Religious Education & Worldviews

Ofsted on Religious Education

Ofsted’s 2024 subject report and 2021 research review highlight that high-quality RE is:

• Intellectually challenging and personally enriching, helping pupils engage with complex ideas and reflect on their own beliefs and values.
• A subject that enables pupils to understand the religious and non-religious traditions that have shaped Britain and the wider world.
• Essential for preparing pupils to live in a diverse, multi-religious and multi-secular society, promoting respect, tolerance, and social cohesion.
• Most effective when it includes clear curriculum progression, explicit teaching of different types of knowledge, and opportunities for deep discussion and reflection.

Ofsted also emphasises that RE should not be marginalised and must be taught with the same rigour as other subjects, especially in schools without a religious character.

Religious Education at St. Michael’s

At St. Michael’s Church of England Primary Academy, Religious Education (RE) is a vital and valued part of our curriculum. True to our curriculum driver of Faith, RE is taught with academic rigour and deep respect for the diverse beliefs and backgrounds of our pupils. It is regarded with the same importance as our core subjects and plays a central role in shaping pupils’ understanding of the world and their place within it.

RE is treated as a rigorous academic subject and valued equally alongside our core curriculum areas such as reading, writing and maths. Through RE, pupils engage deeply with theological, philosophical, and ethical questions, developing both knowledge and understanding of a range of religious and non-religious worldviews.

A detailed overview of our RE curriculum can be found below.

Intent

Our RE curriculum is shaped by three key principles: Cultural Heritage, Excellence, and Faith.

• Cultural Heritage: We have carefully selected significant religious figures, narratives, and events that reflect the heritage of our pupils. Our study of dharmic religions explores the beliefs and practices of South Asia, while spiritual worldviews such as Rastafari connect with Caribbean traditions. Christianity is taught in its global context, alongside content that celebrates the rich religious diversity of Handsworth and British society.
• Excellence: Our knowledge-led curriculum focuses on depth over breadth. Each religion is studied in detail over a nine-week period, allowing pupils to gain a meaningful understanding rather than surface-level familiarity. We avoid tokenistic activities—such as building model churches—and instead focus on the disciplinary lenses of RE, encouraging pupils to think critically and reflect deeply.
• Faith: Our curriculum provides pupils with substantive knowledge of faith traditions and worldviews, while also offering space for them to share their own beliefs and perspectives in a respectful and inclusive environment.

Implementation

• EYFS and Year 1: Children begin their RE journey through teacher-led handbooks that focus on religious stories and narratives. These early experiences introduce key concepts and disciplinary thinking in an age-appropriate way.
• Years 2 to 6: Pupils use bespoke RE workbooks that define the knowledge to be taught and support structured learning. Lessons are broken into manageable chunks to avoid cognitive overload, and regular retrieval activities help reinforce key concepts.

Each unit includes:

• Knowledge Organisers – outlining essential facts and concepts
• Pre- and Post-Unit Assessments – measuring progress and informing teaching
• KWL Grids – activating prior knowledge and tracking learning
• Key Vocabulary and Glossaries – supporting language development and understanding
• Graphic Organisers – summarising learning visually
• Revision Activities – reinforcing retention through retrieval practice
• Essays – assessing understanding through extended writing

Impact

Pupil outcomes in RE books demonstrate a broad and balanced curriculum and strong acquisition of key knowledge. Children reflect on their learning at the end of each session, set personal targets, and evaluate their progress at the end of each unit. Final essays showcase the depth of understanding and the journey of learning across each topic.

Religious Themes: The ‘Big Ideas’

Our RE and Worldviews curriculum is built around four recurring substantive themes, which deepen pupils’ understanding as they progress through the school:

1. Stories and Narratives
2. Doctrines
3. Rituals and Practices
4. Metaphysics

Every RE lesson is anchored in at least one of these ‘big ideas’, providing a coherent and intellectually rich framework for exploring religion and belief.

Concepts in Religious Education

At St. Michael’s Church of England Primary Academy, Religious Education is taught through a conceptual approach. Key theological and philosophical concepts are introduced, explored, and revisited throughout a pupil’s time at school. This ensures that children not only learn more but also remember more, as their understanding deepens over time.

Each religion is studied through its own distinctive lens. For example:

• Hinduism is explored through the concept of dharma (duty, righteousness, and moral order).
• Christianity is examined through core concepts such as incarnation and salvation.

We also revisit broader, cross-cutting concepts that appear across multiple faiths and worldviews. These include, but are not limited to:

• Sacrifice
• Pilgrimage
• Forgiveness
• Justice
• Revelation
• Creation
• Community
• Authority
• Peace
• Belonging

By returning to these concepts in different contexts and across different religions, pupils are able to make meaningful connections, develop critical thinking, and build a coherent and lasting understanding of religion and belief.

Skills Progression Map

Knowledge Coverage Document

Example: Year 4 Unit on Christianity: Salvation – Trial & Crucifixion.  All units have an accompanying ‘Knowledge Coverage’ document.

Religious Education and Worldviews Curriculum Overview

At St. Michael’s, our Religious Education and Worldviews curriculum is carefully sequenced to ensure progression in knowledge, understanding, and conceptual depth from Reception through to Year 6. Each year group explores key religious and non-religious worldviews through rich narratives, significant figures, and meaningful concepts.

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Reception

• Origin Stories
• Easter: Stories of Sacrifice – The Servant King
• Lost and Found – The Lost Sheep
• Journeys – Hinduism: Lakshmi Walks Through the Night; The Road to Damascus

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Year 1

• Origin Stories
• Easter: Stories of Sacrifice – The King Has Come!
• Lost and Found – The Prodigal Son
• Journeys – Islam: The Night Journey; The Holy Spirit Arrives

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Year 2

• Christianity: Incarnation – The Nativity
• Judaism: Covenant – The Law of Moses
• Christianity: Salvation – The Triumphal Entry
• Islam: Harmony – Makkah: The Holy City

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Year 3

• Hinduism: Dharma – Puja
• Buddhism: Karma – The Buddha
• Sikhism: Oneness – Ik Onkar
• Non-Religious Worldviews – Life Without God

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Year 4

• Christianity: Incarnation – The Trinity
• Judaism: Covenant – The Abrahamic Covenant
• Christianity: Salvation – The Trial and Crucifixion
• Islam: Ibadah – Islamic Worship

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Year 5

• Hinduism: Dharma – What is Dharma?
• Buddhism: Karma – Achieving Nirvana
• Sikhism: Oneness – The Khalsa
• Rastafari: Repatriation – Who is Ras Tafari?

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Year 6

• Christianity: Incarnation – The Messiah
• Judaism: Covenant – The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
• Christianity: Salvation – The Resurrection
• Islam: Harmony – Pilgrimage (Hajj)

Training and CPD in Religious Education

At St. Michael’s Church of England Primary Academy, we are proud to lead subject networks and deliver subject-specific CPD (Continuing Professional Development) in Religious Education through the Birmingham Education Partnership. Our involvement ensures that our staff—and colleagues across the city—benefit from high-quality, research-informed training that enhances subject knowledge and pedagogy.
You can find more about our training offer here: Birmingham Education Hub – RE Training

Religious Education in Art

NATRE Spirited Arts Award Winners – ‘How do we envisage god?’

Black Angel Triptych
The students began by exploring images of angels produced in classical art and by established artists, such as Abbott Handerson Thayer. They discovered that all of these images almost universally described/represented angels as white (European). They were quick to appreciate that historically, white patrons financed the arts and as a result most characterisations of angels reflected this.
The girls decided to pay homage to some of the iconography of the ‘Old Masters’ giving their angels halos and flowing robes. This was not only to acknowledge the long association of art and religious representation but also to draw attention to the key difference of their work; the presentation of black skin tones and black hair styles. They decided upon a running banner of stars to add interest to each individual artwork and ‘tie’ the three together when presented as a triptych.

The theme is generously sponsored by The Church of England’s Racial Justice Unit.

Children regularly have the opportunity to explore, depict and express their religious literacy through artistic mediums.

Children’s work in Religious Education

Religious Education Policy

Parental Rights and RE Withdrawal

We fully respect the individual beliefs and values of our families. In line with statutory guidance, parents have the legal right to withdraw their child from Religious Education (RE) lessons, either partially or entirely.

If you wish to exercise this right, please notify the school in writing. We will ensure that your child is appropriately supervised during RE sessions. While alternative teaching is not provided during this time, pupils will be engaged in meaningful and purposeful educational activities.

If you would like to discuss this further or explore alternative arrangements, please contact the school office. We are always happy to support families in making informed decisions.