various cultures celebrate Jesus’ birthday in different ways.

Catholic Social Teaching

By our work in Advent, we help others and ourselves and we show our love to God.

All people work in some way. Everyone should be able to work safely so that it helps them because God loves them.

The Dignity and Rights of Workers

We welcome and show love to everyone in our words and actions as Jesus does.

We are called to help the poor and hungry.

Catholic Social Teaching

You need food, water, a house, your school, a good doctor and a job for the person who takes care of you. So does everyone else on the whole Earth. But many people do not have these things.

Jesus wants us to take extra care of these people.

An Option for the Poor and Vulnerable

Various cultures celebrate Lent and Easter in different ways, eg pancakes, hot cross buns, Easter eggs.

Trying to help others by what we do in Lent – Raasa Parade (Kerala) and other Lent customs around the world.

Catholic Social Teaching

Every single person on Earth needs these things: food, water, work, clothes, a home, a school and a doctor.

Some people have what they need but many people don’t.

Jesus wants the people who already have what they need to help these others.

Jesus wants us to take care of this.

Rights and Responsibilities

The parish church and the parish family meet there to celebrate. Catholic Social Teaching

Jesus knows that people can be happy with families and friends.

He tells us that we can let these important people help us.

He asks us to help them too.

We need each other.

We Are Called to Live as Family and Community.

 All people are God’s children. That makes us brothers and sisters.

We are connected to each other. It is as if everyone in the world held hands!

We can be very different from one another but we are still one family – God’s family.

Solidarity

Year 1

Branch 1:

Creation and Covenant

Branch 2:

Prophecy and Promise

Branch 3:

From Galilee to Jerusalem

Branch 4:

From Desert to Garden

Branch 5:

To the Ends of the Earth

Branch 6:

Dialogue and Encounter

Overarching Theme: How people know about God

Hear

The Creation story in Genesis 1:1-4, 24-26 as an ancient, prayerful, poetic reflection on God’s world.

The opening of the Nicene Creed ‘I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible’.

An introduction to the ideas presented in Laudato Si’ 1

The Annunciation (Lk 1: 26-38, focusing on 1:26-32, 38)

The Visitation (Lk 1:39-45)

The Birth of Jesus (Lk 2:4-8)

The Visit of the Shepherds (Lk 2:8-20)

The Presentation (Lk 2:22-38) 

Finding in the temple and the hidden life (Lk 2:41-52)

Jesus announces his mission (Lk 4:16-22)

The call of the disciples (Lk 5:1-11)

Little children (Lk 18:15-17)

Zacchaeus (Lk 19:1-

Jesus enters Jerusalem (Lk 19:28-38)

Jesus teaches in the temple (Lk 19:47-48)

 The widow’s mite (Lk 21:1-6)

 The last supper (Lk 22:7-23)

The Crucifixion and death of Jesus (Lk 23:33-46)

The angel’s message (Lk 24:1-8)

For Lent:

Jesus is tempted in the desert for 40 days (Lk 4:1-13

The road to Emmaus (Lk 24:13-35)

 Promise of the Spirit and the Ascension (Acts 1:1-11)

Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4)

Dialogue

The Church is the community of all those who belong to Christ.

The cross is a symbol of Christianity.

The shortest summary of the Catholic faith is the sign of the cross.

Learning about their local parish community.

Learning about their local parish church.

Experience music, art, or religious objects that reflect Christian communities in a place outside their local parish.

Encounter

Aspects of modern Jewish life in Britain, including specific vocabulary about the Jewish belief in one God and the Torah as a special text which contains stories of the Jewish people’s history and is a guide for Jewish life.

Believe

That all that is comes from God.  God is our Father.

God’s love and care for humanity is experienced through the beauty and order of Creation.

Prayer is a way we draw closer to God.

Because God loves us, he gave us his only Son, Jesus.

God called Mary to be the mother of his Son, Jesus. 

Mary said ‘Yes’ to God’s call.

 Angels bring God’s message and are a sign that Jesus is the Son of God. 

The stories about Jesus are in a special book called the Bible.

Jesus grows up and reveals the love of the Father to us.

 Some people that encounter Jesus recognise that he is the Son of God who has come to save all.

 Jesus is the ‘light to all nations’.

That Lent is a special time for praying, fasting, and helping others as Jesus taught us to do.

Jesus died and rose again.

When people open their hearts to the Holy Spirit they are changed, as the apostles are changed.

The mission of the Church begins at Pentecost.

Celebrate

That praying is a way people draw close to God.

That, as a community, the Church prays the Creed and the Our Father to pray to God and worship him.

We ask Mary to pray with us and for us and to comfort us in times of need, especially using the prayer Hail Mary.

Hear and begin to join in with the words of the Hail Mary.

Hear or sing the first phrase of the Gloria, recognising it as the angels’ song of praise to God.

The Feast of the Presentation of Jesus is celebrated by Christians around the world and is known as Candlemas in Britain.

Some simple words, actions, and symbols from the Ash Wednesday liturgy and the Palm Sunday liturgy.

Lent is when Christians prepare for Easter by thinking about how they could be closer to God by praying, giving up things that are not needed (fasting), and giving to those in need. Experience music or art that reflects how Christian communities in another part of the world celebrate Lent and the last week of Jesus’ life.

That the Church celebrates the Ascension and Pentecost on special days of celebration (holydays of obligation).

 The words of the ‘Glory Be’ prayer.  An age-appropriate hymn referencing the Holy Spirit.

Live

God wants us to love and care for the world because the world is God’s gift to us.

Caring for the world is one of the ways we love and care for each other.

How a community in another part of the world cares for Creation.

How Catholics around the world show honour to Mary, including diverse representations in art, sculpture, and music.

How Christians in their local community celebrate the birth of Jesus

All Christians are called to follow Jesus and share the Good News with others. Christians are called to take care of each other, especially those most in need, such as the poor.

Fasting in Lent is a way of giving things up to help others and for Catholics, CAFOD Family Fast Day is a way of responding to this call.

Fasting, praying, and giving to others are ways of following Jesus’ example.

How Pentecost is celebrated in another part of the world.

How artists and musicians around the world celebrate the work of the Holy Spirit and the mystery of the Trinity.

Key Vocabulary

God

 Father

Creation

 Pope Francis

Laudato Si’

 Our Father

Creed

Jesus

Bible

Annunciation

angels

Visitation

Hail Mary

Gloria

Presentation

Temple

 mission

Son of God

Light

 Candlemas

Temptation

Last Supper

Crucifixion Resurrection

Ash Wednesday

 Palm Sunday

 Lent

Easter

 Family Fast Day

Emmaus

Holy Spirit

Ascension

Pentecost

 Church

 Glory Be

Gospel

Christian

Church

 parish

community

 sign of the cross

 Jew

Jewish/Judaism

Torah

Year 2

Branch 1:

Creation and Covenant

Branch 2:

Prophecy and Promise

Branch 3:

From Galilee to Jerusalem

Branch 4:

From Desert to Garden

Branch 5:

To the Ends of the Earth

Branch 6:

Dialogue and Encounter

Overarching Theme: Baptism

Hear

The story of Noah, focusing on God’s covenant (promise) with Noah and all living beings in the sign of the rainbow (Gen 9:7-17).

 LS 71 ‘Through Noah, who remained innocent and just, God decided to open a path of salvation. In this way he gave humanity the chance of a new beginning. All it takes is one good person to restore hope!’

 Psalm 139, 146 in praise of God’s Creation of each of us and his love for us.

The Annunciation of John the Baptist (Lk 1:5-20)

The Annunciation of Jesus (Lk 1:26-38)

The Visitation (Lk 1:39-50, 53)

The birth of John the Baptist (Lk 1:57-58) Zechariah’s voice is restored (The circumcision of John the Baptist) (Lk 1:59-66, 67,76)

The Birth of Jesus (Lk 2:1-8)

Including, for the season of Advent: 

Is 7:14, 9:1-2, 5-7 (Extracts from the book of Immanuel)

The preaching of John the Baptist (Lk 3:2-6, 10-17)

Jesus is baptised (Lk 3:21-22)

 The Temptation in the wilderness & Jesus begins to preach (Lk 4: 1-15)

 Cure of a paralytic (Lk 5:17-26)

The choice of the twelve (Lk 6:12-16)  The calming of the storm (Lk 8:22-25)

Parable of the lost sheep (Lk 15:4-7)

 For the Feast of the Epiphany:

Matt 2:1-12: The visit of the Magi

Jesus enters Jerusalem (Lk 19:28-38*)

The last supper (Lk 22:7-23*, 28-34)

 The Crucifixion and death of Jesus (Lk 23:33-46*)

 The angel’s message (Lk 24:1-8*)

 Peter at the tomb (Lk 24:9-12)

*Texts studied in Year One

Jesus appears to the apostles and the Ascension (Lk 24:36-53)

Pentecost and Peter talks to the crowd (Acts 2:1-9, 12-13)

 Conversion of Saul (Acts 9:1-19)

 Fruits of the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:22-23

Dialogue

The parable of the Good Samaritan (Lk 10:25-37)

Christians should collaborate in service of humanity.

Learning about their local Christian community.

Learning about ways Christians where they live come together to support the local community.

Encounter:

Recognise links and simple connections between some Jewish religious laws, beliefs, worship, and life. (e.g., keeping the Sabbath day holy and how this is celebrated in the synagogue and in Jewish homes).

 Recognise that most Jewish religious words are in Hebrew (the original language of the Torah and other sacred Jewish/Christian texts).

 Listen to the religious experiences of others from different communities in the class and the local area.

Believe

God makes a covenant (promise) with Noah to save all living things. That people in the story of Noah turned away from God and chose to act badly; this is behaviour called sin.

 The Sacrament of Baptism is when a person becomes part of the Christian family and promises to love God.

 That the Christian Bible is split into two parts, the Old Testament, and the New Testament.

That prophets and prophetesses communicate God’s message inspired by the Holy Spirit.

John the Baptist is born to be a prophet. Christians believe that the person Isaiah spoke of was Jesus.

In Isaiah’s words, Christians recognise Jesus as a light in the darkness and Immanuel, ‘God-with-us’.

Advent is the season when Christians prepare for the coming of Jesus Christ at Christmas.

That Mary is the mother of God and our mother who is trusted with all our prayers.

John the Baptist is a prophet who calls people back to God by encouraging them to say sorry.

Baptism is a sign of forgiveness.

That when people make bad choices (sin), they turn away from God. Jesus teaches that God loves and forgives and that being sorry helps us to change and become better people. Jesus’ miracles are signs that show he is the promised one (Messiah).

Jesus’ parables are simple comparisons that invite people to know more about God. Jesus brings healing in different ways.

That Jesus gave us the Sacrament of Reconciliation to heal and restore our friendship with God and through this ourselves. • That Lent is a time of preparing our hearts and minds for Easter through reconciliation and forgiveness.

The Easter Vigil Mass is the high point of the year and is rich in symbols of light and darkness.

God is love.

Love is God’s first gift poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit.

The fruits of the Spirit are the visible signs that a person is led by the Holy Spirit. The fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Celebrate

Psalms are prayers to praise God.

Sacraments are living signs of Jesus’ love for all people.

Baptism is the first sacrament which welcomes people into the Christian family.

Some words of Mary’s prayer, the Magnificat (Lk 1:46-50, 53) in which she gives thanks to God and prays for his just world to come. Advent is a time Christian preparation for Jesus’ coming.

