Religious Education
Our aims
At Scotton Lingerfield Primary School, we want children to develop an informed and respectful understanding of different religions, beliefs and ways of life. Religious education gives them opportunities to explore what matters to people, how beliefs influence everyday choices and why people may answer important questions differently.
Children learn about Christianity and other religious traditions, alongside non-religious worldviews. They explore questions about belonging, meaning, right and wrong, and our responsibilities towards others and the world.
We encourage children to be curious, ask thoughtful questions and express their ideas clearly. They learn to listen carefully, consider different perspectives and disagree respectfully, recognising that people within the same religion or worldview may also hold different views.
How we teach religious education
Our RE curriculum follows a two-year rolling programme for our mixed-age classes. Each unit centres on an enquiry question, giving children a focus for exploring beliefs, teachings, practices and their significance in people’s lives.
Learning brings together three connected areas: understanding religions and worldviews; expressing and discussing ideas; and investigating questions about how people live. Children build factual knowledge alongside the skills to compare, interpret and reflect.
Stories, sacred texts, symbols, celebrations and examples of everyday practice help children understand beliefs in context. They consider both what people believe and how those beliefs may be expressed through worship, family life, community involvement and personal choices.
Our progression documents set out how understanding develops from Reception to Year 6. Children revisit important ideas with increasing depth, use more precise vocabulary and draw on earlier learning when exploring new questions.
Building knowledge and understanding across ages and stages
In Reception, children begin with familiar experiences of being special, belonging and caring for others. They explore special places and stories, encounter religious celebrations and learn about Christian beliefs through the Christmas, Easter and Creation stories. They begin to recognise some religious symbols and discover how different families and communities welcome children and mark important occasions. Conversation, storytelling and opportunities to share their own experiences help them notice similarities and differences.
In Years 1 and 2, children develop their knowledge of Christianity, Judaism and Islam. They explore questions about Creation, Christmas, Easter, religious stories and what it means to belong to a faith community. Learning introduces beliefs and practices such as Jewish Shabbat and Muslim ways of living, alongside the importance of special places. Children retell stories, explain simple connections between beliefs and actions, and consider questions about caring for people and the world.
In Years 3 and 4, children deepen their understanding of Christianity, Islam, Judaism and Hinduism. They investigate how worship, festivals and family life express what matters to believers, and how people mark significant events. Christian learning explores ideas including covenant, the Trinity, Creation, Pentecost and the significance of Good Friday. Children make clearer links between teachings and practices, recognise diversity within traditions and consider how religious and non-religious beliefs can inspire people to make the world a better place.
In Years 5 and 6, children explore increasingly complex questions about belief, identity and how people live. They investigate Muslim life in Britain, the importance and interpretation of the Torah, Hindu beliefs about living well, and the values of humanists and Christians. Christian learning develops through questions about God, Jesus, resurrection, freedom and justice. Children consider different perspectives on science and Creation, why some people believe in God and others do not, and how faith may support people during difficult times. They use their knowledge to explain different viewpoints, weigh ideas and support their responses with reasons.
Learning through enquiry and discussion
Throughout school, children learn to distinguish between describing a belief, explaining its significance to someone and expressing their own response. As they grow older, they consider how teachings can be interpreted differently and why belonging to a community may bring both support and challenges.
Discussion helps children explore questions without assuming that everyone shares the same beliefs or experiences. They learn to use examples accurately, avoid generalisations and recognise diversity within and between religious and non-religious worldviews.
Children also reflect on ethical questions, including what is fair, how people can live together respectfully and how our choices affect others. Their responses become increasingly thoughtful as they draw on what they have learned.
Developing understanding and respect
We want children to leave Scotton Lingerfield with secure knowledge of the religions and worldviews they have studied and an appreciation of their importance in people’s lives.
By the end of Year 6, children should be increasingly confident in asking questions, explaining connections between beliefs and practices, and discussing different perspectives with care. Our aim is for them to approach the diversity of the wider world with understanding, curiosity and respect.
Parents have the right to withdraw children from some or all RE lessons. If you would like to withdraw your child, please email to the school office to discuss this further.
