Religious Education (RE)

At St Francis, Religious Education plays a central role in helping pupils explore big questions about faith, belief, identity and meaning.

We follow Understanding Christianity alongside the Emmanuel RE Scheme of Work, supported by Christianity as a Global Faith, which helps pupils to develop a deeper understanding of Christianity as a diverse, worldwide and living religion.

Our RE curriculum is rooted in the expectations set out in the Statement of Entitlement for Church of England Schools, and is designed to develop pupils’ religious, theological and cultural literacy.

 

What do we mean by this?

At St Francis, we understand RE as a rigorous academic subject that enables pupils to:

• understand key beliefs, stories and practices from Christianity and other worldviews
• explore how beliefs are expressed and lived out in different contexts
• engage with theological ideas and ask increasingly complex questions
• develop and articulate their own informed views and responses

Through this, pupils learn to think deeply, reflect carefully and respond respectfully to the ideas of others.

 

Christianity at the heart of RE

Christianity is the principal focus of RE at St Francis and is explored as a diverse, global and living faith.

Using Understanding Christianity alongside Christianity as a Global Faith, pupils develop a secure understanding of core Christian concepts such as creation, incarnation, salvation and the Kingdom of God. They are encouraged to think theologically and to consider how these beliefs are expressed in Christian communities around the world today.

 

Learning from other faiths and worldviews

Alongside Christianity, pupils study a range of world faiths and non-religious worldviews. This helps them to understand the diversity of belief within our local, national and global communities, and to develop respect, curiosity and empathy for others.

 

How pupils learn in RE

RE is taught as an enquiry-based subject where pupils are encouraged to:

• ask and explore big questions
• discuss and debate ideas respectfully
• make connections between beliefs, texts and lived experience
• reflect on and evaluate different viewpoints
• build and apply subject knowledge over time

Learning is carefully sequenced so that pupils revisit key concepts with increasing depth and complexity as they move through the school.

 

Assessment in RE

We value RE as a rigorous academic subject and assess pupils’ learning carefully to ensure strong progression.

Assessment is based on pupils’ ability to:

• know and recall key religious and theological knowledge
• explain and make connections between ideas and beliefs
• evaluate and respond thoughtfully to questions of meaning and belief
• use subject-specific vocabulary with increasing accuracy

Teachers use ongoing formative assessment, discussion, written outcomes and pupil reflection to build a clear picture of progress. This ensures that pupils are developing both knowledge and the ability to think theologically with increasing confidence.

 

Impact of RE

Through high-quality teaching, structured enquiry and meaningful reflection, RE helps pupils to develop as thoughtful, informed and respectful learners.

It supports their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and encourages them to engage seriously with questions of belief and meaning.

Pupils leave St Francis with a secure understanding of Christianity as a global faith, an appreciation of other worldviews, and the ability to express their own ideas with confidence and respect.

Why this matters in our Church school

As a Church of England school, RE is central to our Christian vision and identity.

It enables pupils to explore faith deeply, understand Christianity as a living global religion, and engage thoughtfully with the beliefs of others.

In doing so, it helps us live out our vision:

“Together in God’s love, we aspire to be our best.”

Spirited Arts Competition:

As part of our Trust-wide Spirited Arts competition, pupils across St Francis explored the theme “Expressions of Spirituality.”

Children were invited to reflect deeply on questions such as:

• When I look in the mirror, what do I see in my reflection?
• What is important to me?
• How do I connect to the four areas of spirituality?
• Who or what is special to me?
• What do I find beautiful in the world?
• Where do I see God and goodness?
• What is beyond?

These prompts encouraged pupils to think reflectively, creatively and spiritually about themselves, others and the world around them.

Through art, pupils expressed their ideas about identity, wonder, meaning and faith in imaginative and thoughtful ways.

Two finalists were selected from each phase group to represent St Francis within the Trust, celebrating the creativity and spiritual insight shown across the school.

This competition provided a valuable opportunity for pupils to explore spirituality in a personal and meaningful way, connecting closely with our Christian vision and values.