At Barrowby Church of England Primary School, we are committed to delivering a high-quality Religious Education (RE) curriculum that reflects the diverse beliefs, values, and traditions of our community and the wider world.

Vision:

 At Barrowby Church of England Primary School, we aim to ensure that all children become religiously literate, developing the knowledge, understanding and confidence to engage in balanced, well‑informed conversations about religion, belief, and the many ways people make sense of life.

Our RE curriculum reflects the Lincolnshire Agreed Syllabus worldviews approach, recognising that “nobody stands nowhere” and that every person interprets the world through a unique lens shaped by their experiences, beliefs, relationships and community.

We seek to provide a curriculum that helps children understand how diverse worldviews – both religious and non‑religious – shape identity, influence behaviour and contribute to our shared life in local, national and global communities. In doing so, we prepare pupils to live well together in a complex, ever‑changing world.

 Intent:

Our intent is to support children in developing an outstanding depth of religious and worldview understanding, enabling them to explore not only what people believe, but how and why people hold these beliefs, and the impact this has on daily life.

In line with the Lincolnshire Agreed Syllabus, our curriculum ensures pupils:

• Develop key thinking skills that allow them to navigate a diverse and increasingly complex world.
• Understand both disciplinary and substantive knowledge – learning how to study religion and what people believe.
• Explore diversity within and between religious and non-religious traditions, challenging stereotypes and simplistic assumptions.
• Learn about non‑religious worldviews (such as Humanism) and understand secular perspectives on life, meaning and morality.
• Reflect upon how beliefs, identities, communities, and interpretations shape individuals and societies.
• Understand the significant role religions and worldviews play in shaping responses to local, national and global events—including peace, justice, suffering, the environment, morality and meaning.

At Barrowby, we want pupils to build their own personal worldview thoughtfully and responsibly, grounded in curiosity, empathy, critical thinking and respect.

We believe that teaching about religious and non‑religious worldviews in an open and exploratory way empowers young people to:

• Engage meaningfully with the complexities of belief
• Recognise the importance of identity, belonging and community
• Make sense of the diverse society in which they live
• Appreciate differences while seeking common good
• Contribute to informed, respectful debate
• Avoid stereotyping and prejudice
• Understand how beliefs influence real‑life choices
• Reflect deeply on their own developing values, beliefs and hopes

Above all, our intent is that pupils develop a genuine respect for others, an appreciation of the diverse world they inhabit, and a desire to contribute positively to it.  Through high‑quality RE, we aim not only to fulfil statutory requirements but to prepare children for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life, enabling them to flourish as compassionate, thoughtful and active global citizens.

Implementation:

Religious Education is a statutory subject of the curriculum for all pupils in each year group, including Reception.  In line with the 1988, 1996 and 1998 Education Acts all children will receive Religious Education unless parents/carers formally withdraw their own children (S352(1) (a). At Barrowby Church of England Primary School, we ensure that we comply with the legal requirements for RE by following the Lincolnshire Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education 2025-2025, which reflects a worldviews approach to teaching and learning.  ‘Every agreed syllabus should ‘reflect the fact that the religious traditions in Great Britain are in the main Christian, while taking account of the teaching and practices of the other principal religions represented in Great Britain.’ (s375 (3) Education Act 1996). 

At Barrowby, RE is taught during weekly lessons.  We follow the recommended time allocation in the Lincolnshire Agreed Syllabus 2025 – 2030: Reception: delivered flexibly according to the statutory requirements of the EYFS Framework and to help meet the early learning goals (ELG), Key Stage 1 children will receive at least thirty-six hours per year, and Key Stage Two will receive at least forty-five hours over the school year.

We have developed a carefully sequenced curriculum and clear progression of knowledge and skills to ensure a clear and coherent journey from Reception to Year 6.  Our RE curriculum is built around the four Progression Strands set out in the Lincolnshire Agreed Syllabus (2025–2030). These strands reflect key concepts common to all religions and worldviews, and they develop cumulatively across the school to inform learning objectives, outcomes and assessment. They underpin both our disciplinary and substantive knowledge and support pupils in building a layered understanding of how people make sense of their lives and the world around them.

The strands are:

A. Belonging, Identity & Community

Exploring the many ways people form identity, belong to communities, and understand themselves in relation to others. This includes how religious, cultural and non‑religious communities shape worldview and practice.

B. Beliefs, Influence & Values

Investigating beliefs about God, humanity, morality and the world, and examining how these beliefs influence behaviour, values, actions and decision‑making. This includes recognising diversity within and between worldviews and developing insight into why people believe what they believe.

C. Expression, Experience & the Sacred

Understanding how people express their beliefs and worldviews through rituals, symbols, creativity, worship, behaviour and lived experience. Pupils explore what people consider sacred, meaningful or special, and how experiences shape their worldview.

D. Truth, Interpretation & Meaning

Developing pupils’ ability to engage critically with questions of truth, interpretation, purpose and meaning. This includes understanding how people interpret teachings, texts, evidence, experience and the world itself — recognising that “truth” is understood differently across and within worldviews.

