RE

Curriculum Intent

Our RE curriculum aims to give pupils substantive knowledge about a range of religious and non-religious worldviews and the disciplinary habits needed to explore questions of belief, meaning, practice and identity. Rookery is a diverse community, and RE provides an important space for pupils to encounter different traditions accurately and respectfully while reflecting on their own ideas. The curriculum should be rooted in the locally agreed syllabus and sequenced so pupils build on prior knowledge rather than encountering faiths as isolated festivals or facts. Pupils learn to distinguish between what people believe, how beliefs may influence practice and the diversity that exists within as well as between traditions. Discussion develops curiosity, empathy and the ability to disagree respectfully. RE contributes to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development while remaining an academically rigorous subject. By the end of primary school, pupils should possess a growing body of knowledge and be able to discuss religious and worldview questions with accuracy and respect.

Curriculum Implementation

Religious Education is implemented through the Birmingham Agreed Syllabus, enabling pupils to develop secure and increasingly detailed knowledge of religious and non-religious worldviews. Pupils learn about beliefs, practices, texts, places, symbols and traditions and explore questions relating to meaning, identity, morality, belonging and human experience. Teaching recognises diversity within and between traditions and helps pupils use appropriate vocabulary to discuss different perspectives respectfully.

Learning is sequenced so that important concepts and worldviews are revisited with increasing depth rather than encountered as disconnected topics. Teachers connect new learning to prior knowledge and help pupils understand relationships between beliefs, practices and lived experience. Local community contexts are used where appropriate to enrich understanding of religious and worldview diversity, while progression enables pupils to make increasingly thoughtful comparisons and reason from evidence.

Teaching uses carefully selected texts, artefacts, images, stories, discussion, visits and visitors where these strengthen curriculum learning. Teachers explain beliefs and practices accurately, model respectful language and create opportunities for pupils to ask questions and consider different perspectives. Structured enquiry supports pupils in interpreting sources, comparing ideas and communicating reasoned responses. Personal reflection is handled sensitively and pupils are not expected to adopt or disclose a particular belief.

Reading, Vocabulary & Oracy

RE explicitly develops vocabulary relating to belief, practice, community, worship, identity and interpretation. Pupils read stories, teachings and age-appropriate information from and about different worldviews. Oracy is central: pupils learn to ask questions, listen carefully, build on others’ ideas and express agreement or disagreement respectfully using evidence rather than stereotype.

Inclusion & Adaptation

Teachers plan so pupils of all backgrounds, beliefs and needs can participate fully and safely. Vocabulary is pre-taught, complex texts are scaffolded and abstract concepts are supported through examples and visual material. No pupil is expected to speak on behalf of a faith or community. Pupils with SEND are supported to access the same core knowledge, while greater challenge comes through nuanced comparison, interpretation and reasoned evaluation.

Assessment

Assessment focuses on what pupils know and how well they can use that knowledge to explain, compare and reason. Teachers use questioning, discussion, written or creative responses and retrieval to check understanding. Assessment avoids judging personal faith or spirituality. Misconceptions and stereotypes are addressed directly, and curriculum leaders review whether knowledge is retained across units and year groups.

Enrichment & Wider Opportunities

RE is enriched by the cultural and religious diversity of Birmingham and, where appropriate, by visits to places of worship, visitors, artefacts and community links. These experiences should be carefully prepared and followed up so they deepen curriculum knowledge. Links with art, history, literature and personal development can add context while RE’s own disciplinary focus remains clear.

Curriculum Impact

Impact is demonstrated when pupils can recall and connect knowledge about different worldviews, use accurate terminology and explain how beliefs and practices may shape people’s lives. Pupils should recognise diversity within communities, ask increasingly thoughtful questions and discuss differences respectfully. They should be able to support interpretations with relevant evidence and avoid simplistic generalisations. Leaders evaluate impact through pupil discussion, work and curriculum evidence, ensuring that the agreed syllabus is covered, progression is secure and all pupils gain meaningful knowledge of the religious and worldview diversity of modern Britain.