Intent

At our school, Religious Education plays a vital role in preparing pupils to flourish in our diverse and changing world. Our RE curriculum, based on the Essex Agreed Syllabus 2023, aims to develop religious literacy – enabling pupils to hold balanced and well-informed conversations about religion and worldviews.

We believe that high-quality RE empowers children to become free-thinking, critical participants who can make academically informed judgements about important matters of religion and belief that shape our global landscape. Through our curriculum, pupils will:

• Know about and understand a range of religious and non-religious worldviews by exploring them through theological, philosophical and human/social science lenses
• Express ideas and insights about the nature, significance and impact of different worldviews through a multi-disciplinary approach
• Gain and deploy skills rooted in theology, philosophy and the human/social sciences, engaging critically with religious and non-religious worldviews

Our RE curriculum is designed to help pupils make sense of the religion and worldviews around them, understand the complex world in which they live, and develop respect for diverse beliefs and practices within and between different traditions.

Implementation

Our RE curriculum follows a multi-disciplinary approach, viewing religion and worldviews through three complementary lenses:

Theology: Thinking through believing – Pupils explore questions that believers would ask, investigating key texts, traditions, and beliefs within different religions and worldviews, and understanding how these have developed and changed over time.

Philosophy: Thinking through thinking – Pupils grapple with questions about knowledge, existence and morality, developing reasoning skills and exploring ethical issues through discussion, dialogue and debate.

Human/Social Sciences: Thinking through living – Pupils investigate the lived reality of religion and worldviews, exploring their impact on individuals, communities and societies, both now and throughout history.

We ensure balance and progression across Key Stages by:

• Following an enquiry-based approach (Engage, Enquire, Explore, Evaluate, Express) that encourages investigation, critical thinking and reflection
• Studying Christianity in depth at each Key Stage, alongside other principal world religions and non-religious worldviews, including Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism and Humanism
• Using suggested core questions and core knowledge from the Essex Agreed Syllabus to create meaningful learning experiences
• Providing opportunities for first-hand encounters with members of faith and belief communities, visits to places of worship, and exploration of religious artefacts and practices

Our teaching creates a safe environment where all pupils are valued and can confidently express themselves, agree to disagree, and explore different perspectives with respect and curiosity.

Impact

Through our RE curriculum, pupils will:

• Develop increasing religious literacy, becoming able to hold informed, balanced conversations about religion and worldviews
• Gain deep knowledge and understanding of Christianity and a range of other religions and non-religious worldviews
• Build critical thinking skills through theological, philosophical and human/social science approaches
• Show respect and empathy for people with different beliefs and practices
• Make connections between beliefs, behaviour and identity, understanding how religion and worldviews shape individual lives and wider society
• Be well-prepared for life in our diverse local community and the wider world, equipped to encounter a huge range of ideas and beliefs with confidence and understanding

Assessment in RE focuses on how well pupils are becoming religiously literate – their ability to understand, analyse and evaluate religion and worldviews through our multi-disciplinary approach. Progress and attainment are reported to parents annually.

Right of Withdrawal

Parents and carers have the legal right to withdraw their child from all or part of Religious Education lessons. 

If you wish to exercise this right, please contact the Headteacher to discuss your request. We welcome the opportunity to discuss any concerns you may have about RE and to explain our curriculum approach.