Religious Education
At The Drive Primary School, Religious Education (RE) plays a vital role in developing pupils as respectful, thoughtful and informed members of society. Our RE curriculum is designed to nurture curiosity about the world’s diverse beliefs and values, while encouraging children to reflect on their own ideas and experiences.
Our Intent
At The Drive Primary School, we aim to foster respect, understanding and empathy through an engaging and inclusive Religious Education curriculum. We encourage children to be curious about different religions and worldviews, explore big questions and develop a deeper understanding of the beliefs, values and traditions that shape people's lives.
Throughout their journey at The Drive, we want children to become respectful and reflective learners, asking thoughtful questions, considering different viewpoints and developing their own beliefs and values. Through discussion and enquiry, pupils learn to appreciate diversity and recognise the importance of mutual respect in modern Britain and the wider world.
We believe Religious Education should help children understand the communities around them. By exploring faiths, beliefs and traditions within our local area, pupils develop a sense of belonging and learn how different people contribute to the rich diversity of our community. These experiences help children make meaningful connections between their learning, their own lives and the wider world.
By studying a range of religions, cultures and worldviews, children develop cultural capital and gain a greater understanding of the diverse communities in which they live. Our curriculum reflects our values of being caring, tolerant, honest, hardworking and self-disciplined, helping pupils become compassionate, responsible and respectful citizens.
Religious Education also promotes our RESPECT values, encouraging children to think hard, have a go, explain their ideas, remain resilient, value others and enjoy learning.
Implementation
At The Drive Primary School, Religious Education is taught through the Gateshead Agreed Syllabus, supported by the adapted Kapow Religion and Worldviews Scheme, ensuring a clear progression of knowledge and skills from Early Years to Key Stage 2.
Our RE curriculum is built around three interconnected strands of knowledge: disciplinary, substantive and personal knowledge. Through an enquiry-based approach, pupils are encouraged to think like scholars by asking meaningful questions, exploring evidence, considering different viewpoints and developing reasoned conclusions.
Learning is structured around the three stages of Explore, Engage and Reflect. Pupils build their understanding of key concepts such as beliefs, wisdom and morality, practices, and community and belonging while studying a range of religions, worldviews, sacred texts, festivals and places of worship.
Children are encouraged to reflect on their own experiences, values and beliefs while learning to understand and respect those of others. Through rich discussion, oracy opportunities and Kagan cooperative learning structures, pupils develop the confidence to share opinions, listen actively and engage respectfully with different perspectives.
A key part of our curriculum is helping children make connections between their learning and the world around them. Through visits, visitors, faith leaders, artefacts, stories and local community links, pupils gain first-hand experiences of how beliefs and worldviews shape people's lives. These opportunities help children appreciate the diversity of their local community and the wider world.
Subject-specific vocabulary is explicitly taught and regularly revisited through retrieval activities, enabling pupils to recall and apply key knowledge with increasing confidence. By making connections across enquiry questions, children deepen their understanding of religions and worldviews over time.
Through Religious Education, children develop curiosity, critical thinking, empathy and respect. They leave The Drive with a greater understanding of themselves, others and the diverse communities in which they live, preparing them to become thoughtful, responsible and informed citizens in modern Britain.
Our RE curriculum also promotes our RESPECT values by encouraging pupils to value different beliefs and perspectives, communicate thoughtfully, work collaboratively and explore big questions with curiosity, resilience and understanding.
The Impact of RE
Through our Religious Education curriculum, children develop:
- Respect, empathy and tolerance for different beliefs, cultures and ways of life
- The ability to think critically and discuss ideas thoughtfully
- A strong sense of identity, belonging and self-awareness
- Spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding
- Confidence in expressing their own views whilst respecting those of others
We see the impact of our curriculum through children who:
- Engage confidently in thoughtful discussions about beliefs and values
- Use religious and philosophical vocabulary appropriately
- Confidently recall and apply key knowledge about religions and worldviews, making meaningful connections between beliefs, practices and traditions.
- Make meaningful connections between different religions, worldviews and their own experiences
- Demonstrate curiosity and respect when learning about others
- Show understanding of the diverse world around them
- Appreciate the role of faith, belief and culture within their local community and wider society
By the time they leave The Drive Primary School, children are respectful, reflective and open-minded learners who have the knowledge, understanding and empathy needed to engage positively with the diverse communities and wider world around them.
All year groups follow the 2014 National Curriculum for all subject areas. Please find copy of the curriculum overview below. If you should require any further information with regards to our curriculum coverage, please speak to a member of staff.
National Curriculum Link: