Religious Education (RE)

At The Royal Kent School we follow the SACRE (Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education) syllabus. The RE curriculum is built on a progressive, skill-based approach that covers religious (Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Judaism, and Hinduism) and non-religious worldviews (Humanist).

Children learn both about different religions and from them.  This enables them to apply the acquired knowledge and understanding to their personal lives as well as to society. The units are enquiry-based, starting with a Big Question that encourages pupils to ask, reflect, and explore their own place in the world and the role of humanity. Topics are viewed through three key lenses: Theology (What people believe); Philosophy (Why people believe); and Sociology (How people live).  The Golden Threads are a core focus on the concepts of God, Community and Identity.

The curriculum is designed to foster essential skills and attitudes vital for an inclusive society.  Children develop the ability to reflect, empathize, investigate, and analyse, enabling them to understand the differences between opinions and facts. Key attitudes promoted are fairness, self-understanding, respect, and tolerance for those with different faiths and beliefs (linking to British Values). The goal is to create confident, informed citizens who understand the diverse UK landscape, contribute to community cohesion, and make well-informed decisions for their future.

We achieve this by clearly outlining substantive knowledge (content) and breaking it down into smaller enquiry questions. Teachers use retrieval practice to reinforce previous learning and embed knowledge for secure understanding. At RKS we are committed to offering curriculum enrichment through visits to religious places and visitors from different faith communities.  We welcome visits from our parent community and value people giving their time to share their beliefs with our children.  Children are encouraged to express their understanding creatively through drama, art, and discussion.  We celebrate the children’s work and have a whole school display to share what the classes are exploring each half term. 

Detailed Knowledge Organisers are used to clearly set out the learning for each unit of study.  Reflection Sheets give the children an opportunity to think about their key learning, how they will use this in their daily lives and how units link with our school values of Compassion, Cognisance, Courage, Commitment and Creativity.