 That the Advent wreath is a symbol of the coming of the light.

 How the Christmas story is celebrated in song: carol services.

How water is used as a symbol of a new start in the Sacrament of Baptism.

How Catholics say sorry to God in prayers:

Act of Sorrow (Contrition)

 Asking for forgiveness in the ‘Our Father’

Some prayers and actions that are ways in which Catholics turn back to God, in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, for example, a simple Examen or an act of sorrow and in the Penitential rite, for example, the Kyrie Eleison (Lord have Mercy).

Some simple words, actions, and symbols of the Easter Vigil, focusing on light and water.

In all prayers, Christians welcome the Holy Spirit and open their hearts to God. Christians pray to the Holy Spirit for help (‘Come Holy Spirit’)

Live

Ways in which we can show care for God’s world (stewardship) as part of our care for each other.

How a baby is baptised in the Catholic Church.

About some daily/weekly commitments that enable Christians to live in a way that prepares them for Jesus’ coming.

 Advent preparations in different cultures.  The meaning and interpretations of the candles/wreath in different cultural contexts.

How Catholic Social Teaching (CST) can help to guide Christians to ‘share the light’ with others.

The importance of saying sorry to God and to others.

The importance of showing you are sorry, for example, through practical Acts of Penance.

The importance of saying sorry to God and to others. 

That prayer can help people say sorry for their sins.

That making bad choices damages relationships and damages them.

That there are different symbols of the Holy Spirit in art: wind, fire, and dove, e.g., Taizé, Marlene Scholz’s ‘Blessed Trinity’.

 The example of a saint who showed examples of peacebuilding in their lives, e.g., St Catherine of Siena, St Bernardine of Siena (IHS), St Rita of Cascia, St John Henry Newman, Pope St Pius X, St Francis of Assisi. Some examples of saints and holy people who lived the fruits of the Holy Spirit in their lives, e.g., St Oscar Romero, St Teresa of Avila.

Key Vocabulary

God

Noah

Covenant

sin

psalm

 sacraments baptism

Father

Bible

Old Testament/New Testament

Advent

Advent wreath Annunciation

 Isaiah

John the Baptist Magnificat

 prophet

Zechariah

baptism

sin

John the Baptist

sorrow

miracle

temptation

forgiveness

parable

reconciliation

Easter Vigil forgiveness

Kyrie Eleison reconciliation

sin

Holy Spirit

peace

Ascension

patience

Pentecost

kindness

Saul

generosity

prayer

faithfulness

Fruits of the Spirit

 gentleness

love

self-control

joy

Samaritan

Sabbath

Shabbat

Synagogue

 neighbour

respect

Year 3

Branch 1:

Creation and Covenant

Branch 2:

 Prophecy and Promise

Branch 3:

From Galilee to Jerusalem

Branch 4:

From Desert to Garden

Branch 5:

To the Ends of the Earth

Branch 6:

Dialogue and Encounter

Overarching Theme: Eucharist

Hear

That the Creation stories in Genesis use symbolism to explain the relationship between God, human beings, and the world.

That in the first account of the Creation one day is ‘made holy’ (Gen 2:3).

That the Church teaches that ‘Creation is the common work of the Holy Trinity’.

The first account of the Creation, Genesis 1:1-2:4.

 Extracts from either Psalm 8 or 19 in praise of Creation.

 In an age-appropriate way, LS 66 and 88.

Why Christians go to Mass on Sunday.

 How Catholics celebrate Mass.

For Advent: Messiah would be born of a virgin and would be called Immanuel (Is 7:14).

The Annunciation to Joseph (Matt 1:18-25).

Revisit Lk 1:26-38.

Miracles, either:

Cure of the centurion’s servant (Matt 8:5-13) or Cure of a paralytic (Matt 9:1-8)

Parables, either:  Parable of the Sower (Matt 13:4-9)

 Parable of the Sower explained (Matt 13:10-17) or Parable of the yeast (Matt 13:33) or Parable of the treasure and of the pearl (Matt 13:44-46)

For Epiphany:

 The visit of the Magi (Matt 2:1-12)

The miracle of the loaves (Matt 14: 13-21).

The last supper (The institution of the Eucharist) (Matt 26: 26-29).

Extracts from a Eucharistic Prayer

Road to Emmaus (Lk 24:13-35)

The mission to the world (Matt 28:16-20)

The group of apostles (Mary) (Acts 1:12-14)  Early Church (Acts 2:42-47)

Paul’s Letter to the Corinthians (1 Cor 11:23-27)

Dialogue:

 Exodus 12:1-8,15-20, 13:3 • Lk 22:14-23

For Christians, the Eucharist is linked with the Jewish celebration of Passover.

Encounter:

 Some simple facts about how the Jewish festival of the Passover is celebrated by Jews in Britain today.

Recognise links and simple connections between some Islamic religious laws, beliefs, worship, and life (e.g., belief in one God, the Creator, the significance of Muhammed, importance of the will of God etc.).

 Recognise the importance of artistic expressions of belief in Islam, for example, in Islamic art or religious music.

Believe

God is the Creator of the Universe who made everything out of ‘free and unselfish love’ (YC 2).

That all human beings are made in God’s image and all people have dignity and are created equal.

A way in which human beings’ image (imitate) God is through care for each other, and that caring for Creation is one of the ways we care for each other. Additionally, failing to care for Creation is a way people turn away from God’s love.

The dignity of all human beings is one of the principles of Catholic Social Teaching.

Sunday is the day of the Resurrection of Jesus. Therefore, Christians gather on Sunday. Catholics gather to celebrate Mass where they listen to the words of holy scripture (the Liturgy of the Word) and meet Jesus in Holy Communion (the Liturgy of the Eucharist).

The Liturgy of the Word includes readings from the Old Testament and the New Testament.

That Jesus birth was foretold by the prophets. 

That Joseph listened to the angel and opened his heart to the Holy Spirit.

 The Adoration of the Magi shows that all people are seeking Jesus and he comes for the whole world.

The kingdom of God begins in all those who open their hearts to God’s love.

The miracles that Jesus worked expressed his love for all people and were signs that the kingdom of God was beginning. Jesus’ parables to show the choices people must make to accept his invitation to the kingdom.

At the Last Supper Jesus showed his love by giving the gift of himself transformed into bread and wine. He made his apostles priests of his promise when he told them to ‘Do this in remembrance of me’ (1 Cor 11:23-25, Eucharistic prayer).

Catholics gather to celebrate Mass where they listen to the words of holy scripture (the Liturgy of the Word) and meet Jesus in Holy Communion (the Liturgy of the Eucharist).

A sacrament is a meeting point where people are blessed by God and become closer to the community of the Church. 

The Eucharist is a sacrament in which Jesus offers his life for the salvation of the world. He is present in Holy Communion to be received by those who believe.

That at the Last Supper Jesus instituted the Eucharist.

People give themselves to Jesus when they receive the Eucharist (Holy Communion).

The disciples recognised Jesus when he breaks the bread.

At Mass, what we eat looks like bread, but it is Jesus who comes, the living God.

The bread is the Body of Christ.

There is only one God, who is three Persons. God is a community within himself: an eternal exchange of love between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We call this mystery the Trinity.

Through Mary, the Holy Spirit guided the first disciples. She continues to guide our prayers. Mass was celebrated in the early Church.

Celebrate

Extracts from a psalm of Creation. 

How the praise of Creation is expressed in the prayer and Liturgy of the Church (e.g., St Francis’s Canticle of the Creatures; the Offertory prayers; a Prayer for our Earth in Laudato Si’).

How Catholics use some signs, actions, prayers, and symbols to celebrate Mass, e.g., the sign of the cross, bells, the Kyrie Eleison prayer, etc.

 Hear some of the responses Catholics say at Mass, focusing on the Liturgy of the Word.

How Advent hymns celebrate Jesus as the coming Messiah (e.g., O Little town of Bethlehem; Long ago prophets knew; O come, divine Messiah; O come, O come Emmanuel).

Praying the ‘Our Father’ helps Christians to continue to build the kingdom begun with Jesus.

Some prayers and responses Catholics say during Mass.

Some prayers and responses Catholics sing during the Eucharistic Prayer. Some ways people celebrate their first Eucharist (First Holy Communion).

That the sign of the cross is the shortest summary of the Christian faith.

That some prayers that reference the Trinity and the work of the Holy Spirit.

That the celebration of Mass ends by reminding Christians of Jesus’ instruction to make disciples of all nations.

Live

Ways in which we can show care for God’s world (stewardship) as part of our care for each other. 

Ways in which people can give thanks for the blessing of Creation, including spending time in prayer.

Some ways that Christians prepare for the coming of Christ during Advent. Representations in art around the world, connecting to the prophecies of Christ’s coming.

About the life of a saint who worked to build the kingdom of God.

The ways in which Catholics are called to live Eucharist by following the example of Jesus.

Some different cultural practices associated with Holy Week (e.g., Maundy money in the UK, Green Thursday in Germany).

That being a Christian means to share the gospel. 

That Christians today continue to follow the example of the apostles and early Church when they gather to say Mass.

 How the Emmaus story is represented in art (e.g., Caravaggio’s Supper at Emmaus; Maximino Cerezo Barredo, Emmaus Triptych 2014; He Qi, The Road to Emmaus, Supper at Emmaus).

That the mystery of the Trinity is represented symbolically, e.g., Trinity knot.

Key Vocabulary

Genesis

poetry

Creator

 image and likeness dignity

equality

Mass

Sunday

Advent

Joseph

 Angel

 Liturgy of the Word

Kingdom of God

miracle

parable

Magi

 Adoration

 Epiphany

Mass

sacrament

Eucharist

 Last Supper

communion

Emmaus

Holy Spirit

Pentecost

concluding rite

 St Paul

discipleship

Passover

 unleavened

 Exodus

 Muslim

Islam

 Ramadan

 Sawm,

adhan

Year 4

Branch 1:

Creation and Covenant

Branch 2:

Prophecy and Promise

Branch 3:

From Galilee to Jerusalem

Branch 4:

From Desert to Garden

Branch 5:

To the Ends of the Earth

Branch 6:

Dialogue and Encounter

Overarching Theme: Lives transformed by faith

Hear

The story of Abraham, focusing on the following key texts:

The call of Abram (Gen 12:1-5)

The Abrahamic covenant (Gen 15:1-6)

Abraham and Sarah (Gen 18:1-15)

Abraham and Isaac (Gen 22:1-18)

 (Optional)

The story of Joseph, focusing on the following key texts:153

Gen: 37:2-35, 41:1-42, 44:1-17, 33-34, 45:1-5, 16-20

 The historical, cultural, and religious context out of which Abraham was called.

The importance of understanding historical context to appreciate the literal sense of biblical stories.

The miracle of the flour and the oil (1 Kings 17:7-14)

Elijah’s encounter with God: the journey 1 Kings 19:4-8,

The meeting: 1 Kings 19:9-15

The preaching of John the Baptist (Matt 3:1-12 and Mk 1:1-8)

Isaiah 40:3 (contained within the gospel accounts)

The ancestry of Jesus (Matt 1:1-17)

The importance of understanding historical context to appreciate the literal sense of biblical stories. What is meant by ‘prophecy’.

Peter’s mother-in-law and casting out devils (Matt 8:14-17)

Cure of the woman with a haemorrhage.

