Religious Education

Why study RE?

Religious Education is a vital and powerful way of teaching the children how to understand the evolving world around them; it gives the children the knowledge and understanding to support them in their life journey, where they will interact with people from different communities and cultures, empowering them to do this in a respectful, accepting and celebratory way, whatever their own faith or worldview. Our Religious Education curriculum provides the children with:

- a wealth of varied substantive, disciplinary and conceptual knowledge;

- skills including critical thinking and self-reflection;

- awareness of experiences outside of their own and the ability to relate to and connect them to their own lived experience;

- the ability to connect with others through exploration of a range of worldviews and a healthy curiosity in the beliefs, behaviour and sense of belonging of others;

- opportunities to express themselves and to develop socially, morally, emotionally and culturally.

Intent

At Theale Church of England Primary School, we will ensure that all children attain the highest possible understanding of the world around them, leading to a lifelong ability to accept, respect and keep an open-mind regarding others’ beliefs and faiths. Our high quality Religious Education curriculum educates students about the importance of embracing others’ individuality and allows them to reflect on their own developing worldviews and belief systems (whether religious or nonreligious) and express these with clarity and confidence.

Impact

Children will:

- learn about a range of religions and worldviews (including some non-religious worldviews such as Humanism), their varied beliefs and practices;

- learn about celebrations from a range of religions, their origins and related customs;

- be able to make links between their own lives and those of others in their immediate community, the country and the global community;

- develop an understanding of other people’s cultures and ways of life, approaching this with a respectful, accepting and celebratory attitude.

Implementation

This will be achieved through high-quality teaching for 2-hours per fortnight, with planning in line with the Pan Berkshire SACRE Agreed Syllabus (2024 version still in draft form – 2018-23 version extended to September 2025). The curriculum being delivered has been tailor-designed to reflect our school’s ambition and the value that we place on Religious Education, using resources such as Discovery RE and Understanding Christianity to guide and support. The curriculum is based on the following religions and worldviews: Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hindu Dharma, Sikhi, Buddhism and Humanism. Over the course of the children’s school career, we ensure that their learning reflects the variation within each belief system and people’s lived experiences. The enquiry approach allows for natural review of previous learning which is then built upon as the enquiry progresses. It also gives the children the opportunity to come to their own informed conclusions, learning to justify these with relevant examples and evidence.

Foundation Stage and Year 1

The children begin their religious education by gaining awareness of religious concepts such as people and places being special, celebrations and what it means to practise a religion and believe in God. Children will learn more closely about the practices and beliefs of Christianity, Hindu Dharma, Judaism and Islam. They will begin their learning by considering their own experiences before links are made to those of others.

Year 2/3

Children will further develop their understanding of Christianity and Hindu Dharma and children will encounter Sikhi for the first time. Children will further explore God in a range of religions and will begin to identify the similarities and differences in beliefs between religions. Their knowledge of religious buildings, texts, stories and practices will deepen and children will begin to consider why people choose a religious path. The children will begin to consider the role of symbolism in religion.

Year 4/5

The children will continue to learn about Christianity, Judaism and Sikhi, building on their prior learning to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of religious beliefs and the way that they impact people’s customs, traditions and practices. They will develop a deeper understanding of the way that religious symbolism can help people, both religious and non-religious, to gain understanding of concepts that would be otherwise difficult to explain or represent. The children will learn about the ways in which faith can shape people’s lives and provide a sense of belonging through shared beliefs and practices.

Year 6

In Year 6, the children will apply all of their previous learning while studying a range of religions and worldviews: Christianity, Islam and Hindu Dharma will be revisited and Buddhism and Humanism will be introduced. Their final year at primary school affords them the opportunity to delve deeper into ideas such as commitment, perspectives on life and death, eternality and the position of religion in the modern world. They are expected to think critically and engage in discussion in a mature and respectful manner, accepting that people’s beliefs and opinions will differ and, when necessary, disagreeing without being disagreeable.

RE Policy

RE Subject Overview FS2/1 Knowledge Organiser - Autumn 1 FS2/1 Knowledge Organiser - Autumn 2

Yr 2/3 Knowledge Organiser - Autumn 1

Yr 2/3 Knowledge Organiser - Autumn 2

Yr 4/5 Knowledge Organiser - Autumn 1

Yr4/5 Knowledge Organiser - Autumn 2

Yr6 Knowledge Organiser - Autumn 1

Yr6 Knowledge Organiser - Autumn 2

FS2/1 Knowledge Organiser - Spring 1

FS2/1 Knowledge Organiser - Spring 2

Yr2/3 Knowledge Organiser - Spring 1

Yr2/3 Knowledge Organiser - Spring 2