CEP curriculum overview

Christian Education Publications (CEP) is the largest publisher of religious education curriculum designed for use in Australian and New Zealand schools. With material for children aged in Kindergarten through to year 12, it is a Bible-based curriculum which seeks to engage students and encourage them to discover for themselves the truths of the Christian faith and make good life choices.

Structure

CEP curriculum has been designed to cover all learning stages for primary-aged children and high school students. The curriculum is made up of:

• For Kindergarten:  Beginning with God – a one-year program of 40 introductory lessons from the Bible which assumes little prior knowledge. View the Beginning with God Scope and Sequence.
• For students in Years 1-6:  Connect – a three-year curriculum, offering 4 units of 10 lessons per term, which students cycle through twice at greater depth as they progress through school. The curriculum surveys the broad sweep of Bible history from creation to God’s ultimate purpose for humanity. Each lesson seeks to introduce key biblical concepts, themes and significant people in an active and engaging way, allowing students to explore the Christian faith and see how it is relevant to their lives and contemporary problems. View the Connect Scope and Sequence.
• Final year of primary school:  Big Questions – a one-year program designed for students in their last year of primary school who are ready to explore some big questions, share their own opinions and investigate the Bible for themselves. The course tackles issues such as: What is God really like? What’s gone wrong with the world? Does God really care about me? How will I make choices about my future? What’s the purpose of my life? Big Questions may also be suitable for some Year 5 classes. View the Big Questions Scope and Sequence for Semester 1 and 2.
• For students in Years 7-10:  Think Faith – a two-year curriculum for Stages 4 and 5, offering 4 units of 8 lessons per term. The curriculum uses the Bible as its foundational text and encourages students to think more deeply about the beliefs and tenets of the Christian faith whilst providing them with the tools to connect their learning with how Christians are called to live. These ‘connectings’ have been organised around three kinds of relating described by Jesus in John 15: relating to God, relating to others, and relating to the world. Click here to see the Think Faith scope and sequence.
• For students in Years 11-12: The Sydney Anglican Diocese authorises four curricula for use in Stage 6 SRE classes:

  • Think Faith curriculum for Stages 4 & 5 can also be used for Stage 6.

  • Jesus the Game Changer – Scope and sequence can be found here.

  • For the Love of God – Scope and sequence can be found here.

  • NUA – Scope and Sequence can be found here.
  • Jonah: Taking Part in God's Big Story –  While SRE in NSW public schools is paused due to COVID-19, the Anglican Diocese of Sydney authorises this resource (approved version here) for Stages 4-6.

The lesson content works together in a cohesive flow, examining consistent themes, events and concepts from the Bible, with progressive learning outcomes at each level of the curriculum.

In 2016 and 2017, the curriculum materials of SRE/RI classes in state schools were reviewed by Education Queensland and the NSW Department of Education. While these reviews were overwhelmingly positive towards the CEP Connect curriculum they did identify some specific examples where the material needs to be updated or improved. The Connect, Big Questions and Beginning with God curriculum materials were subject to a thorough review by an independent panel of education experts in time for their release across 2017–2019. Future internal reviews will be conducted on a rolling three-year cycle.

The Think Faith high school curriculum is reviewed internally every two years.

Christian Education Outcomes

The CEP curriculum seeks to broaden your child’s education by helping them develop their understanding and knowledge of Biblical principles, to build skills which will enhance their overall learning ability and to form an understanding of values and attitudes of faith, culture and the world today.

Below is an overview of the Christian Education Outcomes for all 3 learning stages.

Click the links below to view specific outcomes for each of the five stages: