RE
“RE helps us explore life's big questions, understand different beliefs and discover how we can live together with kindness, respect and understanding.”
At Bickerton Holy Trinity, our values of Love & Kindness, Friendship, Respect, Justice, Freedom & Responsibility, and Equality underpin everything we do.
Religious Education plays an important role in bringing our Christian vision to life. It encourages children to explore questions about faith, belief, meaning and identity, while developing an understanding of Christianity and the diverse religious and non-religious worldviews represented in our society.
Our LIVE vision encourages children to become:
L – Life-Long Learners: Developing curiosity, religious literacy and a lasting interest in exploring questions about life, faith and belief.
I – Immersive: Learning through stories, sacred texts, artefacts, visits, discussion and meaningful encounters with different worldviews.
V – Valuing Diversity: Understanding and respecting different beliefs, traditions and cultures, recognising the dignity and worth of every individual.
E – Enquiring Minds: Asking thoughtful questions, considering different perspectives, interpreting evidence and reflecting on life's big questions.
Intent: What do we want our pupils to learn?
At Bickerton Holy Trinity, we believe that Religious Education is an essential part of a broad, balanced and ambitious curriculum.
Our ambition is for every child to develop secure religious knowledge, thoughtful understanding and the confidence to engage respectfully with different beliefs and worldviews.
As a Church of England school, we place particular importance on developing a rich understanding of Christianity as a living, diverse and global faith. Alongside this, children learn about other religions and non-religious worldviews, recognising the diversity of beliefs and experiences within Britain and across the world.
We want pupils to understand not only what people believe, but also why these beliefs matter and how they influence the ways people live.
Our RE curriculum aims to ensure that pupils:
Develop secure knowledge and understanding of Christianity, including biblical texts, theological concepts and Christian practices.
Explore a range of religious and non-religious worldviews, including Islam, Judaism, Hinduism and Humanism.
Understand how beliefs influence people's identities, values, decisions and ways of life.
Ask meaningful questions about belief, meaning, purpose and morality.
Develop the ability to think theologically, philosophically and through human and social sciences.
Recognise diversity within religions and worldviews, avoiding stereotypes and generalisations.
Reflect thoughtfully on their own beliefs, values and experiences.
Develop empathy, respect and an appreciation of different perspectives.
Recognise the contribution of religion and belief to culture, history and contemporary society.
Through RE, we aim to nurture knowledgeable, reflective, compassionate and open-minded learners who can engage confidently with questions of faith, belief and identity.
Implementation: How do we teach Religious Education?
A carefully sequenced and progressive curriculum
As a voluntary controlled Church of England school, our RE curriculum is based on the locally agreed syllabus, which provides the statutory foundation for our teaching.
This is complemented by Understanding Christianity and the Church of England's Statement of Entitlement, supporting a rich and progressive understanding of Christianity alongside the study of other religions and worldviews.
Christianity forms a substantial part of our curriculum, reflecting our Church school foundation and the importance of developing secure theological understanding.
Our curriculum is carefully sequenced from Reception to Year 6, with key concepts revisited and developed in increasing depth.
Planning takes account of our mixed-age classes, ensuring that pupils build on prior learning, access appropriate challenge and develop the knowledge and understanding expected for their year group.
RE is allocated dedicated, identifiable curriculum time, supported by enrichment opportunities that deepen children's understanding and experiences.
Understanding Christianity
The Understanding Christianity resource supports children in developing a deeper understanding of Christian beliefs and biblical theology.
Through a progressive approach, pupils explore key concepts including:
God
Creation
Fall
People of God
Incarnation
Gospel
Salvation
Kingdom of God
These concepts are revisited throughout the curriculum, enabling children to develop an increasingly connected understanding of Christianity.
Learning is structured around three key elements:
Making Sense of the Text
Children explore biblical texts, stories and theological concepts, developing an understanding of what Christians believe and how these beliefs are interpreted.
Understanding the Impact
Children investigate how Christian beliefs influence worship, traditions, values, communities and everyday life.
Making Connections
Children consider how Christian beliefs relate to wider questions about life, meaning and values, making thoughtful connections with their own learning and experiences.
Developing religious literacy and disciplinary thinking
High-quality RE involves more than learning facts about religions.
Children are taught to investigate religious and non-religious worldviews through three complementary disciplinary approaches:
Theology – Understanding beliefs
Exploring sacred texts, teachings, religious beliefs and how these are interpreted by believers.
