Religious Education

RE at Maple Court Academy

Intent:

The aim of Religious Education at Maple Court Academy is to engage pupils in thoughtful enquiry into the big questions that religions and worldviews explore. Through this, children develop the understanding and skills they need to appreciate different perspectives and begin forming their own responses.

We take this responsibility seriously and ensure that every child has access to high-quality RE lessons. Pupils learn about a wide range of religious and non-religious worldviews, explore meaningful questions, and reflect on their own ideas about the world they are growing into.

To support deep thinking, we use a variety of engaging strategies across the school. Approaches such as hot-seating, active storytelling and exploring stories from different viewpoints help children think critically, ask questions and respond thoughtfully. We plan carefully to ensure that reflection time is purposeful and leads to genuine understanding.

Our RE curriculum follows a clear progression from Reception to Year 6, helping children build secure knowledge, skills and understanding of the four major religions we study — Christianity, Islam, Judaism and Hinduism — alongside non-religious worldviews. Each topic is enriched with high-quality books that bring ideas to life and support discussion.

Throughout their RE learning, children are encouraged to apply our Maple Values. As their knowledge grows, so does their curiosity, empathy and interest in the diverse world around them.

The Subject Leader:

As the Religious Education Curriculum Leader at Maple Court Academy. I oversee the planning and delivery of RE across our school, ensuring that every child experiences a rich, engaging and diverse curriculum. I am committed to helping children explore the beliefs, traditions and cultures that shape our world. During their time with us, pupils learn about a range of religions as well as non-religious worldviews, and they are taught that all beliefs — including choosing not to follow a faith — deserve respect. Our aim is to help children develop understanding, empathy and appreciation for the different viewpoints they will encounter as they grow.

Our curriculum ensures that learning builds securely over time and that children revisit and deepen their understanding of the four major religions we study — Christianity, Islam, Judaism and Hinduism — alongside non-religious perspectives.

To keep our curriculum current and effective, I regularly attend Primary RE Network meetings and share updates with staff. I also carry out learning walks, review pupils’ work on their online devices and monitor teaching to ensure that children are making strong progress. Part of my role includes gathering pupil voice to understand what is working well and where we can continue to grow- these are always insightful conversations.

We encourage thoughtful discussion, questioning and reflection so that pupils can connect their learning to their own experiences and beliefs. This approach helps them develop curiosity, confidence and a deeper understanding of the diverse world around them.

The curriculum:

We use the Stoke-On-Trent Agreed Syllabus for RE 2021-2026 to teach RE. 

EYFS:

Assessment for learning:

At Maple Court Academy, assessment is ongoing throughout every lesson with teachers identifying strengths, misconceptions, and next steps. Teachers use this information to feed into subsequent learning sessions. Within RE, retrieval practice, questioning and partner discussion is encouraged to help teachers identify children’s progress towards the learning outcome, identifying children’s understanding and progress.

Pupil voice: