RE Curriculum

At New Invention Junior School we follow the Walsall Agreed Syllabus for RE. The syllabus establishes what shall be taught in RE providing practical support and guidance about how to teach RE effectively. RE is described in terms of purpose, aims and programs of study for each age group. In describing progression in RE, the syllabus pictures how pupils will develop increasing understanding of wide areas of RE subject knowledge, and also how pupils can develop religious literacy, including the skills of:

  • investigating religions and world views through varied experiences and disciplines;
  • reflecting on and expressing their own ideas and the ideas of others with increasing creativity and clarity;
  • becoming increasingly able to be reasonable in their views and responses to religions and world views.

RE makes significant contributions to pupils' ability to engage with ideas about British Values, such as tolerance and respect for people who hold varied beliefs and world views. The syllabus is a platform on which high standards and inspiring RE can be built for all our pupils. The curriculum is broad and balanced, Christianity is studied throughout key stage 2 alongside the other major world faiths represented in Great Britain (regarded as Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Sikhism)

Key stage 2 Programme of Study

The focus of RE for KS2 enables pupils to extend their knowledge and understanding of religions and world views, recognising their local, national and global contexts. They should be introduced to an extended range of sources and subject specific vocabulary.  They should be encouraged to be curious and to ask increasingly challenging questions about religion, belief, values and human life. Pupils should learn to express their own ideas in response to the material they engage with, identifying relevant information, selecting examples and giving reasons to support their ideas and views.

The curriculum for religious education aims to ensure that all pupils:

Know about and understand religions and world views, so that they can:

  • Describe and make connections between different features of the religions and world views they study, discovering more about celebrations, worship, pilgrimages and the rituals which mark important points in life in order to reflect thoughtfully on their ideas.
  • Describe and understand links between stories and other aspects of the communities they are investigating, responding thoughtfully to a range of sources of wisdom and to beliefs and teachings that arise from them in different communities.
  • Explore and describe a range of beliefs, symbols and actions so that they can understand different ways of life and ways of expressing meaning.

Express ideas and insights into the significance of religion and world views, so they can:

  • Observe and understand varied examples of religions and world views so that they can explain, with reasons, their meanings and significance to individuals and communities.
  • Understand the challenges of commitment to a community of faith or belief, suggesting why belonging to a community may be valuable, both in the diverse communities being studied and in their own lives.
  • Observe and consider different dimensions of religion, so that they can explore and show understanding of similarities and differences between different religions and world views.

Gain and deploy skills for engaging with religions and world views, so that they can:

  • Discuss and present thoughtfully their own and others' views on challenging questions about belonging, meaning, purpose and truth, applying ideas of their own thoughtfully in different forms including (e.g.) reasoning, music, art and poetry.
  • Consider and apply ideas about ways in which diverse communities can live together for the well being of all, responding thoughtfully to ideas about community, values and respect.
  • Discuss and apply their own and others' ideas about ethical questions, including ideas about what is right and wrong and what is just and fair, and express their own ideas clearly in response.

 Pupils will learn from at least three religions, studying Christianity in each year group and also Islam and Hinduism. 

Breadth of Study
During Key stage 2 pupils should be taught the knowledge, skills and understanding through the following areas of study:
The Themes of Key Stage 2 RE

    • Beliefs and questions: how people's beliefs about God, the world and others impact on their lives.
    • Teachings and authority: what sacred texts and other sources say about God, the world and human life.
    • Worship, pilgrimage and sacred pictures: where, how and why people worship, including at particular sites.
    • The journey of life and death: why some occasions are sacred to believers, and what people think about life after death.
    • Symbols and religious expression: how religious and spiritual ideas are expressed.
    • Inspirational people: figures from whom believers find inspiration.
    • Religion and the individual: what is expected of a person in following a religion or belief.
    • Religion, family and community: how religious families and communities practise their faith, and the contributions this makes to local life.
    • Beliefs in action in the world: how religions and beliefs respond to global issues of human rights, fairness, social justice and the importance of the environment.

 Experiences and opportunities

  • Encountering religion through visitors and visits to places of worship, virtual visits using ICT and focusing on the impact and reality of religion on the local and global community.
  • Discussing religious and philosophical questions, giving reasons for their own beliefs and those of others.
  • Considering a range of human experiences and feelings.
  • Reflecting on their own and others' insights into life and its origin, purpose and meaning.
  • Expressing and communicating their own and others' insights through art and design, music, drama, dance and ICT.
  • Developing the use of ICT for RE, particularly in enhancing pupils' awareness of religions and beliefs globally.