Philosophy – Exploring big questions
Considering questions about meaning, truth, existence, morality and human experience through discussion, reasoning and reflection.
Human and Social Sciences – Understanding lived religion
Investigating how beliefs influence individuals, communities and societies, recognising that religious practices and experiences can vary.
These approaches develop children's ability to ask questions, interpret evidence, consider different perspectives and explain their understanding.
Religious Education in the Early Years
In Reception, children begin exploring religion, belief and belonging through stories, celebrations, special places, people and experiences.
Through Understanding the World and Personal, Social and Emotional Development, children develop curiosity about themselves and others.
They encounter Christian stories and celebrations alongside opportunities to explore different cultures, traditions and beliefs.
These experiences establish important foundations for religious literacy, respectful discussion and reflection.
Religious Education in Key Stage 1
In Years 1 and 2, children develop their understanding of Christianity and other worldviews through stories, artefacts, celebrations and meaningful questions.
They begin to identify important beliefs and practices, recognise similarities and differences, and explain why particular people, places and traditions are significant.
Children are encouraged to ask questions, express their ideas and listen respectfully to others.
Religious Education in Key Stage 2
In Key Stage 2, children deepen their knowledge of religious beliefs, practices and worldviews.
They explore increasingly complex theological concepts, consider different interpretations and investigate how beliefs influence individuals and communities.
Pupils learn to compare perspectives, use religious vocabulary accurately and support explanations with evidence.
They also explore philosophical and ethical questions, developing confidence in thoughtful discussion and respectful disagreement.
Enquiry, discussion and meaningful experiences
Our RE curriculum is shaped by enquiry questions that encourage curiosity, critical thinking and reflection.
Teachers use high-quality texts, sacred stories, artefacts, images and carefully selected resources to bring learning to life.
Visits to places of worship and encounters with members of faith communities, where appropriate, provide valuable opportunities to explore how religion is lived and experienced.
Children are encouraged to ask questions, listen respectfully, consider different viewpoints and explain their thinking.
Spirituality and reflection
Religious Education makes an important contribution to children's spiritual development.
Through meaningful questions, discussion, reflection and opportunities for stillness, pupils explore ideas about meaning, identity, belonging, wonder and the world around them.
Our approach is rooted in our Christian vision while recognising that children may experience and express spirituality in different ways.
RE complements our wider provision for collective worship and spiritual development while remaining a distinct academic curriculum subject.
British Values, diversity and courageous advocacy
RE helps prepare children for life in modern Britain by developing understanding, empathy and respect.
Through studying different religions and worldviews, children learn to recognise diversity, challenge stereotypes and appreciate the importance of equality and human dignity.
Our curriculum supports the fundamental British Values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs.
RE also contributes to our commitment to courageous advocacy, encouraging children to consider issues of justice, fairness, compassion and responsibility and reflect on how beliefs can inspire positive action.
High-quality teaching and inclusion
Our RE curriculum is ambitious and accessible to all pupils.
Teaching reflects the principles of Ordinarily Available Inclusive Provision (OAIP), ensuring that pupils with SEND and those requiring additional support can participate meaningfully.
Teachers use explicit vocabulary teaching, modelling, visual resources, structured discussion and appropriate scaffolding to support understanding.
All pupils are encouraged to engage in enquiry, communicate their ideas and develop confidence in exploring different beliefs and perspectives.
Impact: How do we know our RE curriculum is successful?
The impact of our RE curriculum is reflected in children's growing religious knowledge, understanding, vocabulary and ability to engage thoughtfully with different worldviews.
We want pupils to:
Know and remember more: Demonstrate secure knowledge of Christianity and other religious and non-religious worldviews.
Understand beliefs and practices: Explain how beliefs influence individuals, communities and ways of life.
Think critically and reflectively: Ask meaningful questions, consider evidence and explore different perspectives.
Use religious vocabulary: Communicate their understanding accurately and confidently.
Recognise diversity: Understand that beliefs and practices vary both between and within religions and worldviews.
Show respect and empathy: Engage thoughtfully with different beliefs and demonstrate sensitivity towards others.
Reflect on big questions: Consider questions of meaning, purpose, identity and morality with increasing maturity.
Make meaningful connections: Recognise links between religious learning, their own experiences and the wider world.
Through ongoing assessment, pupil discussion and evaluation against curriculum end points, teachers identify what children know, understand and can explain.
We aim for children to leave Bickerton with the religious literacy, confidence and understanding needed to engage thoughtfully and respectfully with the diverse world around them.
.png)