Our RE curriculum is carefully designed to develop pupils’ religious literacy through effective curriculum planning and high-quality teaching. Assessment plays a vital role in supporting teaching and learning, ensuring that all pupils can access lessons, participate fully, and make expected progress.

We aim for children to become religiously literate, enabling them to:

• engage in well-informed conversations
• develop an aptitude for dialogue
• gain a deeper awareness of the world in which they live
• form and express their own views based on knowledge and understanding, while respecting differing perspectives
• understand, interpret and evaluate texts, sources of wisdom and authority, and other forms of evidence

We also strive to inspire courage in our pupils, encouraging them to become passionate advocates for causes that hold personal or global significance.

Each RE unit follows a structured enquiry approach:

• Enquire: Pupils engage with a ‘big’ question and related subsidiary questions, rooted in one of the disciplines of RE: theology, philosophy, or human/social sciences. Big concepts are also incorporated.
• Investigate/Explore: Pupils examine the religious content and context in depth. This stage focuses primarily on learning about religion and belief.
• Evaluate/Communicate: Pupils consider the impact of beliefs and practices on the religious or belief communities being studied.
• Reflect/Express: Pupils reflect on their learning, expressing personal views based on knowledge and understanding. This stage focuses on informed reflection rather than solely on values or Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural (SMSC) development.

Events such as Remembrance, other religious festivals as well as regular visits to our local church ensure that pupils can enjoy first-hand experiences of religious practice.

Enrichment opportunities, such as Remembrance events, celebrations of religious festivals, and regular visits to our local church, provide pupils with valuable first-hand experiences of religious practice.

Please read our policies below for more information

• RE Policy
• Spirituality Policy
• RE Curriculum Map

RE enables pupils to explore the similarities and differences between major world religions, promoting respect for diverse worldviews and supporting the holistic development of each child. This broad understanding helps pupils appreciate how faith shapes cultures, identities, and communities.

Through learning about different religions and worldviews, pupils develop respect for diversity and an understanding of the importance of tolerance and acceptance. RE lessons provide a safe environment in which to ask questions, express curiosity, and reflect on personal beliefs while building respect for others.

Pupils are also encouraged to reflect on their own values and beliefs, helping them to develop a strong moral compass. This reflective process supports personal growth and encourages pupils to consider their place in the world and their responsibilities toward others, in line with our school vision: “but now we are many members, yet but one body.”

A balanced RE curriculum incorporates theology, philosophy, and human/social sciences, equipping pupils with the knowledge and skills needed to engage in informed discussions about religion and belief, and fostering true religious literacy.

At St Aidan’s, we also use the characters Theo, Philly, and Sami to support and enrich our discussions.

Collective Worship

Collective worship is a pivotal part of each school day where pupils and staff can meet to think, reflect and pray by invitation. Biblical teaching, alongside our school’s Christian vision and values, are incorporated into collective worship throughout the week.

Our pattern of weekly worship is as follows:

We hold services at Holy Trinity church at key times throughout the year, Harvest, Christmas, Easter and Year 6 leavers.

At St Aidan’s, staff, pupils and families are encouraged to grow both academically and spiritually (please see our Spirituality Policy below). The RE curriculum, alongside daily collective worship, equips pupils not only with knowledge of different faiths but also with the tools to navigate life’s challenges with hope and resilience.

As such, RE plays a vital role in developing well-rounded, compassionate and engaged pupils who embody the values of community, inclusiveness, peace, kindness, sustainability and resilience. These principles support pupils both during their time at St Aidan’s and beyond.

Please see St Aidan’s Collective Worship_Policy for more information.