Dunn Street Primary School

RE Curriculum

Intent

At Dunn Street Primary School, Religious Education is an essential part of our broad and balanced curriculum. Through RE, we aim to deepen pupils’ understanding of a range of world religions and worldviews, with a particular focus on Christianity, while also exploring Judaism, Hinduism and other global beliefs to reflect the diversity of our school, community and modern Britain.

Our intent is to:

  • Promote respect, curiosity and open-mindedness towards different faiths and worldviews.
  • Provide pupils with a secure knowledge of key beliefs, values and traditions from Christianity, while ensuring they also gain meaningful understanding of other major religions such as Judaism and Hinduism.
  • Help children recognise how beliefs influence lives, culture, behaviour and moral decision-making.
  • Encourage pupils to ask thoughtful questions, reflect on their own ideas and develop critical thinking skills.
  • Support pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development (SMSC), preparing them for life in a diverse and interconnected world.
  • Foster an inclusive environment where all pupils feel respected, represented and able to share their perspectives.

Implementation

RE is delivered in line with the South Tyneside Syllabus, ensuring progression and breadth across all year groups.

  • RE is taught weekly as a discrete subject, enhanced through assemblies, special days, themed weeks and school celebrations.
  • Christianity is explored in depth across the whole school, allowing pupils to build progressive understanding over time.
  • Judaism and Hinduism, along with other world religions and non-religious worldviews, are explored at appropriate points in the curriculum to develop pupils’ wider cultural and religious literacy.

Our teaching approach is enquiry-based, encouraging children to investigate and discuss key questions such as belief, meaning, identity, belonging and morality.  Teachers provide:

  • Engaging lessons using stories, artefacts, visual resources and discussion.
  • Opportunities to visit places of worship or meet visitors from faith communities.
  • Activities allowing pupils to compare similarities and differences across religions, including Judaism and Hinduism.
  • A balanced approach to learning about religion (knowledge and understanding) and learning from religion (reflection and personal response).
  • Lessons are designed so that all pupils, including those with SEND or EAL needs, can access key knowledge and participate confidently.
  • RE is taught in a non-confessional way that values all pupils’ backgrounds and perspectives.

Impact

By the the time pupil leave Dunn Street, they will:

  • Have a secure understanding of Christianity, alongside meaningful knowledge of Judaism, Hinduism and other religions and worldviews.
  • Be able to make respectful comparisons between religions and explain similarities and differences in beliefs, practices and values.
  • Demonstrate respect, tolerance and empathy, showing readiness to live and work harmoniously in a diverse society.
  • Ask and answer thoughtful questions, showing developing skills in reasoning and reflection.
  • Apply their understanding of moral and ethical concepts—such as fairness, compassion and responsibility—to their own lives.
  • Leave primary school as confident, informed and reflective learners who appreciate the rich diversity of beliefs and cultures in the world around them.

religious education overview dunn street .pdf

 

 

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