Religious Education at St. Mary's
 

Our Vision for Religious Education

At St. Mary's, Religious Education is central to our curriculum, reflecting our commitment to fostering a deep understanding of faith, spirituality, and moral development. Guided by our motto, "Walking in the light of God's Love - Together we will succeed," we aim to:

• Explore the beliefs and practices of Christianity and other world faiths.
• Encourage respect, empathy, and open-mindedness towards diverse religious traditions.
• Develop critical thinking and personal reflection on spiritual and moral issues.

Curriculum Intent

Our RE curriculum is designed for children to know 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 and as follows:

• For children to experience a sense of awe and wonder in RE.

• For children to be able to reflect on and learn from the Bible and Jesus’ life and teachings

• To provide a caring and happy environment/community in which Christian values are upheld

• For all children to have a meaningful understanding of Christianity and be confident in recalling biblical knowledge

• For all children to be aware of the presence of Christian beliefs and values in our society and in the world, and something of their biblical and historical significance

• For children to gain a secure sense of chronology (Bible history)

• For all children to be fluent with high-level biblical vocabulary.

• For RE to be brought to life

• To explore pupil’s own religious, spiritual and philosophical ways living, believing and thinking

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

• To provide a safe environment in which each child is valued as an individual and in which a child can find security, affection and reassurance

• To give children an understanding of Christianity, its principles and practice within the context of the Anglican tradition

• To encourage children to care for others, respect gender, other races, religions and ways of life

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

Curriculum Implementation

For our full RE Curriculum Implementation please visit our Policy Documents.
We follow the Questful RE syllabus, which offers a structured and progressive program from EYFS to Year 6. This syllabus includes:

• Thematic Units: Covering topics like Harvest, Christmas, and other significant religious events and concepts.
• Key Skills Development: Encouraging pupils to empathize, investigate, and enquire about various religious beliefs and practices.
• Christian Values Integration: Emphasizing values such as service, justice, compassion, and generosity throughout the curriculum.

For example, in Unit 1.1: Harvest, pupils explore Christian values associated with harvest time, developing skills in empathy and enquiry. Similarly, Unit 5.2: Christmas provides a Biblical perspective on the nativity story, deepening pupils' understanding of Christian beliefs.
 

Curriculum Impact

Through our RE curriculum, we aim for pupils to:

• Gain a deep understanding of various religious beliefs and practices.
• Develop respect and appreciation for diverse faiths and worldviews.
• Apply religious teachings and values to their own lives, promoting personal growth and moral development.
  
  

Cross-Curricular Links

RE at St. Mary's is interconnected with other subjects:

• Literacy: Enhancing reading comprehension and writing skills through the exploration of religious texts and stories.
• History: Providing historical contexts of religious events and figures.
• Art and Music: Expressing religious themes creatively through various art forms.
   

Resources and Further Information

For more details on the Questful RE syllabus, please visit their official website: Questful RE