The official’s daughter raised to life (Matt 9:18-26) or Cure of two blind men and cure of a demoniac (Matt 9:27-34) 

The Baptist’s question (Matt 11:1-15)

Jesus walks on the water and, with him, Peter (Matt 14:22-33)

Peter’s profession of faith (Matt 16:13-26)

The importance of understanding historical context and cultural values at the time of the gospels.

The lost son (the prodigal) and the dutiful son (Lk 15:11-32)

The Judgement of the Nations (sheep and goats) (Matt 25:31-46)

The events of Holy Week from the gospel of Matthew

Entry into Jerusalem (Matt 21:1-11),

Judas’ betrayal (Matt 26:14), the Passover and Peter’s denial foretold (Matt 26:17-35)

Jesus prays (Matt 26:36-46) the betrayal and arrest of Jesus (Matt 26:47-56), Peter’s denials (Matt 26:69-75), Pilate questions Jesus (Matt 27:11-14), the Crucifixion (Matt 27:32-44), the death of Jesus (Matt 27:45-56) and the Burial of Jesus (Matt 27:57-61)*

 *Pupils should have an overview of the events of Holy Week.

The empty tomb (Jn 20:1-10)

 The appearance on the shore of Tiberius (Jn 21:1-19)

The Apostles’ Creed

Dialogue:

The road to Damascus (Acts 9:3-9, 17-19)

The first letter to the Corinthians (1 Cor 13:1-7,13)

Teachers should choose additional texts about the mission of St Paul, for example,: Paul’s speech before the Council of the Areopagus (Acts 17:22-26, 28-29)

Galatians 1:11-24  2 Cor 11:22-23 Galatians 3:27-28

There are different traditions in the Liturgy of the Church*

Some simple facts about a different liturgical tradition in the Church, for example, some prayers or artistic traditions, reflecting a community in their local area where possible.

Know some ways in which Christians work together for the common good.

Encounter:

Know some facts about the five pillars of Islam.

 Understand some ways Muslims in Britain today live out their beliefs.

Believe

God’s covenant with Abraham is the foundation of the faith of the people of the Old and New Testaments: Judaism and Christianity.

 Faith is believing in God, trusting what God reveals, and following God’s loving purpose to live a good life.

Through living out virtues of faith, hope, and love (sometimes referred to as charity), Christians are drawn into a closer relationship with the Holy Trinity. 

Abraham is a model of how to pray.

For Christians, the prophets awaken an expectation of the coming of the Messiah in people’s hearts.

 John the Baptist is sent to prepare the way for Jesus.

In the Advent liturgies, Christians pray for the second coming of Jesus alongside preparing for Christmas.

Advent is a time of preparation for Jesus’ incarnation at Christmas and for the second coming as King of the Universe.

Jesus is the Messiah/Christ but in a way that subverted the expectations of those of his own day: Jesus comes as a suffering servant, not a triumphant king.

Jesus is fully God and fully human. We call this belief the incarnation. 

Jesus reveals the kind of messiah he is by showing that God’s Kingdom includes those who are excluded by society.

Jesus showed compassionate healing in mind and body through his ministry and continues to do so through His Body, the Church, especially in the sacraments, such as the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the Anointing of the Sick.

God loves everyone. He can and wants to forgive people’s sins. When people love God, they want to help others as the virtues of faith, hope, and love have their foundations in God who is love.

Lent is a time for Christians to make a new start by loving God with their whole heart and expressing this love through good works.

The Pope is the successor to Peter.

The Church is the People of God. 

The Church is apostolic.

The work of the Church is to continue the ministry of Jesus and build the Kingdom of God.

Mary is the Mother of the Church and Queen of Heaven.

Celebrate

Age-appropriate extracts from prayers of faith in God from the Catholic tradition. (For example, Ps 40:1, the St Therese prayer, ‘May today there be peace within’, St John Henry Newman’s ‘Mission of my Life’, Bl Charles de Foucauld’s ‘Prayer of Abandonment’.)

The Feast of Christ the King.

The Jesse tree.

‘He will come again in glory’ from the Nicene Creed

Why Catholics pray the Creed at Mass.

How Catholics experience God’s forgiveness in the Sacrament of Reconciliation and through it are reconciled with their community and how the Anointing of the Sick brings God’s strength to help those who are sick.

The works of mercy show Christians how to treat other people.

That Lent is a time to live out the works of mercy (for example, by praying for someone who is sad, practising patience, fasting, or giving time or money to those in need).

 Holy Week begins on Palm Sunday and marks the annual celebration of Jesus’ passion, death, and resurrection.

That the Apostles’ Creed summarises Christian beliefs.

That May is the special month of Mary.

Some Marian prayers or hymns, e.g., Hail Mary, the Angelus, the Rosary, the Magnificat, Ave Maria

Live

The virtues of faith, hope, and love.

The life and work of a person who was an example of faith made active in love, e.g., the intervention of Cardinal Manning in the London dockworker’s strike.

How Christians prepare for the coming of Christ during Advent.  How Christians use the Jesse tree during Advent, identifying its meaning and representation in art around the world, connecting to God’s plan for salvation.

How some artists have depicted Jesus Christ as King.

How the work of a person or organisation who has been inspired by Jesus, work with those marginalised by societal attitudes to illness (e.g., St Francis Leprosy Guild, St Damien of Molokai, Ruth Pfau, Catholics for AIDS prevention and Support (CAPS), Sr Julie Driscoll and the House of Ruth).

The corporal and spiritual acts of mercy.

How the life and work of a person or organisation (historical or contemporary) lives out the works of mercy and/or the love for those oppressed by poverty (e.g., St Damien of Molokai, Ruth Pfau, National Justice and Peace Network, CAFOD).

Some artistic depictions of the Blessed Virgin Mary as Mother of the Church or as Queen of Heaven from different times and places. 

Some ways in which the Church today (locally or globally) continues the work of Jesus.

Key Vocabulary

covenant

forgiveness

Abraham

virtue

Sarah

faith

Isaac

hope

Joseph

love

Advent

 Prophet

 Elijah

John the Baptist

Jesse tree

Christ the King

Messiah

Christ

 incarnation

kingdom

Sacrament of the Sick

Nicene Creed marginalised

Lent

Holy Week

Parable

 Sin

 Forgiveness

 mercy

Church

Pope

apostles

apostolic

Creed

 people of God communion of saints

Mary, Mother of the Church and Queen of Heaven

Damascus

Liturgy

Rite

 Christian

 Islam

 Five Pillars of Islam

Shahada, Salah, Sawm, Zakat, and Hajj

Common good

Year 5

Branch 1:

Creation and Covenant

Branch 2:

Prophecy and Promise

Branch 3:

From Galilee to Jerusalem

Branch 4:

From Desert to Garden

Branch 5:

To the Ends of the Earth

Branch 6:

Dialogue and Encounter

Overarching Theme: Significance of the Old Testament in understanding Jesus.

Hear

The Moses story, focusing on the two key events of the call and the covenant:

The Burning Bush (Ex 3:1-15)

The Sinai covenant and the Ten Commandments (Ex 19:3-8, 20:1-17)

Jesus’ summary of the law (Matt 22:36-40)

Scripture passages that speak of David’s life and importance:

1 Samuel 16:1-13: anointing of David (a great king)

1 Samuel 17:1-11, 32-54: David and Goliath

2 Samuel 5:1-5: David becomes king

2 Samuel 7: 8-15 God’s covenant with David

 1 Kings 2:1-4, 10-12: David’s death

Psalm 21:1-7, Psalm 2

Scripture passages that speak of Jesus’ as the fulfilment of the promise to David (e.g., Matt 1:1-17; Lk 1:32-33).

The Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5:1-12)  Jesus summarises the law (the great commandment) (Matt 22:36-40, Lk 10:27)

 A parable about living out Jesus’ law (e.g., The Good Samaritan (Lk 10:25-37)

The Transfiguration (Matt 17:1-13)

Our Father prayer (Matt 6:7-13)

A selection of Ash Wednesday readings e.g., Joel 2:12-18, Psalm 50:3-6, 12-14, 17,

2 Cor 5:20-6, Matt 6:1-6, 16-18

Temptation in the Wilderness (Matt 4:1-11)

The Resurrection of the Dead Paul (1 Corinthians 15:1-8, 20-25, 54-57)

Scriptural echoes of the Sacrament of Confirmation (Is 11:2, 61:1, Lk 4:16, Mt 3:13-17)

Pentecost (Acts 2:1-8, 14-18)

The gifts of the Spirit Paul (1 Cor 12:4-11)

Baptism in the Spirit (Acts 8:14-16)

Dialogue:

 The many different writers of the Bible were inspired by the Holy Spirit.

What Christians call the Old Testament originates in Hebrew scriptures.

The Old Testament is important for Christians because it speaks of God’s covenant with Abraham and is the foundation of the faith of the people of the Old and New Testaments: Judaism and Christianity.

 The Bible was originally written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek which were the languages of the writers.

 God’s covenant with Abraham is the foundation of the faith of the people of the Old and New Testaments: Judaism and Christianity.

Encounter:

That the Tanakh (or Hebrew Bible) uses different names for God, to express different aspects of His nature (see e.g., https://bje.org.au/knowledge-centre/ Jewish-prayer/ names-for-god/).

That the Shema prayer is the basic creed of Judaism. It encapsulates the intrinsic unity of the world and its Creator.

Use specialist vocabulary to describe some Jewish beliefs expressed in the Shema prayer (‘Hear Oh Israel – the Lord our God, the Lord is One’).

A mezuzah as it contains the Shema prayer and on the box is the letter ‘Shin’ or sometimes the whole word ‘Shaddai’ meaning mighty, (i.e.,

God is strong/almighty/powerful) on the mezuzah case.

Believe

A covenant is a binding agreement between God and human beings, which makes them his people.  God made several covenants throughout history – with Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David. 

God gives the Ten Commandments to help human beings live good and happy lives.

 That Jesus teaches that the most important commandments are to love God and to love other people.

Catholic Social Teaching helps us to see that loving our neighbour demands a commitment to social change and transformation: ‘We profoundly belong together and are fundamentally dependent on one another’.

There were great kings anointed and chosen in the Old Testament.

God chooses in unexpected ways and especially values those the world overlooks.

 David, the shepherd was called by God to become a servant king. David became a great king and united his people who loved him (see Psalm 21:1-7).

For Christians, Jesus fulfils the promises made to David.

Psalms are part of the Church’s treasury of prayers.

In praying psalms David is a model of prayer.

The Beatitudes show the loving face of Christ.  The Beatitudes describe how faithful Christians should aim to live their lives.

Christian hope and charity unfold from the Beatitudes as they show the path to a life in Christ.

The Our Father is the perfect prayer given to us by Jesus himself. It is composed of seven petitions.

At the Transfiguration Jesus revealed his divine glory.

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the season of Lent and is the first of the forty days of Lent leading up to Easter.

The forty days refer to the time Jesus spent in the desert during which he was tempted.

A sin is a word, deed, or intention by which a person deliberately chooses to turn away from God.

Sin separates people from love and from good.

All sins are damaging but some are so deadly they break our friendship with God.

Conscience is an ‘inner voice’ that guides the choices people make.

God speaks to people through their conscience.

The Last Things are death, judgement, heaven, purgatory, and hell.

