Overview

Intent

At Riversides School, our intention is to ensure that Religious Education enables all children to understand the diverse beliefs, values and traditions that shape our community and wider world. We want our pupils to develop curiosity about how people make meaning, explore big life questions, and reflect on their own beliefs respectfully and thoughtfully.

Our RE curriculum is designed to help pupils:

• Build secure substantive knowledge about a range of religions and worldviews.
• Develop disciplinary skills so they can discuss, question, compare, interpret and evaluate religious and non‑religious concepts with increasing sophistication (aligned with the approach used across other subjects at Riversides School – sequential, well‑mapped knowledge and skills.
• Recognise similarities and differences between belief systems, fostering respect, tolerance and empathy.
• Achieve the cultural capital they need to engage confidently with the diverse society.

Above all, our RE curriculum empowers pupils to think deeply, express themselves confidently, and understand the world around them.

Implementation

Religious Education at Riversides School is delivered through a carefully sequenced curriculum from KS1. It is mapped to ensure progression in knowledge, disciplinary understanding and vocabulary, following the same high‑quality structure seen in other foundation subjects.

Our implementation includes:

• Clear progression: Units build on prior knowledge to help pupils make meaningful links across religions, practices and concepts.
• Explicit vocabulary instruction: Subject‑specific terms are taught, revisited and applied so pupils can articulate ideas with clarity and confidence.
• Experiential learning: Opportunities such as discussions, role‑play, philosophy‑for‑children style enquiries, guest speakers, and visits/virtual visits to places of worship bring RE to life—mirroring the experiential focus found in other curriculum areas. [
• Inclusive teaching: Lessons are accessible to all pupils, including those with SEND, ensuring everyone can participate meaningfully and develop secure understanding.
• Consistent pedagogy: Teachers use retrieval practice, modelling, structured talk and clear questioning to embed knowledge and strengthen understanding across time—aligned with core Riversides School teaching routines.

Impact

The impact of our RE curriculum is seen in pupils who are thoughtful, knowledgeable and respectful learners. They can talk confidently about what they have learned using accurate, subject‑specific vocabulary—reflecting the expectations set across all Riversides School foundation subjects.

By the end of each key stage, pupils will:

• Demonstrate secure understanding of key beliefs, practices and worldviews.
• Make connections between different religions and reflect on how beliefs influence actions and lifestyles.
• Ask insightful questions and articulate their own ideas while respecting those of others.
• Show evidence of progression in both substantive knowledge (what they know) and disciplinary knowledge (how they study religion).
• Have the cultural capital and emotional literacy needed to navigate an increasingly diverse society.

Impact is monitored through lesson visits, discussions with pupils, and ongoing assessment practices—ensuring pupils retain knowledge, think critically and develop as reflective individuals.