Curriculum Religious Education

 2025-2026 RE Overview

At St James’ Primary School, we follow the Manchester Diocese RE Agreed Syllabus supported by RE Today resources which means that RE makes a positive contribution to our pupils’ learning. Knowledge and skills developed by RE contribute to pupils’ readiness to participate in life in modern, diverse Britain and in a plural world. Good RE is never coercive: this area of learning is not about making pupils into believers but seeks to help them become literate and articulate about religions and beliefs, and to be thoughtful members of a plural society, so that in learning about religions and worldviews they are able to make informed choices about how they want to live their lives whilst also understanding more about the faith of other people they meet. As such, it is relevant to every pupil and every citizen of our region.

Parents and carers can choose to withdraw their child from all or part of RE teaching and learning. In this case, we would ask parents and carers to contact the school and discuss their request.

The teaching and learning approach, underpinned by our school vision, mission (RACE: Respect, Aspiration, Community, Enquiring Minds), has three core elements, which are woven together to provide breadth and balance within teaching and learning about religions and beliefs, underpinning the aims of RE. Teaching and learning in the classroom will encompass all three elements, allowing for overlap between elements as suits the religion, concept and question being explored. These elements set the context for open exploration of religion and belief. They offer a structure through which pupils can encounter diverse religious traditions alongside non-religious worldviews – which reflect the backgrounds of many pupils in our schools. The elements present a broad and flexible strategy that allows for different traditions to be treated with integrity. These elements offer a route through each unit while also allowing for a range of questions reflecting different approaches, for example, from religious studies, philosophy, sociology, ethics and theology.

 

End of phase outcomes:

Element 1: Making sense of beliefs

Identifying and making sense of religious and non-religious beliefs and concepts; understanding what these beliefs mean within their traditions; recognising how and why sources of authority (such as texts) are used, expressed and interpreted in different ways, and developing skills of interpretation.

End of Key Stage 1. Pupils can …	End of Lower Key Stage 2. Pupils can …	End of Upper Key Stage 2. Pupils can …
identify core beliefs and concepts studied and give a simple description of what they mean give examples of how stories show what people believe (e.g. the meaning behind a festival) give clear, simple accounts of what stories and other texts mean to believers	identify and describe the core beliefs and concepts studied make clear links between texts/ sources of authority and the core concepts studied offer informed suggestions about what texts/sources of authority can mean and give examples of what these sources mean to believers	identify and explain the core beliefs and concepts studied, using examples from texts/sources of authority in religions describe examples of ways in which people use texts/sources of authority to make sense of core beliefs and concepts give meanings for texts/sources of authority studied, comparing these ideas with some ways in which believers interpret texts/sources of authority

Element 2: Understanding the impact

Examining how and why people put their beliefs into practice in diverse ways, within their everyday lives, within their communities and in the wider world.

End of Key Stage 1. Pupils can...	End of Lower Key Stage 2. Pupils can...	End of Upper Key Stage 2. Pupils can...
give examples of how people use stories, texts and teachings to guide their beliefs and actions give examples of ways in which believers put their beliefs into practice make simple links between stories, teachings and concepts studied and how people live, individually and in communities	make simple links between stories, teachings and concepts studied and how people live, individually and in communities describe how people show their beliefs in how they worship and in the way they live identify some differences in how people put their beliefs into practice	make clear connections between what people believe and how they live, individually and in communities using evidence and examples, show how and why people put their beliefs into practice in different ways, e.g. in different communities, denominations or cultures

Element 3: Making connections

Evaluating, reflecting on and connecting the beliefs and practices studied; allowing pupils to challenge ideas studied, and the ideas studied to challenge pupils’ thinking; discerning possible connections between these and pupils’ own lives and worldviews – their ways of understanding the world.

End of Key Stage 1. Pupils can...	End of Lower Key Stage 2. Pupils can...	End of Upper Key Stage 2. Pupils can...
think, talk and ask questions about whether the ideas they have been studying, have something to say to them give a good reason for the views they have and the connections they make	make links between some of the beliefs and practices studied and life in the world today, expressing some ideas of their own clearly raise important questions and suggest answers about how far the beliefs and practices studied might make a difference to how pupils think and live give good reasons for the views they have and the connections they make	make connections between the beliefs and practices studied, evaluating and explaining their importance to different people (e.g. believers and atheists) reflect on and articulate lessons people might gain from the beliefs/ practices studied, including their own responses, recognising that others may think differently consider and weigh up how ideas studied in this unit relate to their own experiences and experiences of the world today, developing insights of their own and giving good reasons for the views they have and the connections they make

Understanding Christianity - The Big Frieze 

Our Big Frieze

Inspired by the Understanding Christianity Big Frieze, each class has designed and created a beautiful, thoughtful piece of artwork to represent the 8 core concepts in the Big Story of the bible. We have put them together to form our own frieze which is displayed in school. We think they look fabulous.