A high-quality Religious Education (RE) curriculum is crucial for meeting the statutory requirement for all maintained schools to provide a broad and balanced curriculum. In church schools, the focus is firmly on the teaching of Christianity, particularly the person and work of Jesus Christ, which lies at the heart of the RE curriculum. However, there is also a clear expectation for inclusive communities, like church schools, to teach about other religions and cultures, fostering respect and understanding for them. While there is no specific National Curriculum for RE, all maintained schools are legally required to teach RE in a way that is broad, balanced, and inclusive.

Aims of Religious Education in Church Schools:

1. Understanding Christianity: To enable pupils to understand Christianity as a living faith that influences the lives of people worldwide. It is the religion that has most profoundly shaped British culture and heritage.
2. Understanding Other World Religions and Views: To enable pupils to learn about other major world religions and worldviews, their impact on society, culture, and the broader world, and to express insights into these religions in meaningful ways.
3. Personal Spiritual and Philosophical Development: To contribute to the development of pupils’ own spiritual and philosophical convictions, helping them explore and enrich their personal beliefs and values.

By the end of their education in church schools, pupils should meet certain expectations in terms of religious literacy:

• A Thoughtful Account of Christianity: Pupils should be able to give a well-informed, theologically thoughtful account of Christianity as a living and diverse faith.
• Respectful Attitude Towards Other Beliefs: Pupils should show a respectful attitude towards other religions and worldviews in their search for God and meaning.
• Engagement in Dialogue: Pupils should engage in meaningful and informed dialogue with those of other faiths and beliefs, as well as those with no faith.
• Reflection on Own Beliefs: Pupils should reflect critically and responsibly on their own spiritual, philosophical, and ethical convictions.

Effective Teaching and Learning in RE:

Church schools have a responsibility to provide accurate knowledge and understanding of religions and worldviews. This includes:

• A Robust and Challenging Curriculum: The curriculum should be built on a solid theological framework, offering a challenging yet accessible approach to RE.
• Rigorous Assessment: Assessment should be designed to track progression in religious knowledge and understanding, based on core religious concepts.
• Diversity of Religious Experience: The curriculum should reflect the richness and diversity of religious experiences worldwide, expanding pupils' understanding of different faiths.
• Pedagogy of Respect and Dialogue: Teaching should foster respect for differing views and interpretations, creating a space for real theological enquiry and dialogue.
• Deepening Understanding: Pupils should have opportunities to deepen their understanding of religions and worldviews as they are lived by their believers, reflecting on these practices in their own lives.
• Contributions to SMSC Development: RE should make a positive contribution to the Social, Moral, Spiritual, and Cultural (SMSC) development of pupils.

Curriculum Balance:

While church schools must focus on Christianity, it should remain the majority subject of study in RE. In Key Stages 1-3, at least two-thirds of the curriculum time should be dedicated to the study of Christianity, ensuring a strong foundation in the faith while also allowing space for the exploration of other religions and worldviews.

In this way, RE at Wittersham Church of England Primary School aims to create a curriculum that is rigorous, respectful, and relevant, ensuring that pupils develop the knowledge, understanding, and values that will serve them in their spiritual, moral, and intellectual journeys.