Subject Leader: Mrs S Dodd 

Intent

At Pikemere, Religious Education is taught in accordance with the Cheshire East Agreed Syllabus. RE plays a vital role in developing pupils’ understanding of the diverse religious and non-religious world views that shape local, national and global communities.

Our intent is to ensure that all children:

• Develop religious literacy, enabling them to explore, understand and evaluate religious and non-religious beliefs and practices.
• Gain knowledge and understanding of Christianity as a principal religion in the UK, alongside other principal religions represented in Great Britain, such as Islam, Hindu Dharma and Judaism as specified in the syllabus.
• Are encouraged to ask challenging questions about meaning, purpose, truth and values.
• Develop respect, empathy and tolerance for others, promoting cohesion and understanding in a diverse society.
• Reflect on their own beliefs, values and experiences, supporting their personal, social and moral development.

RE contributes to children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) development and supports British Values, particularly mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.

Implementation

RE is taught through a well-sequenced, progressive curriculum that follows the Cheshire East Agreed Syllabus and ensures continuity and progression from EYFS to Year 6.

Curriculum Organisation

• RE is taught weekly or through blocked units, ensuring statutory time requirements are met.
• Units are planned to ensure a balance between Christianity and other world religions, as outlined in the syllabus.
• Knowledge and skills are revisited and built upon, allowing pupils to deepen their understanding over time.

Teaching and Learning

• Lessons are enquiry-based, encouraging children to question, investigate and reflect.
• Teachers use a range of pedagogical approaches, including discussion, storytelling, artefacts, visitors, visits (where possible), drama and reflection.
• Vocabulary is explicitly taught and revisited to support children's ability to articulate religious concepts clearly and accurately.
• Teaching is inclusive and sensitive, ensuring children feel safe to share ideas while understanding that RE is about learning from religions, not being expected to adopt beliefs.

EYFS

• RE is taught through the Understanding the World area of learning.
• Children explore celebrations, special stories, places and people, linking to their own experiences and developing early respect for difference.

Inclusion and Adaptation

• Lessons are adapted to meet the needs of all learners, including SEND and RADY children.
• Support and challenge are planned to ensure all children can access and succeed in RE.

Assessment

• Assessment is ongoing and formative, based on discussion, written work, and outcomes linked to the syllabus.
• Teachers assess pupils’ ability to know, explain, compare and reflect, rather than personal belief.

Impact

By the time children leave Pikemere, they will:

• Have a secure and age-appropriate understanding of Christianity and other principal religions and world views.
• Be able to describe, explain and compare beliefs, practices and values using appropriate religious vocabulary.
• Show respect and understanding towards people of different faiths and beliefs.
• Be confident to ask thoughtful questions and express their own ideas, while listening carefully to others.
• Demonstrate an understanding of how beliefs can influence individuals and communities, both locally and globally.

The impact of the RE curriculum is seen through:

• Children's discussions and written outcomes, showing increasing depth and accuracy.
• Positive attitudes towards diversity and difference across school life.
• Children being well-prepared for RE learning in Key Stage 3 and for life in modern Britain.