Letting our light shine and making a difference in everything we do.
Religiour Education
-
Collective worship is a daily gathering where the school community comes together to reflect, pray, and explore shared values. Distinctly Christian yet fully inclusive of children of all faiths and none, it uses storytelling, music, and quiet reflection to foster spiritual growth and a strong sense of moral purpose. Click Here
-
Religious Education (RE) is a core subject that explores the Christian faith alongside other major world religions. It encourages children to think critically about their own beliefs while developing deep respect for diverse cultures, helping them understand the role of faith in society today. Click Here
-
Spiritual development nurtures a child’s inner life, fostering a sense of awe, wonder, and curiosity about the world. It provides pupils with the space to explore big life questions, reflect on their own identity, and develop deep empathy, self-awareness, and resilience. Click Here
Religious Education: Shining a Light on Our World
At St Mary & All Saints, Religious Education (RE) is a vibrant academic subject that helps children understand how diverse faiths and beliefs shape our lives. Welcoming pupils and staff of all faiths and none, our curriculum focuses on Christianity while fostering a deep, respectful understanding of major world religions, including Islam, Judaism, Sikhism, Buddhism, and Hinduism.
By encouraging our children's natural curiosity, RE prompts them to ask big questions about meaning, purpose, and identity. Through this, they develop the "diversity dexterity" needed to navigate today’s world with kindness and respect.
Our Curriculum Intent
We hold high ambitions for all our learners. Our multi-sensory and creative RE curriculum is precisely planned to ensure every child—including those with SEND and disadvantaged backgrounds—can articulate their learning, think critically, and achieve success.
Three Ways We Learn in RE
Our lessons blend academic rigour with spiritual growth by focusing on three distinct types of knowledge:
Substantive Knowledge: Learning the core facts about religious and non-religious traditions, including rituals, artefacts, and texts.
Ways of Knowing: Exploring how we learn about religion—teaching pupils how to interpret information, debate ideas responsibly, and build disciplinary skills.
Personal Knowledge: Nurturing the child’s own spirit. As pupils journey to understand worldviews, they discover more about themselves and connect their own values to the wider world.
How RE is Delivered
Time Allocation: From Reception to Year 6, all pupils receive a high-quality, discrete weekly RE lesson. Key seasonal themes are also explored in Nursery.
Big Questions: Our RE units are structured around big questions helping children to explore topics in depth, reflect on their own experiences and produce work they can be proud of.
Enriched Learning: Classroom teaching is brought to life through daily collective worship, regular visits to local places of worship, and inspiring faith speakers.
Key Pillars in Every Lesson
To ensure learning is meaningful and challenging, every RE unit embeds four core elements:
Big Questions: Thought-provoking, philosophical prompts designed to ignite a child's natural wonder.
Key Vocabulary: Explicitly teaching the terminology children need to confidently articulate and connect their learning.
SMSC Development: Our curriculum is inextricably rooted in Spiritual, Moral, Social, and Cultural growth.
British Values: RE offers a safe, structured space to practice democracy, individual liberty, mutual respect, and tolerance
Monitoring Our Impact
We continuously evaluate the quality of our RE provision to ensure every child is flourishing. Our Subject Leader and Senior Leadership Team measure success through:
Pupil Voice: Listening to children speak proudly and knowledgeably about their learning.
Work & Planning Scrutiny: Reviewing books, creative artwork, and teachers' high-quality lesson plans.
Enrichment Records: Documenting displays, special assemblies, learning walks, and external visits.
Your Rights as a Parent
In accordance with national guidelines, parents have the right to withdraw their children from RE lessons (wholly or in part) to provide their own religious education. We always welcome open, supportive conversations with families regarding this; please contact the school if you wish to discuss it.
Find Out More
For more information, please view our full RE Policy.
Collective Worship
Religious Education
