Intent

Through our RE curriculum, all children will develop their understanding of a range of religious and non-religious beliefs and worldviews. They will explore their own and other people’s ideas about ethics, morality and the ‘big questions’ of life. By developing their critical thinking skills, and their ability to articulate and reason about their ideas, children will be able to think and make decisions for themselves. They will be respectful British citizens, who recognise and work against discrimination, and understand their role in the community and wider society.

Our Curriculum Drivers	How this works in RE.
Ambitious	They know that the world they will enter as adults is multi-cultural, and the children want to be valued, respectful citizens. The RE curriculum is designed to develop children’s skills and extend both their knowledge of the world around them, and their ability to reflect on themselves.
Progressive	RE skills are developed year on year. Children build on knowledge as they move through school, learning about a growing number of religions. They revisit and add to their knowledge of worldviews, and the vocabulary associated with them.
Independent	Children develop their independence in a range of activities. Their ability to reflect on their learning independently is developed. Philosophy sessions increase children’s critical thinking, questioning and reasoning skills and give them confidence in voicing their own ideas and opinions.
Inclusive	We have high aspirations for all. We believe, achieve and succeed in RE. Everyone CAN do RE – we do not put a limit on learning. All religions and non-religious worldviews are respected and children are encouraged to feel proud and comfortable sharing their beliefs and ideas. British values are discussed and promoted. Where necessary, additional support is given to ensure that all children access the curriculum. Varied tasks enable all children to share their strengths.
Relevant	Children know that an understanding of different faiths and worldviews will help them to be, in the short term, good friends to others, and in the long term, citizens of a multicultural society. Their work in RE relates closely to the key British Values.
Resilience	Children know that their contributions and efforts are valued. They see, through philosophy, that some questions are so challenging that no-one can conclusively answer them. They develop resilience through challenging discussions where assumptions are questioned and explored.
Ready	All children are taught age-related content. Our RE curriculum is coherent and progressive. Children revisit and build on prior learning in each year. The range of worldviews taught is added to as children move through school.

Implementation

Teaching of RE in the Early Years

In Nursery and Reception, we follow the Statutory Framework for the Early Years.

RE relates to a range of Early Learning Goals, notably in Communication and Language, Personal, Social and Emotional Development and Understanding of the World. It is taught through a cross-curricular approach, with a range of activities developing children’s skills and understanding. Teachers assess children on each goal and liaise with the RE lead on skills and content coverage.

R.E in the early years is taught through continuous and enhanced provision which can be accessed during the children’s explorative play. Staff support the children through discussions with their peers about similarities and differences and well as negotiating differences in opinions. In addition to this, R.E is taught through whole class teaching and discussions and small group activities. Children’s personal religions are celebrated and explored within the class. In addition to this, a familiar concept is used to ensure a solid starting point for any religious teaching to ensure it is accessible by all children. Celebrations and festivals through different religions and cultures are the starting point for exploring celebrations, such as Diwali and Holi. During Autumn, we have an overarching topic; ‘Special Days’ which allows us to address these special events. This provides a solid starting point to discussing different religions, beliefs, customs and routines. Christian festivals such as Christmas and Easter are also covered in more detail due to the syllabus requirements.

Teaching of RE in Key Stages 1 and 2

Although there is not a National Curriculum for RE, schools follow the National Curriculum requirements to teach a broad and balanced curriculum. Our RE curriculum is based on the Gateshead SACRE (Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education) Agreed Syllabus.

The curriculum’s three key areas are:

• EXPLORE Learning about religions and worldviews.
• ENGAGE Learning from religions and worldviews.
• REFLECT Learning how to live in a multicultural world.

The content of this curriculum is designed to develop children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

• Spiritual: Explore beliefs and experience; respect faiths, feelings and values; enjoy learning about oneself, others and the surrounding world; use imagination and creativity; reflect. (This is central to all three strands of RE skills taught.)
• Moral: Recognise right and wrong; respect the law; understand consequences; investigate moral and ethical issues; offer reasoned views. (This is addressed by the ENGAGE strand of RE skills taught.)
• Social: Use a range of social skills; participate in the local community; appreciate diverse viewpoints; participate, volunteer and cooperate; resolve conflict; engage with the ‘British values‘ of democracy, the rule of law, liberty, respect and tolerance. (This is addressed by the REFLECT strand of RE skills taught, and by a range of activities which link the school to the wider community.)
• Cultural: Appreciate cultural influences; appreciate the role of Britain’s parliamentary system; participate in culture opportunities; understand, accept, respect and celebrate diversity. (This is addressed by the REFLECT strand of RE skills taught, and through other opportunities across the curriculum.)

Philosophy lessons in all year groups support children’s critical thinking and ability to reason and articulate their ideas.

Visits to different religious buildings and visitors from different faith communities support and enhance children’s learning.

Curriculum coverage:

RE Documents	Download
RE National Curriculum	Download
Gateshead SACRE Agreed Syllabus	Download
yearly-whole-school-overview	Download

Impact

EXPLORE Children will have learned about the teachings, beliefs and practices of different religions and worldviews in our society. They will have explored different stories, sacred texts, rituals, symbols and lifestyles.

ENGAGE Children will have discussed and reflected on the big questions about our life in the world, our value as people, our identity and our responsibilities. They will be able to share their thoughts and experiences and respond to those of others.

REFLECT Children will reflect on the challenges that are presented by living in a diverse world, and develop the skills and attitudes that help them live with people who are different from them. They will recognise prejudice and discrimination and make informed judgements and responsible choices. Children’s critical thinking skills will enable them to think for themselves in a world where they are surrounded by conflicting sources of information.

Inclusion and equal opportunities

Our firm belief is that all children can and will succeed in RE.  Our curriculum is fully inclusive and supports ranging needs and cultural diversity. We adapt the curriculum content and resource appropriately, to enable all children to make progress. Our  curriculum is inclusive: we have high aspirations for all, including children with SEND. ALL pupils will be supported to access age-appropriate content within the RE curriculum. The aim is to scaffold ALL pupils (including those identified with SEND) towards independence, not dependence. Where there are cases when pupils are working significantly below their year group content, such pupils will be given a bespoke curriculum, based upon their needs (as identified on their learning plan or EHCP). We work in compliance with the Equality Act 2010 and the Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014 to ensure our curriculum is accessible for pupils with SEND.

All children can enjoy and succeed in RE. RE is taught in a respectful, positive environment where children can express and celebrate their ideas and beliefs.  Where necessary, tasks are differentiated, or additional support is given, to allow all children to access the curriculum. A range of activities and teaching strategies help all children to learn and achieve. All children are challenged to deepen their understanding through critical thinking and a philosophical approach.

SEND:

Pupil voice

A team of RE Ambassadors work with the RE lead to help develop and improve RE at Front Street. They hold regular meetings to discuss ways to do this. They also lead assemblies, represent the school at events and act as a voice for their peers.

Policy documents:

RE Policies & Documents	Download
SUMMARY RE POLICY 2024	Download
RE policy Front Street 2024	Download