RE Intent – What We Aspire for Your Child

At Green Park Community Primary School, we understand that our world is ever-changing and beautifully diverse. We believe that fostering an understanding of different worldviews is essential for our children to flourish as confident, compassionate individuals. Our RE curriculum is designed to help children navigate a society rich in varied beliefs and values. We value every member of our school community and encourage open sharing of personal experiences. Respect and sensitivity for all religions are at the heart of our approach, and we celebrate the connections between home, school, and faith communities.

We aim to provide children with real-life experiences that help them reflect on who they are, what they believe, and the choices they have the right to make. With depth of understanding at the centre of our RE curriculum, we offer our children “mirrors and windows” to learn about their own spirituality and to appreciate the beliefs of others. By instilling a deep sense of pride in their own convictions and equipping them with a secure knowledge of other faiths, we empower our children to form a strong sense of community and to develop a genuine love for the subject.

RE Implementation – Bringing Worldviews to Life in the Classroom

Our approach to teaching RE begins in the Early Years, where children are encouraged to notice similarities and differences among themselves and others. They share stories from various religions and cultures and participate in themed days linked to religious festivals, laying the foundation for more in-depth learning as they progress. In Key Stages 1 and 2, our carefully structured spiral curriculum gradually builds on this early learning, ensuring that children know more, do more, and remember more about the diverse traditions that shape our world.

Our curriculum is built around the Agreed Kent syllabus, supplemented with teaching units that reflect our unique school context and community. As our children advance, they develop a deepening understanding of worldviews including Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and non-religious perspectives. These are explored through three Golden Threads:

• Believing: Examining core beliefs, values, and practices.
• Expressing: Understanding how individuals communicate and celebrate their faith.
• Living: Investigating how beliefs shape daily life and community practices.

Enquiry and investigation are at the heart of every strand of our RE curriculum. Children engage with sacred texts and artefacts, use imaginative play and drama to express ideas, respond to images, stories, music, and art, and even meet visitors from local religious communities. Where possible, they also visit places of worship or use digital resources to broaden their understanding. Regular whole-school events—such as multi-faith days, Harvest Festival celebrations, and reflective school performances—bring the learning to life and foster an environment of open dialogue and mutual respect.

RE Impact – Empowering Our Children for a Diverse World

The impact of our RE curriculum is far-reaching. Our children develop a robust understanding of a range of worldviews, becoming open-minded and inquisitive individuals ready to explore the wider world. They learn to appreciate their own beliefs and values, while also respecting and understanding the perspectives of others. This strong foundation helps them build communities of inclusion and tolerance, giving them the confidence to speak up on issues that matter to them and make a positive impact both locally and globally.

Through our RE curriculum and our dynamic teaching practices, our children:

• Develop secure knowledge and a nuanced understanding of select worldviews.
• Learn to identify and interpret symbolism within various religious traditions.
• Engage in thoughtful discussion and debate about life’s big questions using rich, informed language.
• Compare and contrast different beliefs, practices, and rituals with clarity and respect.
• Reflect critically on their own views and broaden their perspectives through exposure to diverse opinions.

We are immensely proud that, as a result of our RE programme, children at Green Park Community Primary School leaves with an open mind, a passion for learning about different cultures, and the skills to continue exploring the world’s diverse beliefs. Our RE curriculum is not just the start of their educational journey—it is a lifelong foundation for understanding, empathy, and respect.

 

Parental right to withdrawal:

Whilst in the UK parents still have the right to withdraw their children from RE, this must be on the grounds that you wish to provide your own RE provision. This provision will be the parents’ responsibility. This right of withdrawal exists for all pupils in all types of school, including schools with and without a religious designation. Parents also have the right to withdraw their child from part of RE, and can do so without giving any explanation.

At Green Park Community Primary School, we recognise the contribution that RE makes to the SMSC development of the child and the promotion of Fundamental British Values. We ask that any parents considering withdrawal, to contact Mr Hawkins, via the school office, to arrange a discussion.

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RE Curriculum  

At Green Park, In RE we facilitate our pupils to explore big questions about life, in order to find out what people believe and what difference this makes to how they live, so that pupils can make sense of religion and worldviews, and reflect on their own ideas and ways of living  

In EYFS the learning of RE is taught through play-based and child-centred approaches to encourage the children to build on their own understanding of the world. These activities link closely to their overarching RE question.  

In KS1 our pupils develop their knowledge and understanding of religious and non-religious worldviews, recognising their local, national and global contexts. They begin to use more subject-based vocabulary, ask questions and express their own views in response to material they learn about.  

In KS2 our pupils build on from their learning in KS1. They are introduced to an extended range of sources and subject specific vocabulary. They are encouraged to be curious and to ask increasingly challenging questions.  

In our wider curriculum, RE is a whole school responsibility. Our RE lessons support the school’s overall ethos in listening to and respecting other people’s views. Our RE lessons support the development of moral, social and cultural development. 

Our teaching of RE also makes a key educational contribution to pupils’ exploration of British Values enabling pupils to learn to think for themselves about them. 

We follow the Kent Agreed Syllabus for teaching RE, please see documents below for further information: