At St Paul’s it is our intention that the study of Religious Education will inspire in our children a sense of awe and wonder about faith in the World they live in. We aim to enable all children to become religiously literate, and ensure RE enables all children to live life in all its fullness. We offer a systematic enquiry-based approach to the teaching of RE so that children can be critical thinkers; they can engage critically with texts and ask deep and meaningful questions. Children will develop the ability to make connections within and across religions and world views. They will reflect, respond and express their own religious, spiritual and philosophical convictions. Children will develop the ability to make their own choices and decisions concerning religion and belief, based on a deep knowledge and understanding of religions and world views, belief systems, values and practices. St. Paul’s CE Primary School follows the LDBS recommended scheme of work for RE.

This is linked to our curriculum drivers, Growth – growing religious literacy and understanding about Christianity and world faiths. Developing as citizens who can make a difference and shine like stars in the world.

Spirituality – developing their understanding of faith and belief and what it means to be part of society; making a difference in our community and the wider community.  Through philosophical discussions and debate, children will develop their opinions and learn how they can begin to make a difference in the world as responsible citizens.  They will begin to understand the importance of sustainable development and their rights and responsibilities to other people and the environment as well as how to gather information and process data to enable them to ask and answer questions and make responsible choices in the future.

At St Paul’s, our aim is to fulfil the national requirement to provide RE which, as a Voluntary Aided school, is in accordance with the school’s Trust Deed and with the rites, practices and doctrines of the Church of England. The Governing Body as a whole is responsible for determining the nature of Religious Education provided in its school and its management is a distinctive role of the governors and the headteacher.

The Christian faith is the foundation of everything that we do; in all learning and life experiences, it is our aim to live out our school vision statement. We believe that it is fundamental for the children to belong to a safe and nurturing community, founded on strong Christian values where children will develop an array of skills that will enable them to make their own positive contribution to our local, national and global societies. One of our main aims for all children in RE is to provoke challenging questions about the ultimate meaning of life, beliefs about God and nature of reality and morality.  We will also develop pupils’ knowledge and understanding of Christianity, other principal world religions, religious traditions and world-views that offer answers to ultimate questions.  They will develop their sense of identity and belonging, in order to flourish within communities as responsible citizens in society and in global communities.  We will also teach pupils to develop respect for others and their beliefs and help to challenge prejudice.  They will be encouraged to consider their responsibilities both to themselves and to others, exploring how they might contribute to their communities and to wider society, encouraging empathy, generosity and compassion.

We will promote an environment where all children feel known, accepted, and valued as individuals, within a caring community, where our Christian faith affects not only what we teach, but also how we teach.  We will continually strive to ensure that all children maximise their potential; our distinctive Christian ethos permeates all aspects of school life and will have an outstanding impact on pupils’ personal development. This will be evident through a variety of outcomes: the established strengths of the focus on Christian values leading to outstanding spiritual, moral and academic development of all pupils; the outstanding relationships within the school family, based on Christian love and care for each individual; the quality of relationships with parents and the positive Christian impact the school has in the wider community; the school’s procedures for evaluating its effectiveness as a church school; the excellent and vibrant quality of worship which makes a significant impact on pupils’ spiritual development; and the quality of the RE curriculum.     

Each curriculum subject has a dedicated subject leader with clear roles and responsibilities.  To ensure high standards of RE, we implement the London Diocesan Board for Schools syllabus which fulfils all legal requirements as well as the RE Statement of Entitlement from the Church of England Education Office 2016.  The role of the subject leader is pivotal in its successful implementation; following the Diocese medium-term curriculum map documenting the required progression of knowledge and skills, the RE leader works closely with the other class teachers during the planning process as well as researching enrichment opportunities such as trips and guest speakers that bring the subject to life.

