Placing Divinity at the core of the curriculum helps us to fulfil our mission to educate the whole person in discerning the meaning of their existence, since “Divinity is concerned not only with intellectual knowledge but also includes emotional and affective learning. It is in the mystery of the Word made flesh that the mystery of what it is to be human truly becomes clear. Without Divinity, pupils would be deprived of an essential element of their formation and personal development, which helps them attain a vital harmony between faith and life.”

(Pope St John Paul II) p6 RED (Religious Education Directory)

Furthermore, religiously literate young people through our Knowledge Rich Curriculum are able to engage in a fully informed critique of all knowledge, “leading, for example, to an understanding of the relationship between science and religion or history, and between theology, sport and the human body.”

(Religious Education Curriculum Directory p4).

With Divinity at our core, we exist in order to “help parents, priests and teachers to hand on the Deposit of Faith in its fullness to a new generation of young people so that they may come to understand the richness of the Catholic faith, and thereby be drawn into a deeper communion with Christ in his Church.” (Religious Education Curriculum Directory pvii). With this as our primary focus we aim (RED p6)

1. to engage in a systematic study of the mystery of God, of the life and teaching of Jesus Christ, the teachings of the Church, the central beliefs that Catholics hold, the basis for them and the relationship between faith and life;

2. to enable pupils continually to deepen their religious and theological understanding and be able to communicate this effectively;

3. to present an authentic vision of the Church’s moral and social teaching to provide pupils with a sure guide for living and the tools to critically engage with contemporary culture and society;

4. to give pupils an understanding of the religions and worldviews present in the world today and the skills to engage in respectful and fruitful dialogue with those whose worldviews differ from their own;

5. to develop the critical faculties of pupils so to bring clarity to the relationship between faith and life, and between faith and culture;

6. to stimulate pupils’ imagination and provoke a desire for personal meaning as revealed in the truth of the Catholic faith;

7. to enable pupils to relate the knowledge gained through Divinity to their understanding of other subjects in the curriculum.

We hope that the Impact of excellent Divinity at Saint Martin’s is religiously literate and engaged young people who have the knowledge, understanding and skills – appropriate to their age and capacity – to reflect spiritually, and think ethically and theologically, and who are aware of the demands of religious commitment in everyday life (Religious Education Curriculum Directory p6). We want our young people to make a positive difference to our world through living out their Knowledge Rich Faith with Christ at the centre, through the virtues of Prudence, Fortitude, Justice and Temperance and the principles of Catholic Social Teaching. As “ordinary people called to be Saints” (St Thomas Aquinas CMAT) we do the little things in our everyday lives with extraordinary love following Bishop Patrick’s themes of Encounter, Discipleship and to be Missionary Disciples. Following the example of St Martin de Porres in the Year of Prayer leading to the Jubilee of 2025, we want our young people to be beacons of light, to treat all they met with dignity and respect as made in the image and likeness of God; to stand in solidarity with those who suffer, to show a preferential love for the poor following Pope Francis’ words, “ The poor enable us to see the face of the Father”, to “listen to the cries of the poor and the cries of the earth” (Laudato Si) through stewardship so that they can enable others and themselves to live life to the full (Jn 10:10) in a world of justice and common good for others.

Prayer from a student in Year 9 linked to our Department vision and Mission

Dear God, we come before you with hearts filled with hope and a desire for peace. We pray for the virtue of love, that it may guide our actions and unite us as one human family. Grant us the strength to practice forgiveness, so that we may heal the wounds of the past and move towards reconciliation. Help us to uphold the dignity of every person, recognizing that we are all created in your image.

We also pray for the virtue of justice, that it may inspire us to work towards a world where all are treated with fairness and equality. May we strive to eliminate poverty, oppression, and discrimination, and promote the common good for all.

Finally, we ask for the virtue of solidarity, that it may bind us together in a spirit of compassion and empathy. Teach us to reach out to those in need, to share our resources, and to build bridges of understanding between different cultures and religions.

We offer this prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, who taught us to love one another as he loved us. Amen.

Lisia Yr 9

Divinity is a subject at St Martin’s in which students are challenged to think rationally and support opinions with reasons.  Success demands a strong work ethic – this demand is met by most students through their productive behaviour, sensible participation in discussions and prompt completion of homework.  Students can develop a good understanding of Christianity and other world religions via their Divinity lessons.

Divinity encourages students to adopt an enquiring, critical and reflective approach to the study of religion enhance their personal, social and cultural development, their understanding of different cultures locally, nationally and in the wider world, and contribute to social and community cohesion reflect on and develop their own values, opinions and attitudes in light of their learning.

In KS3, all St Martin’s students will follow the new Religious Education Directory  Curriculum Source to Summit in a way that students are will be able to remember, understand, discern and respond. This resource is carefully planned to ensure full compliance endorsed by the Catholic Education Service.

GCSE (Exam Board: Eduqas – Route B)
The GCSE in Divinity (Religious Studies) is assessed through three examinations:

Foundational Catholic Theology: 37.5% Exam: 1 ½ hours, 90 marks

Applied Catholic Theology: 37.5% Exam: 1 ½ hours, 90 marks

Judaism: 25% Exam: 1 hour, 60 marks

Foundational Catholic Theology