These strands also connect naturally with the themes from the previous Lincolnshire syllabus — such as Being Human, Community, Worship and Celebration, God, and Life Journey — ensuring continuity and progression. Strand D (Truth, Interpretation and Meaning) intentionally runs throughout all learning, supporting pupils to develop increasingly sophisticated thinking as they move through the school. Across the curriculum, these strands help pupils build a personal, reflective, and informed worldview, enabling them to articulate not only what they have learned but also how this learning shapes their own understanding of the world.

Effective use of educational visits are planned, to further enrich and enhance the pupil’s learning experiences within the RE curriculum.

Through our Religious Education Curriculum, we aim to:

• Explore core beliefs and theological concepts through disciplinary knowledge in RE:
  • Theology (Believing): exploring beliefs and sources of authority; how these have developed; how they differ within and between worldviews.
  • Philosophy (Thinking): considering questions of truth, meaning, morality and existence; understanding how people reason and justify their worldviews.
  • Human/Social Sciences (Living): investigating how worldviews are lived out in families, communities and societies; understanding diversity and lived experience.

• Teach pupils to understand and respect the importance of beliefs—religious and non‑religious—in shaping identity, values and action. 
• Recognise diversity within communities and avoid stereotypes by exploring real human experiences.
• Enable pupils to explore their own emerging worldview, values and beliefs in the light of what they learn in RE, thus supporting their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development
• Encourage pupils to examine meaning and purpose in life, right and wrong, and what it means to be human.
• Develop an aptitude for dialogue, equipping pupils to participate positively in a plural society with many different worldviews.
• Build confidence in discussing complex or controversial issues with sensitivity and accuracy.
• Help pupils understand diversity and challenge simplistic or harmful assumptions about religions, beliefs or cultures.
• Encourage critical thinking so pupils can evaluate claims, sift evidence, and understand different viewpoints.

EYFS

 EYFS children will be guided in their learning through four overarching principles for a unique child, positive relationships, enabling environments and learning and development. They will build a good foundation for igniting their curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, forming relationships and thriving at school through the Seven Areas of Learning.

• Prime Areas of Communication and Language, Physical Development and Personal, Social and Emotional Development.
• Specific Areas of Literacy, Mathematics, Understanding the World and Expressive Arts and Design.

 The Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum supports children’s understanding of Religious Education through the planning and teaching of ‘Understanding the World – People, Cultures and Communities’. Children are encouraged to use their imagination and curiosity to develop their appreciation of, and wonder at, the world in which they live.

Exploring others’ views, cultures and beliefs supports children in developing their views and beliefs about themselves, their family and community. In finding out about others, young children are encouraged to reflect on belief, culture and practice and explore religion and faith through observing festivals and celebrations, sharing non – fiction texts and reading stories from religious texts, handling artefacts, engaging in roleplay and drama-based activities, and through discussions with those around them.

 SEND

For pupils with SEND, it is important to focus on the pupils’ strengths as well as identifying areas where they need more help, practice and consolidation. In general, pupils should have the opportunity to develop all the concepts, regardless of their SEN or disability. However, the approach to these concepts may have to be done differently with different groups of pupils.

Impact:

At Barrowby Church of England Primary School, pupils develop as religiously literate, reflective and open‑minded learners who understand that everyone has a worldview shaped by their beliefs, experiences and communities. Through our worldviews‑based RE curriculum, pupils gain the knowledge, insight and confidence needed to navigate a diverse and rapidly changing society with respect, curiosity and compassion.

Pupils demonstrate impact through their ability to:

• Explain how a wide range of religious and non‑religious worldviews work, drawing on disciplinary knowledge (Theology, Philosophy and Human/Social Sciences).
• Recognise diversity within and between worldviews, avoiding stereotypes and understanding lived experience.
• Reflect on their own developing worldview, relating their learning to their identity, community and moral decision‑making.
• Engage thoughtfully with big questions about meaning, truth, ethics, purpose, peace and the environment.
• Hold balanced, informed conversations about religion and worldviews, showing respect for differing perspectives.

We believe that Religious Education is invaluable in helping pupils become thoughtful global citizens who can respond intelligently to local, national and world events.

We measure the impact of our curriculum through a range of qualitative and quantitative approaches that reflect the expectations of the Lincolnshire Agreed Syllabus (2025–2030).

• Pupils’ progress in RE is based on the expected outcomes outlined in the Lincolnshire Agreed Syllabus 2025 - 2030. 
• Summative assessments are made by teachers at the end of a unit of work and at the end of each academic year.  Teachers can use evidence from pupil discussions, written outcomes, pupil interviews (pupil voice), and other creative outcomes, such as drama, art and music.
• Pupils’ books and standards in RE are scrutinised termly by the RE lead.  Where appropriate this is followed up by CPD for staff delivering RE lessons.
• Pupil progress in RE is discussed as part of Pupil Progress Meetings with the Head Teacher; this occurs at three points in the academic year.
• RE is monitored by the School governors.
• Progress in RE is reported annually to parents and has a prominent position in the end of year report.