Religious Education

At Marion Richardson Primary School, we believe that it is important for all our pupils to be equipped with systematic knowledge and understanding of a range of religions and worldviews, enabling them to develop their ideas, values and identities. Pupils should have a chance to develop an aptitude for discussion so that they can participate positively in our society, with its diverse religions and worldviews. We encourage our pupils to identify similarities and differences between religions and to use it to explore and reflect on their own beliefs, values and experiences. We provide opportunities for children to work independently, collaboratively and creatively to investigate challenging questions about meaning and purpose in life, beliefs about God, issues of right and wrong and what it means to be human. Through this process pupils will learn to articulate clearly and coherently their personal beliefs, ideas, values and experiences while respecting the right of others to differ. We also want to provide opportunities for children to gain and utilise the skills needed to think critically and to understand, interpret and evaluate texts, sources of wisdom and authority and other evidence. They will develop spiritually, academically, emotionally and morally to enable them to better understand themselves and others and to cope with the opportunities, challenges and responsibilities of living in a rapidly changing, multicultural world.

The children at Marion Richardson, will be equipped with an understanding about other religions and why people choose, or choose not to follow a religion. They will develop spiritually, academically, emotionally and morally to enable them to better understand themselves and others and to cope with the opportunities, challenges and responsibilities of living in a rapidly changing, multicultural world. Children will feel they are valued as individuals and they will feel safe to learn new things and share their beliefs with others in an accepting environment.

Essential characteristics of religiously literate students

An outstanding level of religious understanding and knowledge across a wide range of religions and beliefs.
A thorough engagement with a range of ultimate questions about the meaning and significance of existence.
The ability to ask significant and highly reflective questions about religion and demonstrate an excellent understanding of issues related to the nature, truth and value of religion.
A strong understanding of how the beliefs, values, practices and ways of life within any religion cohere together.
Exceptional independence; the ability to think for themselves and take the initiative in, for example, asking questions, carrying out investigation, evaluating ideas and working constructively with others.
Significant levels of originality, imagination or creatively, which are shown in responses to their learning in RE.
The ability to link the study of religion and belief to personal reflections in meaning and purpose.

Religious Education Curriculum Overview 2024-2025

Religious Education Roadmap

Places of Worship - visits overview

Religious Education in the Early Years Foundation Stage

In the Early Years Foundation Stage, Religious Education forms part of the learning children acquire under the ‘Understanding the World' branch of the Foundation Stage curriculum.

The document below outlines in more detail the specific Religious Education objectives within the Early Years curriculum, what it looks like in practice, and demonstrates the links between the Early Years and the Religious Education curriculum.

Religious Education in the Early Years Foundation Stage

Religious Education in Key Stage 1 and 2

The Tower Hamlets Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education

At Marion Richardson, Religious Education topics are taught in accordance with the New Tower Hamlets Agreed Syllabus (2022-2027).

The syllabus intends to provide the structures and support systems that will enable the teaching of RE in a manner that is coherent, progressive, pedagogically and philosophically sound, and that will promote the cognitive, spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of all learners.

The principal aim of RE is to engage pupils in systematic enquiry into significant human questions which religion and worldviews address, so that they can develop the understanding and skills needed to appreciate and appraise varied responses to these questions, as well as develop responses of their own.

RE Display January 2017

In RE pupils learn from religions and world views about different ways of life in local, national and global contexts. We aim to ensure that all pupils:

Have a coverage of a range of religions including; Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism and a non-religious world view (Humanism).
Have an opportunity to discover, explore and consider many different answers to questions about human identity, meaning and value through the Tower Hamlets agreed syllabus for RE.
Explore different places of worship to gain a deeper understanding of various communities and how it impacts the society.
Have an opportunity to engage in discussion where they learn to consider the value of wisdom from different communities, to disagree respectfully, to be reasonable in their responses to religions and world views and to respond by expressing insights into their own and others’ lives. In EYFS, children will begin to identify similarities and differences between different religious and cultural communities in this country and relate it to their own experiences.
Engage in systematic enquiry which will allow them to carefully, creatively, imaginatively and respectfully think about their ideas in relation to religions and world views in a safe space.
Using different sources, including texts, to develop evaluation and critical thinking skills.

Learning Journeys

Learning Journeys detail the overall outcomes for each unit.
Learning Journeys detail the small steps that children will take to achieve the overall outcomes for each unit.
They show how the unit builds on prior learning
They show what children will learn in the future linked to what they are learning now.
Learning Journeys are available on the school website – on the year group page or on the subject page
They include key vocabulary for the unit
They include details of the key content to be covered

If you would like printed copies of any journeys please let us know.