Curriculum Intent

At our St Thomas’s Centre, we believe in the importance of teaching an open and diverse Religious Education (RE) that fosters children’s fascination about a variety of religious beliefs and non-religious worldviews. We consider the teaching of RE to be essential to all of our pupils, as we are aware that religion is very relevant in our society. Through the teaching of RE, we strive to develop children’s understanding about what other people believe as well as their religious practices in a sensitive manner, that does not require pupils to change their own religion or worldview in any way. We believe the teaching of RE encourages children to embrace diversity and challenges them to respectfully agree or disagree with the viewpoints of others. This will ensure all of our pupils will become successful in their future lives, working and living amongst people with a wide range of viewpoints and beliefs.

St Thomas’s Religious Education scheme helps pupils to explore big questions about life, to find out what people believe and what difference this makes to how they live. It gives children the opportunity to make sense of religion and to reflect on their own ideas and ways of living.

Our school curriculum for RE meets the requirements of The Education Act (2002), The School Standards and Framework Act (1998) and RE Non Statutory Guidance (2010). The legal requirements are that Religious Education must be provided for all registered pupils in full time education except those withdrawn at the request of their parents (S352 (1) (a). If such a request for withdrawal is made, the Head teacher will explore the reasons for the request and seek to arrive at an accommodation as it may be that only some elements of Religious Education or Worship are objected to.

Key Stage 1 overview

Pupils will:

• develop their knowledge and understanding of religions and worldviews.
• understand and use basic subject-specific vocabulary.
• raise questions.
• reflect on their own and other people’s motives, feelings and ethics.
• begin to express their own views.

Key Stage 2 overview

Pupils will:

• extend their knowledge and understanding of religions and worldviews
• recognise their local, national and global contexts.
• be introduced to an extended range of sources and subject-specific vocabulary.
• be encouraged to be curious and to ask increasingly challenging questions about religion, belief, values and human life.
• learn to express their own ideas in response to the material they engage with, identifying relevant information, selecting examples and giving reasons to support their ideas and views