Intent  

At Austwick Primary School, Religious Education is a core element of a broad and balanced curriculum. The study of R.E. and world views helps to build pupils' knowledge, understanding and appreciation of different beliefs, practices and religions, and how these relate to the modern world and to consider their own beliefs and values. 

We teach, inspire and challenge our pupils by:   

• Providing a curriculum that explores the diversity and difference of faiths, beliefs and world views 

• Helping them to develop respect, tolerance and empathy   

• Challenging stereotypes and promoting a positive and inclusive community   

• Enabling them to explore and celebrate the diversity of our local community, the UK and the global community   

• Enabling them to develop their own values and beliefs   

In conjunction with the National Curriculum, our RE curriculum: 

• Is driven by our School’s vision. Consequently, the RE curriculum provides learning opportunities that increase pupil confidence, interest in the world and an understanding of the impact that they can have on the world around them. It enables them to shine in the world. 

• Provides regular opportunity for reflection and the development of individual spirituality 

• Enhances cultural capital, for example by providing opportunities for children to learn about the world beyond their local environment and experiences, both in lessons and via school workshops, visitors and visits 

• Provides regular opportunities for pupils to express their views and beliefs in an environment where they feel safe and can disagree well. 

• Is enhanced by opportunities to explore awe and wonder in the world, creation and how we can care for our planet. 

• Has our Vision and values woven through the whole RE curriculum ensuring that pupils have regular opportunities to reflect on how our vision is impacted by Biblical teaching and values. 

Religious Education is a rigorous academic subject.  In line with our trust deed, we teach RE using the local Leeds Diocesan Syllabus, including Understanding Christianity.  Teaching follows the RE Statement of Entitlement, ensuring that at least 50% of RE is based on Christianity. Ideally, 10% of teaching and learning is based on explicit RE objectives. 

• Pupils are engaged in systematic enquiry into significant human questions which religion and world views address, so that they can develop the understanding and skills needed to appreciate and appraise varied responses to these questions, as well as develop responses of their own.   

• Teaching and learning uses an approach that engages with biblical text and theological ideas. 

• At Austwick School, RE curriculum engages and challenges pupils through an exploration of core concepts and big questions.  

• RE provides meaningful and informed dialogue with a range of religions and worldviews.  

• There are opportunities for pupils to understand the role of foundational texts, beliefs, rituals and practices and how they help form identity in a range of religions and worldviews. 

• Pupils explore how these may change in different times, places and cultures. 

• RE introduces pupils to a range of relevant disciplines including theology, philosophy and the human and social sciences.  

• Learning activities provide for the needs of all pupils. Pupils develop a wide range of skills including enquiry, analysis, interpretation, evaluation and reflection.  

• Pupils have a safe space to explore their own religious, spiritual and/or philosophical ways of seeing, living and thinking, believing and belonging. They have opportunities to engage in meaningful and informed dialogue with those of all religions and worldviews. 

• Pupils learn about and understand Christianity as a diverse global living faith through the exploration of core beliefs using an approach that critically engages with biblical text.  

• They gain knowledge and understanding of a range of religions and worldviews appreciating diversity, continuity and change within the religions and worldviews being studied.  

• They engage with challenging questions of meaning and purpose raised by human existence and experience. 

• They recognise the concept of religion and its continuing influence on Britain’s cultural heritage and in the lives of individuals and societies in different times, cultures and places. 

Implementation   

The RE curriculum is delivered using a rolling programme for Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 to enable all of our pupils to receive their full entitlement within our mixed-age class structure.   

EYFS   

At Austwick CE (VA) Primary School, EYFS pupils are taught the RE Curriculum through thematic units from the Leeds Diocesan Syllabus and Understanding Christianity. EYFS pupils are taught in a variety of ways through adult-led and supported tasks and child-initiated learning in provision areas.  

Key Stage 1 

The RE curriculum is taught in weekly 1 hour lessons up to at least 36 hours throughout the year. In KS1 pupils are taught knowledge, skills and understanding about Christianity, Islam, Judaism and thematic units which compare beliefs and practices between different religious and non-religious world views. 

Key Stage 2 

The RE Curriculum is taught weekly in 1 hour lessons in addition to this we have allocated RE days and visits or visitors to total 45+ hours during the year.  

In KS2 pupils extend their knowledge and understanding of religious and non-religious worldviews, recognising their local, national and global contexts. They are introduced to an extended range of sources, subject-specific vocabulary and are encouraged to be curious asking increasingly challenging questions about religion, belief, values and human life. Pupils learn to express their own ideas in response to the material they engage with, identifying relevant information, selecting examples and giving reasons to support their ideas and views. They follow the Leeds Diocesan Syllabus and Understanding Christianity in LKS2 to engage with Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and thematic units which compare beliefs and practices between religious and non-religious world views. In UKS2 pupils engage with Christianity, Islam and Judaism in addition to thematic units. 

RE provides many links with other curriculum subjects including:   

• Geography: a knowledge of religion in other countries and continents   

• History: an understanding of the role that religion has played in our history, for example, the spread of Christianity to Britain in Anglo Saxon times.   

• Art: the religious subject matter of great paintings;   

• Music: how religion has inspired great works of music such as Handel’s Messiah.   

• RE is integral to the development of Social, Spiritual, Moral and Cultural education and the promotion of British Values.   

The RE Curriculum is enriched in a variety of ways including: 

• Workshops and visitors in school 

• Visits to places of worship 

• A rich variety of artefacts that support learning 

• Opportunities to engage with local faith leaders 

EYFS Regular observations of learning are recorded in pupils’ learning journeys. This contributes to a summative assessment at the end of EYFS using the Early Years Outcomes for The World – People and Communities. Pupils’ learning in RE is assessed using the outcomes from the RE scheme of work.   

In KS1 and 2, Pupils' learning is assessed during and at the end of the unit, using the learning outcomes which are part of the syllabus. The assessments contribute to a summative judgement at the end of the year.   

Impact   

 The impact of the curriculum will allow our pupils to grow in awareness of others through learning activities involving sharing and co-operation and to develop trust and respect for others. They will have opportunities to engage with and understand the role of foundational texts, beliefs, rituals and practices and how they help form identity in different religions and world views, thus developing and formulating their own sense of purpose, beliefs, values and ideals by which to live in the light of their experiences. They will develop a sense of respect for themselves, others and creation, showing love towards others and for themselves. They will understand the role and influence of forgiveness and how it contributes to building healthy happy relationships where communities can work together peaceably.  

Right to Withdraw 

We wish to be an inclusive community but recognise that parents/carers have the legal right to withdraw their children from religious education or collective worship on the grounds of conscience, without giving a reason.  Parents wishing to exercise this right are asked to contact the headteacher who will then invite the parents into school to discuss their concerns, clarify the nature of the RE and worship provided by the school and set out the options as set out in education law. Where a pupil is withdrawn from RE an agreement on alternative provision should be reached between the family and the headteacher. 

Policy Agreed: May 2025

Date to Review: May 2026