At St Bonaventure's we follow the Source to Summit course  at KS3 which is specifically designed for Catholic schools, aligned with the Religious Education Directory (RED). Our Religious Education course aims to develop students’ religious literacy and theological understanding. Through the study of Christian revelation, Scripture, tradition, and Catholic doctrine, students are encouraged not only to learn key teachings, but to think deeply and theologically about what they mean in today’s world.

The course gives students the opportunity to understand, discern, and respond to religious matters. It seeks to integrate faith and life, helping students relate their beliefs to everyday experiences, culture, and contemporary moral and social issues. In this way, Religious Education is not simply about learning doctrine — it is about exploring how faith shapes choices, values, and behaviour.

A strong emphasis is placed on Catholic Social Teaching (CST), the cultivation of virtues, and moral formation, helping students to grow in compassion, integrity, and justice. The curriculum also encourages respectful engagement with other religions and worldviews, promoting understanding and dialogue within our diverse community.

The course follows a spiral curriculum, meaning that learning builds progressively over time. The knowledge and skills developed in Key Stage 3 form the essential foundation for success in GCSE Religious Studies.

Students are assessed each half term through two key pieces of work:

• A knowledge and understanding task that tests comprehension of key concepts.

• An evaluative essay that requires students to analyse and respond to religious ideas in depth.