Religious Education at St Matthew’s Primary School
At St Matthew’s Catholic Primary School, Religious Education lies at the heart of everything we do. Rooted in our mission statement, “Love, Learn and Shine Together with Jesus,” RE supports the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of every child and underpins the life of our whole school community. Through our teaching, we aim to help every pupil grow in faith, knowledge and understanding, while living out the Gospel values in their daily lives.
“Love, Learn and Shine together with Jesus.”
View our Moral Development Policy on our Policies page
View our Prayer and Liturgy Policy on our Policies page
View our Spiritual Development Policy on our Policies page
View our RE Handbook on our Curriculum Policies page
How We Teach Religious Education
Our aim is to:
- Deepen each child’s personal relationship with God and their understanding of Jesus Christ, scripture and Catholic tradition.
- Foster Gospel values such as love, compassion, respect, justice and forgiveness, enabling children to live out our mission to love, learn and shine together with Jesus in all they do.
- Develop spiritually resilient children who are able to reflect deeply, make moral decisions and respond thoughtfully to life’s big questions.
- Encourage respect for other faiths and cultures, promoting inclusivity, curiosity and a love of learning about the wider religious world.
- Prepare children to be confident, faith-filled individuals who use their gifts to shine in their school, parish and wider community.
We follow the Religious Education Directory ‘To Know You More Clearly’, ensuring our curriculum is theologically rich, engaging and age-appropriate. Through prayer, liturgy, reflection, discussion and scripture, we provide meaningful opportunities for every child to grow in faith and to live out our mission to Love, Learn and Shine Together with Jesus.
Topic Overviews
Download: Come and See – Curriculum Overview 2025-2026 [PDF]
Download: Early Years to Year 4 RE – Curriculum Overview 2025-2026 [PDF]
Download: RE – Curriculum Progression 2023-2024 [PDF]
Download: RE – Vocabulary Overview 2023-2024 [PDF]
Download: A Journey in Love Parent Guide [PDF]
Come and See
Religious Education at St Matthew’s Catholic Primary School is taught through the ‘Come and See’ programme, recommended by the Archdiocese of Liverpool. The programme introduces nine topics across the year, with each year group exploring age-appropriate aspects of shared themes. Lessons are practical, engaging, and rooted in Scripture and church teaching. Children also study other faiths annually, including Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Sikhism.
Come and See encourages children to explore, search, discover and respond, helping them reflect on their own experiences and engage with questions of meaning and purpose. It supports critical thinking and nurtures a love of learning, guiding pupils to understand the beliefs, values and ways of life found within the Catholic tradition and other faith traditions.
A strong sense of belonging and self-worth is fostered, as children experience being part of the caring community of St Matthew’s. The programme invites pupils to recognise the wonder within themselves and the world around them, forming the foundation of their wider education.
‘Pupils have a right to receive an overall religious education that will enable them, in the light of the faith of the Church, to engage with the deepest questions of life and find reasons for the hope that is within them (1 Peter 3:15)… Therefore Religious Education is never simply one subject among many, but the foundation of the entire educational process.’
(Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, January 2000.)
Download: Come and See Programme [PDF]
Download: RE Overview 2023-2024 [PDF]
Download: Come and See Topics [PDF]
The Process
Explore – 1 week – This is the introduction to the topic where the children’s life experience is explored, the question(s) it raises are wondered at, shared, investigated and their significance reflected upon.
Reveal – 2 weeks – This is the heart of the programme where knowledge and understanding of the Catholic faith is revealed through the Word, in Scripture, Tradition, doctrine, prayers, rites and Christian living.
Respond – 1 week – This is where the learning is assimilated, celebrated and responded to in daily life.
Daily Prayer Time
Whilst church is still closed here are some great resources to help you pray together as a family.
At 7pm each evening, we invite you to join us in prayer. This means that the families of St Matthew’s can stay united through the days and months ahead.
Select an area in your home where you can pray in comfort. You may wish to light a candle.
External Link: Daily Prayer Resources
External Link: Sunday Liturgy for Families
Download: Prayer Time [PDF]
Heavenly Father, You are the God of peace and love and we pray that Your perfect peace would fill our hearts and our home and that Your gracious love would surround our family so that we may be united together in love – and one with You.
Bind us together we pray and may Your joy unite us in sweet fellowship with one another and with You. Give us Your hope in our hearts and bless all who visit this home.
Thank You for providing all that we need, according to Your riches in glory, and keep us from holding on too tightly to the material things of this world – knowing that You have prepared a heavenly home for all that are in the family of God. May Your blessing rest upon us and upon our home not only today but in the days to come, until You come to take us to be with Yourself, forever – in Jesus name we pray,
Amen
Useful Religious Education Resources
Download: Big Questions 2025-2026 [PDF]