RE

Intent

At Hannah Ball Academy, we believe that Religious Education (RE) is an essential part of a broad, balanced and inclusive curriculum. RE is statutory for all pupils, and we are ambitious for the subject to make a distinctive contribution to our vision: “Together we Inspire, Aspire and Achieve.”

Through RE, we provide opportunities for pupils to:

Explore challenging questions about life, meaning, beliefs, right and wrong, and human identity.
Gain secure and connected knowledge of Christianity and other principal religions and worldviews, including non-religious perspectives such as Humanism, enabling them to understand the diversity and complexity of belief in the modern world.
Develop key disciplinary skills such as interpretation, analysis, evaluation, and reflection, fostering critical thinking and enquiry.
Nurture respect, empathy, curiosity, and open-mindedness, reflecting our school values.
Build their own sense of identity and belonging, flourishing as confident, independent thinkers prepared to embrace the challenges of the modern world.
Experience spiritual development and a sense of awe and wonder through learning that is personally enriching as well as academically rigorous.

In this way, RE contributes directly to our aims for pupils: to be reflective, resilient, courageous, and respectful learners who celebrate difference and thrive in a diverse society.

Implementation

We deliver RE in line with the Buckinghamshire Agreed Syllabus and use the Jigsaw RE programme as our scheme of work. This ensures coverage of Christianity in each year group, alongside at least three other religions or worldviews, with many opportunities to reflect on personal beliefs and experiences.

Our curriculum is enquiry-based. Each unit begins with a “big question” such as “Is forgiveness always possible?” or “What makes people special?” From Reception to Year 6, pupils explore these questions through an enquiry cycle:

Starting with their own experiences.
Gaining new substantive knowledge of religious and non-religious traditions.
Using disciplinary approaches to analyse and evaluate different perspectives.
Reflecting personally and expressing their own responses respectfully.

This structure ensures that pupils build both substantive knowledge and skills progressively. Over time, they revisit and deepen their understanding of key concepts such as festivals, belonging, community, forgiveness, and prayer. Pupils also develop religious literacy, learning subject-specific vocabulary to articulate their understanding accurately.

Learning is made engaging through storytelling, artefacts, visits to places of worship, guest speakers, drama, art, discussion, and links to contemporary and local contexts. The curriculum is inclusive and adapted to meet the needs of all pupils, including those with SEND and EAL, providing regular opportunities for reflection, dialogue, and personalised learning.

To ensure progression, RE is taught once a week across the academic year. This avoids long gaps between lessons and helps pupils to recall and connect learning in meaningful ways. Cross-curricular links are made with PSHE, Oracy and SMSC (Spiritual, Moral, Social, and Cultural development), ensuring a coherent and holistic educational experience.

Assessment in RE is both formative and summative:

Teachers check understanding within lessons through questioning, discussion and reflection.
At the end of each enquiry, pupils complete an assessment task demonstrating their knowledge of the tradition studied, their critical thinking, and personal reflections.
Teachers use this evidence, alongside portfolios of pupil work, moderation, and class discussions, to judge whether pupils are working towards, at, or beyond age-related expectations.

Impact

At Hannah Ball Academy, we see Religious Education as vital in preparing pupils to thrive in our diverse community and wider world, while deepening their understanding of British Values and their importance in modern society.

The impact of our RE curriculum is that pupils:

Build secure and connected knowledge of a range of religions and worldviews, avoiding stereotypes and oversimplification.
Understand that traditions are diverse and complex, comparing and contrasting different interpretations within and between faiths.
Develop respect, empathy, and curiosity, preparing them to live well in our diverse community and interconnected world.
Learn to articulate their own views thoughtfully, supported by knowledge, while respecting others.
Recognise and value the importance of British Values – democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs – embedded throughout the RE curriculum.
Live out our school values of honesty, kindness, respect, responsibility, resilience, and curiosity through their learning in RE, enabling them to be reflective, resilient and courageous in celebrating differences.
Engage with learning evidence through portfolios, discussions, and presentations, demonstrating knowledge, skills, and personal reflection.

By the time they leave Hannah Ball Academy, our pupils are not only knowledgeable about religions and worldviews but are also confident, respectful citizens who can make a positive difference in their community and the wider world. Our RE curriculum empowers them to embrace diversity, navigate an interconnected world with confidence, and contribute thoughtfully to building inclusive, fair, and thriving communities wherever life takes them.

Please find below our school overview for Religious Education, outlining the curriculum journey from Reception to Year 6 in line with the Buckinghamshire Agreed Syllabus. Each unit begins with a “big question” to spark curiosity and enquiry. Learning progressively builds from these questions as pupils develop knowledge of Christianity and other principal religions and worldviews. This will strengthen our pupils’ critical thinking and reflection skills, and they will explore their own beliefs in a respectful and inclusive way.