Religious Education (RE)
Religious Education has a significant role for the development of children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. It promotes respect and open-mindedness towards others with different faiths and beliefs and encourages pupils to develop their sense of identity and belonging through self-awareness and reflection. The principle aim of RE is to engage pupils in an enquiry approach where they can develop an understanding and appreciation for the expression of beliefs, cultural practices and influence of principle religions and worldviews in the local, national and wider global community.
KS1 Religious Education
Our KS1 Religion curriculum has been crafted to foster respect, tolerance, and a deep understanding of the world's key religions in our young learners. By introducing our children to diverse religious beliefs and practices, we aim to promote a culture of openness and empathy. Our curriculum is designed to be relevant to our school community, focusing on religions and practices that our students may encounter in their own lives and contexts.
We approach the concepts of religion and belief in a way that is both accessible and meaningful for our KS1 students. Through age-appropriate lessons and activities, children explore what religion means and how different beliefs shape the lives of people around the world.
Throughout the year, we highlight significant religious festivals as they occur in the calendar, allowing students to gain a firsthand understanding of the traditions that are integral to various faiths. These celebrations provide rich, experiential learning opportunities that bring the curriculum to life and deepen students' appreciation for cultural diversity.
Our curriculum also encourages children to see how religion can inspire kindness, care for the planet, and foster a sense of belonging. By examining the positive ways people use their beliefs to guide their actions and build communities, students learn valuable lessons about empathy, responsibility, and mutual respect.
KS2 Religious Education
In KS2, children study Religion using the Opening Worlds scheme. Through the Opening Worlds Religion curriculum, pupils learn about and learn from the different kinds of questions human beings can ask about religious origins, beliefs and practices, namely questions that derive from philosophy, theology, social sciences and history (for example, when studying a particular Religion in a particular place, asking the following different kinds of question: how does this story from the Quran help Muslims to understand this precept from the hadith? What does this New Testament story mean to Christians? What are the big ideas that this Hindu story reflects (eg dharma)? How are these ideas expressed in other stories and in diverse religious practices across time and space? Or, how does this religious community perceive matters of justice? How has this religious tradition tackled the challenge of injustice to one another? How does this community’s beliefs shape its approach to injustice? What does this community teach about injustice and why? What insights about injustice can we gain from this religious communities’ texts, art, traditions and practices?
You can explore the Religion Opening Worlds curriculum further using the following link: Opening Worlds
Useful DocumentsHistory Curriculum Overview - 2024