 Prayer is turning the heart towards God

‘Without the Holy Spirit, we cannot understand Jesus’. (YC 114)  The Sacrament of Confirmation completes baptismal grace, enriches those receiving the sacrament with the strength of the Holy Spirit who helps them be true witnesses of Christ in word and deed.

The effects of confirmation are an increase in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, a closer bond with Jesus and the Church and a desire to spread the Gospel. These are experienced as the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit.

Mary is an example of discipleship.

The Holy Spirit appears under different names and signs through Scripture.

Celebrate

That sin is the deliberate spoiling of our friendship with God and each other.

We can develop habits that will help us accomplish what is good. These habits are called virtues.

Virtues are practical wisdom (prudence), justice, fortitude, and temperance (also known as the cardinal virtues). Through God’s grace we can enjoy the theological virtues of faith, hope, and love.

Some words of Psalm 23 to speak or sing.

The links between the O antiphons and the Evening Prayer of the Church (Vespers) for 17-23 December.

The verses of the hymn ‘O Come, O Come Emmanuel’ as expressions of beliefs about who Jesus is.

The joyful mysteries of the Rosary: the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Nativity of our Lord, the Presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple, and the Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple.

A petition is a form of prayer. 

The Our Father is the perfect prayer given to us by Jesus.

The theological virtues help Christians follow Jesus’ great commandment.

What the ashes on Ash Wednesday symbolise.

A simple examen and/or act of contrition.

The Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary

The actions, signs, prayers, and symbols of the Catholic rite of Confirmation.

The Rosary is a prayerful reflection on the life of Christ and the glorious mysteries remember what followed the Resurrection.

 ‘Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful’ prayer.

Live

Examples of acting with great love (e.g., Little Way week shows the importance of doing small things with great love).

What growing in virtue could mean in their school (e.g., Jesuit Pupil Profile, Virtues to Live By (Diocese of Leeds).

Psalms are an ancient way of prayer that are still prayed every day.

How the O Antiphons are expressed in art from around the world (e.g., illuminated manuscripts, sung versions of the O Antiphons).

How the O Antiphons are used by Christians to reflect on the significance of Jesus and his coming at Christmas (e.g., The O Antiphons, by Ansgar Holmberg C.S.J.)

That the virtues of faith, hope and love help Christians to live out the Beatitudes.  Examples of some artists who have imagined the Transfiguration.

Prayer is a way of sharing with God everything that is in a person’s heart, what makes them happy and what is troubling them. What Christians express by prayer postures e.g., kneeling, standing, sitting, joined hands

Some examples of artistic symbolic representation of the Holy Spirit.

An example of a saint whose life was transformed by encountering Jesus and who went on to transform the lives of others.

Key Vocabulary

covenant

Moses

Exodus

Sinai

Commandments

 virtues

grace

Samuel

David

anointing

 antiphon

psalm

Advent

Beatitude

sermon

petition

Transfiguration

Our Father

 virtue

Ash Wednesday

Lent

sin

deadly sin

fasting

prayer

conscience

death

judgement

heaven

hell

confirmation discipleship

 Holy Spirit

 anoint

Chrism

 Bishop

baptismal grace

Old Testament

 New Testament

Bible

Tanakh

Shema

Mezuzah

Year 6

Branch 1:

Creation and Covenant

Branch 2:

 Prophecy and Promise

Branch 3:

From Galilee to Jerusalem

Branch 4:

From Desert to Garden

Branch 5:

To the Ends of the Earth

Branch 6:

Dialogue and Encounter

Overarching Theme: St John’s Gospel

Hear

The second account of Creation (Genesis 2:5-10, 15-23, 3:1-7,9-13, 17-19)

Jn 1:1-5, 16-18

The Nicene Creed Laudato Si’ 66-67

The literary forms employed in the Genesis account.

The Genesis account of Creation and Fall is not a literal scientific description, but expresses beliefs about God, the world, and human beings (see CCC 159).

Old Testament passages that show the importance of women in salvation history, e.g.: Genesis 18:1-15; 21:1-7: Sarah  Exodus 1:8-22; 2:1-10: Miriam  Judges 4:4-11; 5:7-15: Deborah

 1 Samuel 1:5, 9-11, 26-28: Hannah  Esther 2:4, 15-17; 3:1-6, 12-13; 4:1-4, 8a-17; 5:1-8; 7:1-6, 9-10; 8:3-12 (Purim): Esther

 Lk 1: 26-56: Mary as the fulfilment of Old Testament promises.

The difference between the Lucan and Matthean infancy narratives, emphasising their respective intentions, narrative approach, and Luke’s emphasis on the role of women in the story of salvation.

The Wedding at Cana (Jn 2:1-12) 

Healing the official’s son (Jn 4:46-54)

Healing the man at Bethesda (Jn 5:1-47)

Feeding the 5000 (Jn 6:1-4) 

Walking on water (Jn 6:15-21)

Healing the Blind Man (Jn 9:1-41) 

Raising of Lazarus (Jn 11:1-57)

‘I am the bread of life’ (Jn 6:35) or ‘I am the Resurrection and the life’ (Jn 11:25)

The anointing at Bethany (Jn 12:1-11)

Jesus washes his disciples’ feet (Jn 13:1-17)

First farewell discourse (Jn 13:33-38)

The arrest of Jesus (Jn 18:1:11)

Jesus before Pilate (Jn 18:28-40, 19:4-6)

The Crucifixion (Jn 19:17-22) 

Jesus and his mother (Jn 19:25-27)

The death of Jesus (Jn 19:28-37)

The empty tomb and the appearance to Mary Magdala (Jn 20:1-18) Appearances to the disciples Jn 20:19-31 Conclusion (Jn 20: 30-31)

Christians believe in the Resurrection (1 Cor 15:14)

Jesus as the last Adam (1 Cor 15:45-49)

The story of Stephen (Acts 6:8-15, 7:51-60)

Dialogue:

That Catholics should work to promote ‘unity and love’ (Nostra Aetate 1) among all people.

That the Church is called to ‘enter dialogue with the world in which it lives. It has something to say, a message to give’ (Ecclesiam Suam 65).

That Christians are responsible for promoting the common good.

Some practical ways in which people can work together towards common goals.

The term ‘worldview’ and its meaning.

 Encounter:

Recognise links and simple connections between some Dharmic beliefs, practices, and way of life (e.g., Hinduism or Sikhism or Buddhism or Jainism).

Believe

The world is in disarray because humans choose to do evil again and again. This is called original sin; the story of Adam and Eve explains why the world is no longer as good as it was in the beginning. (YCfK 22)

In Jesus, God restored humanity’s relationship with him.

Baptism is the first sacrament of the forgiveness of sins. It unites Christians with Jesus Christ, who dies and rises, and strengthens the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Belief in God as sustainer and source of the universe is compatible with the scientific account of the beginnings of the universe and the theory of evolution.

The women of the Old Testament are true protagonists of salvation history (see Pope John Paul II’s address, General Audience, 27 March 1996). 

Mary is the fulfilment of the Old Testament promises and became the ‘Mother of God’ by her ‘Yes’ to God’s plan.

God inspired the authors of Sacred Scripture.  Scripture is understood literally and spiritually.

Mary prays and asks Jesus for help at Cana.

The Church has seven sacraments.

The sacraments of initiation are baptism, confirmation, and Eucharist.

The sacraments of healing are penance and anointing of the sick.

The sacraments in service to Holy Communion are marriage and Holy Orders.

The purpose of sacraments is to help people grow more like Jesus, and through him become children of God.

The sacraments engage all the senses, not just intellect and are earthly signs of the presence of God, especially in the Eucharist.

At the Last Supper Jesus showed his love by washing his disciples’ feet.

Jesus showed his love by dying on the cross.

On the cross he took on the guilt and pain of the whole world to bring the world back home to God’s perfect love. (See Article 4 Apostles’ Creed.)

Mary is the mother of all Christians.

Christians believe Jesus rose from the dead. (See Article 5, the Apostles’ Creed.) 

The disciples believed that Jesus rose from the dead because they saw him, spoke with him, and experienced him in a different way as being alive.

The Resurrection is the work of the Holy Trinity.

All Christians are called to witness to the Resurrection by the example of their new life in baptism, strengthened by the Holy Spirit in confirmation.

Some Christians die for their faith, this is called martyrdom.

Celebrate

The symbols in the Sacrament of Baptism that point to a Christian’s new life in Christ.

The Church teaches that the Nicene Creed allows all believers to make a common statement of their faith.

The Magnificat is the song of the Mother of God and the song of the Church.

The Church prays the Magnificat each day at Vespers (evening prayer).

Some sung settings of the Magnificat.

The sacraments are meeting points with God that bring people into a closer relationship with God and the community of the Church.

They are holy, visible signs of God’s presence and action in the life of a Catholic.

Through them Catholics experience the ‘healing, forgiving, nourishing, strengthening, presence of God that enables them to love in turn’ (YC p105).

Different representations in art or music of one of the signs from St John’s gospel or one of the ‘I am’ statements studied.

That Mass on Holy Thursday recalls Jesus’ actions at the Last Supper, including washing the feet of the apostles.

The Stations of the Cross are a prayerful reflection on Christ’s journey to the cross.

How Christians today meet Christ in the Eucharist, in the scriptures, in prayer and in love for all people. Some age-appropriate examples of the Act of Faith, Hope and Love prayers.

Live

Many scientists are Christians and they do not see any conflict between their faith and science.

The work of Catholic scientists in contributing to the scientific account of the beginnings of the universe (e.g., the work of Mendel and Lemaitre).

The ways in which some sin is social and embedded in social structures (cf. CCC 1868-69).

Examples of women today who are responding to God’s call in their life. For example, the role of women’s religious orders in the Church today, with reference to at least one example of a Catholic women’s religious order (e.g., Sisters of Mercy, Ursulines, Sisters of Loreto, Daughters of St Paul, Little sisters of the Poor)

How sacraments are celebrated in their local parish community and how these form part of the life of the local Church.

How their local parish community (Parish priest and laity) hand on the teaching of Jesus.

The Stations of the Cross are prayed by Christians around the world and model the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem.  Explore different representations of the Stations of the Cross or prayers of the stations in different places in the world, e.g., Via Crucis in Rome, the high stations in Lourdes.

 Encounter some artistic representations of the Holy Week as depicted in the gospel of John, for example, Sieger Koder ‘The washing of feet’, or extracts of St John’s passion by Bach.

Some examples of saints, considering how they bore witness to Christ in their lives (e.g., St Margaret Mary Alacoque and her devotion to the Sacred Heart, St Teresa of Calcutta being the merciful face of Christ to the poor) or by suffering persecution and death (e.g., St Oscar Romero speaking out against oppression, St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross who died in the concentration camps).

The work of Christian charitable organisations that help people facing injustice and persecution because of their beliefs, e.g., Aid to the Church in Need, CAFOD, Missio

Key Vocabulary

Creation

Fall

Eden

evolution

baptism

 salvation

salvation history

fulfilment

 Old Testament

Lucan

 Matthean

 protagonists

Mary, Mother of God

Magnificat

religious order

Cana

Bethesda

Lazarus

sacraments

Bethany

anoint

discourse

Pilate

 Crucifixion

Holy Week

Stations of the Cross

Adam

Mary Magdala Resurrection

martyr

 Witness

 saint

charity

Dialogue

 worldview

Catholic Social Teaching