Discerning Disciples
High-quality Religious Education resources for Catholic primary schools. Forming Christ-centred pilgrims of hope with kind hearts, questioning minds, and a hunger for justice.
Launching September 2026 — Register now for early access
The Six Branches
Each branch of the Discerning Disciples curriculum covers a distinct theme, guiding pupils from EYFS through to Year 6 in their journey of faith.
Planning you can trust, time you get back
Discerning Disciples exists to support Catholic primary teachers — taking the weight of RE planning off your shoulders, so your energy goes where it matters most.
Faithful to the Archdiocese of Birmingham
Every resource is written to support Catholic teachers in delivering the Archdiocese of Birmingham Education Service's RE curriculum, following the Birmingham Diocese Education Service (BDES) planning.
Made for teacher wellbeing
Thoughtfully prepared, classroom-ready planning that protects your work–life balance — so you can spend less time planning and more time teaching, and being present with your class.
Less cognitive load
Clear, consistent structure across every year group reduces the mental juggling of planning from scratch. Pick up a unit and teach with confidence, knowing the theology and progression are already secure.
Everything you need in one place
Each unit brings together three parts that work beautifully together — available separately, or as a complete bundle at a saving.
Lesson Plans
Complete, ready-to-teach plans following the BDES planning and the DISCERN model — with knowledge statements, discovery questions and response activities built in.
Fully editable PowerPoints
Every slide deck is yours to adapt — add your school logo, your own prayers, or tweak to suit your class. Designed to support the learning and lift the workload from busy teachers.
Resource Packs
More than support for the plans: vocabulary cards, worksheets and activity sheets (sized to trim neatly into A4 books), plus extra materials to help you give every child the support they need.
How the planning is structured
Sensible, realistic session structures for each phase — always flexible, always yours to tailor to your timetable.
Early Years (EYFS)
One adult-led session each week, supported by further activities and continuous-provision ideas so the learning continues across the whole week.
Key Stage 1
One taught session a week of around an hour — tailored to suit your year group and enhanced through prayer and reflection.
Key Stage 2
Two sessions a week of around 40 minutes: a Hear and Believe session to introduce and scaffold the theme, and a Believe and Live session for deeper exploration — flexible enough to spread across an afternoon.
The DISCERN Model
Every lesson is grounded in best practice and faithful to the curriculum, offering clear pedagogical principles for lesson planning and delivery.
Dialogue
Activate prior knowledge through purposeful, brief talk.
Introduce
Introduce direct knowledge statements as core curriculum content.
Scaffolded Support
Teacher models, explains, and appropriately scaffolds for pupils.
Collaborative Conversation
Pupils discuss discovery questions with teacher guidance.
Evaluate
Check understanding and address misconceptions in the moment.
Record
Pupils independently record understanding showing how they think.
Next Steps
Use reflection and feedback to evaluate learning and inform next steps.
Ready to get started?
Create a free account to explore our resources and prepare for the September 2026 launch. Get in touch if you have any questions.