At St Helena’s, our Religious Education (RE) curriculum aims to inspire and unlock potential in all children. We strive to ensure that each child flourishes within a challenging, supportive, and balanced curriculum rooted in shared values and high expectations, always aiming for excellence.

Our objective is for all students to become religiously literate and able to engage in balanced, informed, and respectful discussions about religion and belief. Our ambitious and cohesive curriculum is designed to inspire an understanding of religious diversity. We encourage all children to ask thought-provoking questions that challenge their understanding of religion and their personal beliefs. We actively counter all forms of prejudice, using RE as a platform for students to encounter and critically reflect on various worldviews. At St Helena’s, we equip children with the necessary knowledge and skills to achieve this.

Our RE curriculum follows the Lincolnshire Locally Agreed Syllabus and incorporates Understanding Christianity resources. The learning experience is tailored to meet the needs of all children at St Helena’s through adaptive teaching methods, community connections, and local context integration, all thoughtfully planned to enhance and support learning.

In the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), our curriculum aligns with the Early Learning Goals, demonstrating clear progression from our youngest learners (aged 3) through to the end of Reception. RE topics start with a pre-assessment of current knowledge and skills, which informs the development of a learning sequence aligned with the LAS. Our curriculum is progressive in both skills and knowledge, with key vocabulary forming the foundation of topics, which are built upon throughout different topics and year groups.

Key learning areas are revisited regularly, with links made within and between topics to reinforce learning through repetition. This formative assessment guides future lessons, enabling children to develop a broad and deep understanding of each topic. Skills and knowledge are assessed on a lesson-by-lesson basis, with this information used to adapt future lessons and provide additional support where needed.

All learners receive appropriate scaffolding and challenges based on formative assessments to ensure their individual needs are met. Enrichment opportunities, such as visits to local religious sites like churches, Lincoln Cathedral, and mosques, provide firsthand experiences that enrich learning.

Classroom working walls display the learning journey of each class, highlighting key knowledge and specific vocabulary. These walls also identify links between previously learned topics, helping to make connections and enhance retention.

At the end of a topic, pre-assessments are revisited for reflection and to showcase new learning.

The children of St Helena’s will transition to secondary school with a strong understanding of the religious and secular worldviews covered by the RE curriculum. They will be confident in asking high-level questions that challenge their own and others' understanding of different religions and secular perspectives. With a solid foundation of values and RE knowledge, St Helena’s students will be respectful and tolerant of diverse religious beliefs, contributing to and empowering our community of hope.