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The Curriculum for Religious Education
Our Religious Education (RE) curriculum is based on the Essex Agreed Syllabus and the Statement of Entitlement for RE published by the Church of England's Education Office.
At St Andrew's CofE Primary Academy, we use the NATRE resources to deliver a rich, balanced and carefully sequenced RE curriculum. These materials link closely with the key Christian concepts from Understanding Christianity—including God, Creation, Fall, People of God, Incarnation, Gospel and Salvation.
Through enquiry-based learning and the three disciplinary lenses (Theology, Philosophy and Human/Social Sciences), pupils explore big questions, learn how beliefs shape people’s lives, and think deeply about faith and worldviews. By the end of Year 6, our aim is that all children can talk confidently about Christian belief, understand key similarities and differences between world faiths, and express their own ideas thoughtfully.
Curricular Aims
Through our RE teaching we enable pupils:
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 texts
to gain knowledge and understanding of a range of religions and worldviews appreciating diversity, continuity and change with the religions and worldviews being studied
to engage with challenging questions of meaning and purpose raised by human existence and experience
to recognise the concept of religions and its continuing influence on Britain’s cultural heritage and in the lives of individuals and societies in different times, cultures and places
to explore their own religious, spiritual and philosophical ways of living, believing and thinking
RE at St Andrew’s enhances pupils’:
awareness and understanding of religions and beliefs, teachings, practices and forms of expression
ability to reflect on, consider, analyse, interpret and evaluate issues of truth, belief, faith and ethics and to communicate their responses.
RE at St Andrew’s offers opportunities for personal reflection and spiritual development.
Theological lens
Examining religious ideas through the theological lens requires pupils to think like theologians and ask why people believe what they do. This involves examining the source of these beliefs such as scripture and how they are interpreted and have changed overtime. Theology enables pupils to look at where beliefs and world views come from, how they have changed over time, how they are applied differently in different contexts and how they relate to each other.
Human and social science lens
Looking through the human and social science lens focuses on the influence of religion and how people live their lives and express their faith and world views. Pupils investigate the ways in which religions and worldviews have shaped and continue to shape societies around the world. They also examine similarities across faiths and examine if people from different religions worship and pray in the same way. This strand explores the diverse ways in which people practise their beliefs and considers the major world faiths including Christianity, Judaism, Islam and Hinduism.
Philosophical lens
Looking through a philosophical lens focuses on asking and exploring the big questions theology and human and social science pose. Philosophical questions raise questions around morality, the fundamental nature of knowledge, existence, creation and the universe and how we know what we know, or believe what we believe. It is the process of reasoning that lies at the heart of philosophy. It is less about coming up with answers to difficult questions and more about the process of how we try to answer them and using dialogue, logic, discussion and debate.
RE Lead - Rebecca Hanks
Rebecca Hanks has been the Religious Education Lead at St Andrew's for seven years, demonstrating a profound commitment to the subject. Rebecca studied RE at A-level and has a secure and strong knowledge of the subject she leads which has underpinned her success as the subject leader.
She is a clear, supportive, and knowledgeable leader whose passion and dedication drive continuous improvement in teaching practices. Rebecca's proactive approach ensures that she is engaged and receptive to curriculum updates and changes, fostering an environment of growth and development.
Under her stewardship, the school has successfully navigated a SIAMS inspection, showcasing compliant and progressive RE teaching. Her leadership not only enhances the educational experience but also enriches the spiritual and moral development of all children of St Andrew's.
St Andrew’s CofE Primary Academy RE Curriculum Overview.pdfPage updated
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