RE is taught for a minimum of 5% of curriculum time which, in EYFS, is entwined in the statutory Early Learning Goals. We believe in a collaborative partnership with parents, which is evidenced by the sharing of learning both in school and at home through the online platform, Tapestry. In Years One to Six, discrete lessons take place on a weekly basis with opportunities to embed further teaching of RE occurring in PSHE, English, Art, Drama and Music lessons due to our cross-curricular approach to teaching and learning.  Two thirds of the units taught are dedicated to Christianity with the remaining third focusing on the teaching of other major religions such as Judaism, Sikhism, Hinduism and Buddhism.  This ensures that the ethos and values of our Christian school are at the centre of the children’s religious education, whilst also promoting inclusivity and tolerance of other important religions.  

We provide our children with a rich and varied RE curriculum that enables them to acquire a deep and broad knowledge and understanding of the Christian faith and other major world faiths.  All of our staff are role models for the children and model the learning requirements clearly to the children in all subjects.  We use an enquiry-based approach that engages with biblical and other religious texts to help pupils to develop religious and theological literacy and they are given opportunities to discuss their thoughts and opinions with others in class. All lessons are challenging and have clear objectives and steps for success.  They are effectively planned to ensure progression and to meet the needs of the whole class, taking into consideration special educational needs, pupil premium and more-able learners. 

At St Paul’s, we enhance pupils’ RE learning by providing enriching experiences that are memorable for them, offering a variety of opportunities for learning outside of the classroom that help them to understand the complex and diverse world in which they live and how they fit in to it.  These include visits to places of worship such as St Paul’s Cathedral and Westminster Abbey in London and, more locally, the ‘Neasden Temple’ mandir, and Edmonton mosque. We celebrate Christmas at St. Paul’s Church, Winchmore Hill, where we hold two Christingle services, one for Reception and KS1 and one for KS2. The children from our school help to decorate the Christmas tree at St. John’s Palmers Green, and our choir perform carols on The Green with St. Paul’s church, and at Holy Trinity for their Christmas Fair. The clergy from St. Pauls, St. Peters, Holy Trinity and St. John’s work closely with children and teachers at our school. Children in Years 5 and 6 are supported in their Christian learning journey to become confirmed at our local churches. Clergy from each church support the school both in Collective Worship and in the teaching and learning of RE. Close relationships are formed between clergy, staff and pupils, encouraging the development and flourishing of our Christian ethos.

Children of all abilities are engaged and challenged in RE lessons; they become determined, independent learners who progressively improve their skills and knowledge to be the best that they can be.

Assessment carried out at St Paul’s is in accordance with guidance given by the LDBS. Formative assessment of the children’s understanding of their learning and the linked vocabulary takes place promptly after each lesson, ensuring that any issues are quickly identified and can be addressed with additional support if required. Teachers appreciate the importance of high-quality editing and the provision of next steps to move learning on and pupils demonstrate high levels of engagement in the marking process, responding to feedback in a positive manner. 

Further ways of assessing the impact of our RE curriculum include learning walks by the subject leader and/or the SLT. For younger children, particularly in EYFS, images and videos of their learning are regularly reviewed. The school’s Christian ethos is evident in every classroom, where RE displays and our prayer area illustrate current teaching and learning.

Our Christian values are lived through all areas of school life, including in PSHE, to ensure pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, and our RE curriculum has a significant impact on learners and their wellbeing.  By the time children leave St Paul’s, they are able to ask and offer possible answers to challenging questions about the meaning of life, beliefs, nature of reality and morality; have a secure understanding and knowledge of the religions studied; and are confident to answer ultimate questions. Furthermore, our pupils demonstrate a good understanding of issues relating to the nature, truth and value of religion, and have a sense of self, identity and belonging to flourish within the community and be responsible citizens. We ensure that they will show respect, tolerance and understanding of all religions and beliefs and have a strong understanding of how the beliefs, values, practices and ways of life within any religion come together, as well as having the ability to link the study of religion and belief to personal reflections on meaning and purpose. Above all, they leave us with the ability to exemplify the school’s Christian values in all aspects of life that are rooted in the teachings of the Bible.