“Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.” – Aristotle
R.E overview for parents and carers
🕊️ Religious Education (RE) Curriculum at Tebay Primary School
At Tebay Primary School, Religious Education plays a vital role in helping children understand the beliefs, values, and traditions of others, while reflecting on their own ideas and experiences. Our RE curriculum, based on the Kapow Primary scheme, is designed to be inclusive, respectful, and thought-provoking, supporting children to become tolerant, informed, and reflective citizens.
📚 Our Curriculum Structure
RE is taught across Key Stage 1 (Years 1–2) and Key Stage 2 (Years 3–6), following a spiral curriculum that revisits key themes and world religions with increasing depth and complexity. The curriculum is structured around key questions and concepts, encouraging children to explore:
- Beliefs and practices
- Celebrations and festivals
- Sacred texts and stories
- Places of worship
- Moral and ethical questions
- Identity and belonging
Children learn about the six major world religions – Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Sikhism, and Buddhism – as well as non-religious worldviews such as Humanism.
🌍 Real-Life Connections: BBC “A Day in the Life” Videos
To deepen understanding and bring learning to life, we incorporate fortnightly viewings of BBC’s “A Day in the Life” video series. These short films offer a window into the everyday lives of children from different faith backgrounds, helping our pupils to:
- Develop empathy and respect for others
- Understand how beliefs influence daily life
- Recognise similarities and differences between faiths
- Appreciate the diversity of modern Britain and the wider world
These videos are followed by class discussions and reflective activities that encourage children to ask questions, share their thoughts, and make meaningful connections to their own lives.
📖 Class Journey Books
Key learning in RE is recorded in class journey books, which provide a shared space for children to express their views, thoughts, and understanding of key concepts. These books capture a wide range of responses, including written reflections, drawings, group discussions, and photographs of practical activities. They celebrate the diversity of pupil voice and provide a valuable record of spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development across the school.
🎯 Impact: What Our Pupils Gain
By the end of Key Stage 2, our pupils will:
- Have a broad understanding of major world religions and non-religious worldviews
- Show respect and empathy for people of different beliefs and backgrounds
- Be able to reflect on their own values and ask thoughtful questions about life and faith
- Be prepared for life in a diverse and multicultural society
Our RE curriculum is regularly reviewed to ensure it remains ambitious and inclusive.
🐣 RE in the Early Years (EYFS)
In the Early Years Foundation Stage, RE is explored through the Understanding the World and Personal, Social and Emotional Development areas of learning. Using the Kapow Primary EYFS scheme, children are introduced to different cultures, celebrations, and beliefs through stories, songs, artefacts, and role play. They learn about kindness, fairness, and respect, laying the foundations for inclusive attitudes and spiritual development.
RE offers distinctive opportunities to promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development allowing time for reflection, discussion, dialogue and debate. This also contributes to the British Values agenda.
The Right of Withdrawal from Religious Education (RE):
Religion and belief have become more visible in public life in recent years, making it important that all pupils should have an opportunity to engage in RE. However, the parent of a pupil at a community, foundation, or voluntary school (or pupils themselves if they are aged 18 or over) may request that they be excused from all or part of the religious education (RE) provided.
Parents who wish to withdraw their children from RE should be aware of its aims and what is covered in the RE curriculum and that they are given the opportunity to discuss this if they wish. It should be made clear whether the withdrawal is from the whole RE curriculum or specific parts of it. No reasons need be given.
Important – limitations to withdraw
- If pupils are withdrawn from RE, schools have a duty to supervise them, though not to provide additional teaching. A pupil may be required to work in another area of the school, such as library or break out area.
- Whilst parents or carers have a right to withdraw children from RE, they should note that children may also encounter religions and beliefs and wider aspects of faith in other areas of the curriculum from which there is no right of withdrawal.
- On occasion, spontaneous questions about religious matters are raised by pupils or issues related to religion arise in other curriculum subjects such as history or citizenship (PSHE). For example, schools promote community cohesion and help pupils to understand ideas about identity and diversity, feelings, and emotions within both religious and non-religious contexts.
Managing the Right of Withdrawal
If pupils are withdrawn from RE, schools have a duty to supervise them, though not to provide additional teaching or to incur extra cost. Pupils will usually remain on school premises where it is feasible and appropriate.
Where a request for withdrawal is made, the school must comply and excuse the pupil until the request is rescinded. Though not legally required, it is good practice for a head teacher to invite parents to discuss their written request.
(Section 71(3), School Standards and Framework Act 1998).
