Religious Education (RE) Curriculum Intent

Religious Education plays a crucial role in our school's curriculum, contributing to the
spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development of our pupils. Our curriculum is based on the Birmingham Agreed Syllabus, which facilitates and encourages an exploration of religious education by both the teacher and child.  It fosters an understanding of diverse religious beliefs and worldviews, promoting tolerance and mutual respect.

Our long-term goal for RE is to cultivate informed, thoughtful, and empathetic individuals who appreciate the diverse array of global beliefs and practices. Equipping pupils with a comprehensive understanding of major world religions and non-religious worldviews, while encouraging personal reflection on theological and moral questions, prepares them for future interactions in a multicultural world. This education enhances their ability to engage in informed discussions, promoting empathy, respect, and social cohesion in an increasingly interconnected society.

Our RE curriculum is designed to be inclusive, reflecting the diversity of our student body and society. It incorporates a wide range of religious traditions and non-religious world views, ensuring that every pupil feels represented and respected.  The learning journey takes place through a ‘spiral’ curriculum, where all students are repeatedly introduced to key concepts, with each encounter becoming more complex and reinforcing previous learning. 

We employ a range of interactive teaching methods including discussions, debates, multimedia resources, art and drama.  We welcome visitors to come  into class to turn theoretical lessons into hands on, practical lessons to further enhance our pupils’ learning.

Pupils explore key knowledge through the 24 dispositions and the four dimensions of learning (Learning from Experience, Learning about Religious Traditions and Non-Religious Worldviews, Learning from faith and non-religious worldviews and Learning to Discern) which provide the key questions for each disposition. Through these two aspects of the curriculum, pupils are given the opportunity to develop their critical thinking skills including analysis (of scripture extracts, artefacts, other religious materials), effective communication (through sharing their own beliefs and asking insightful questions), and becoming reflective thinkers (making links between their own faith and that of others). 

Assessment in RE is an ongoing process, and it is an integral part of our teaching.  We take a holistic and formative approach focussing on the questions via the four dimensions.  This allows for assessment to be meaningful, manageable and focus on improving pupils’ learning and development.  We keep reflective class journals to showcase our students’ learning journey throughout each academic year.

Beyond the classroom, students participate in educational visits to places of worship, take part in interfaith assemblies, as well as welcoming regular visitors from local organisations to share stories from their faith.

This all works towards fostering cultural awareness and appreciation for all religious traditions and non-religious worldviews.  Upon leaving Westminster Primary School, pupils will be equipped with transferable skills such as critical thinking and cultural competence, making them confident in their own beliefs and values, enabling them to respect the religious and cultural differences of others around them. 

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