RE
Religious Education – Curriculum Intent Statement
Purpose of the Subject
Through Religious Education, we aim to help children make sense of the world’s diverse beliefs, values and traditions. We want pupils to develop curiosity, respect and understanding as they explore how different people live, what they believe and why these beliefs matter to them. Our RE curriculum reflects the rich diversity of our school community, ensuring every child sees their own identity and heritage represented while also learning about the experiences of others. We aim to nurture thoughtful, compassionate, and reflective learners who engage confidently with big questions about life, meaning, and morality, equipping them with the skills and knowledge to become resilient and responsible global citizens.”
Alignment with the Agreed Syllabus / National Guidance
In line with the locally agreed syllabus and national expectations, we teach children to:
- Understand the beliefs, teachings and practices of a range of religions and worldviews.
- Explore how beliefs influence the ways people live, behave and make decisions.
- Reflect on their own ideas, values and experiences in relation to what they learn.
- Develop skills of enquiry, interpretation, reasoning and communication.
- Show respect, tolerance and understanding towards people of all faiths and none.
Curriculum Coverage
Our RE curriculum provides:
- Mirrors – opportunities for children to see their own beliefs, cultures and experiences reflected in the curriculum.
- Windows – opportunities to explore the beliefs, traditions and worldviews of others, locally and globally.
We select content that is meaningful, representative and relevant to our pupils. Units explore major world religions, non‑religious worldviews and thematic questions that help children understand diversity, identity and community.
Curriculum Progression
Our RE curriculum is built around four interrelated strands of knowledge:
1. Procedural Knowledge (Skills of Enquiry)
Procedural knowledge represents the skills children need to investigate religion and worldviews. These skills are mapped in a vertically integrated progression from EYFS to Year 6. Children learn to ask thoughtful questions, interpret religious texts and symbols, compare viewpoints, and express their own ideas with clarity and respect. SOLO taxonomy supports this progression, enabling pupils to move from simple responses to deeper, more reasoned understanding.
2. Disciplinary Knowledge (Ways of Knowing in RE)
Disciplinary knowledge represents the conceptual frameworks used to study religion. These include:
- Theology – understanding beliefs and sources of authority
- Philosophy – exploring questions about truth, meaning and morality
- Human/Social Sciences – understanding how beliefs influence individuals and communities
These disciplinary lenses are taught, revisited and applied in every year group, helping children understand how knowledge about religion is constructed, interpreted and debated.
3. Substantive Knowledge (The Content We Teach)
Substantive knowledge represents the specific content children learn—such as key beliefs, practices, festivals, stories, values and traditions from a variety of religions and worldviews. This knowledge is presented as clear learning outcomes that detail what pupils should know and remember. Content is chosen to reflect our community, celebrate diversity and ensure that all children feel represented and respected.
4. Substantive Concepts
Substantive concepts are recurring ideas that appear across the RE curriculum: Beliefs and Big Questions, Worship and Ways of Living, Identity and Community, Values and Inspiration. These concepts are explored in different contexts across year groups, helping children build familiarity, confidence and deeper understanding of religion and worldviews.
Repetition and Retrieval
Our RE curriculum is built on high levels of repetition to ensure that children remember more and can do more as they progress through school. Procedural and disciplinary knowledge are revisited in every year group, allowing pupils to apply skills with increasing independence. Substantive concepts reappear across units, enabling children to make connections and strengthen long‑term understanding. Retrieval practice is embedded within lessons and across units, ensuring that key knowledge is revisited, secured and stored in long‑term memory.
Assessment
Assessment in RE focuses on pupils’ ability to apply knowledge, enquiry skills and reflective thinking. We assess pupils through:
- Discussions and written reflections
- Responses to key questions
- Practical and creative outcomes
- End‑of‑unit tasks that combine knowledge and reasoning
These assessments provide insight into how well children understand religious and non‑religious worldviews, how confidently they can communicate their own ideas about big questions, and how effectively they can apply disciplinary and substantive knowledge.