Curriculum / Religious Education
" No colour, no religion, no nationality should come between us. We are all children of God"
- Mother Teresa
RE is the open exploration of what people believe, their way of life and the impact of beliefs, values and ways of living in local and global communities. It engages pupils in the process of understanding what others believe, what is important to them, how they live their lives and what influences them. In doing this pupils also reflect on their own beliefs and values and their main influences. - (Hertfordshire Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education 2023-2028)
Here at The Leys Primary and Nursery School, RE should be informative, creative and fun. We provide regular lessons that explore different religions and cultures and the world we live in today. We believe that these opportunities provide the children at The Leys with the knowledge and understanding of why RE is important and relevant in today’s world.
It supports our children to; respect others, gain a broader understanding of other worldviews and beliefs, improve their knowledge of global affairs and avoid extremism and religious discrimination. RE teaching can also support children to develop a sense of well-being, and happiness and contributes to the building of a more cohesive school community.
We promote RE within regular lessons, throughout weekly assemblies, during Global Fridays and with teachings of celebrations and festivals from across the world. In our school, RE is taught in a hands-on way using cross curricular approaches, such as art, stories, food, resources and artefacts.
The RE curriculum is taught using the NATRE scheme of work that is in line with the Hertfordshire agreed syllabus. It aims to ensure that all pupils develop knowledge and understanding of sources of wisdom and their impact whilst exploring personal and critical responses. It will develop children’s understanding of different religions and cultures so they can engage in life in an increasingly diverse society in modern Britain. The eight key areas of RE from the Hertfordshire agreed syllabus include: Beliefs and practices, sources of wisdom, symbols and actions, prayer, worship and reflection, identity and belonging, ultimate questions, human responsibility and values and justice and fairness. These will be covered across each key stage.
Christianity is taught in every year group with at least one other religion taught across the year (5 other religions covered Judaism, Islam, Sikhism, Buddhism and Hinduism). Each year group will be introduced to all religions throughout the year through Global Fridays and whole school events.
At The Leys Primary school, the RE curriculum allows children to understand and explore what others believe and what difference this makes to how they live their lives. Children gain skills and knowledge about other religions and beliefs, whilst also reflecting on their own.
It is not about telling pupils what views they should have but rather assisting them in gaining a shared human understanding, developing personal identity and exploring different viewpoints.
Chinese New Year Workshop
Useful Websites:
Places of Worship
RE Online’s collection of videos of tours/visits to places of worship.
Buddhapadiya Temple
Informative site of the Thai Buddhist Temple in Wimbledon.
Hinduism for Schools
Is the website of the Vivekanada Centre of London specifically devoted to resources for teaching Hinduism in schools.
London Central Mosque
Includes an image gallery.sources aimed for pupils at each key stage.
World Religions for Kids
BBC RE Learning Zone
The BBC's religion and ethics site - an absolutely fantastic resource. Sign up to receive their e-mail newsletter.
BBC Learning Zone Videos
Select 'primary' and 'religious education' in the search boxes for abroad range of useful videos.