About Our RE Curriculum

Across the school, we teach Religious Education (RE) in accordance with the statutory guidance of the Norfolk Agreed Syllabus. Our ambitious RE curriculum has the clear intention of developing our children's religious literacy, enriching their specialist vocabulary and wider view of the world, and enabling them to hold balanced, well-informed, and respectful conversations about religion and worldviews.

Rooted in the Norfolk multi-disciplinary framework, our RE curriculum recognizes that the subject is deeply connected to three core academic disciplines. We strive to weave these specific lenses into every unit we teach across the Federation:

• Theology (Thinking through believing): Asking questions that believers would ask, exploring where beliefs come from, and learning to think like a theologian.

• Philosophy (Thinking through thinking): Asking questions that thinkers would ask, wrestling with morality and ethics, and learning to think like a philosopher.

• Human/Social Sciences (Thinking through living): Asking questions about lived reality, exploring the diverse ways people practice their beliefs, and learning to think like a human scientist.

At the Federation of North Walsham Infant and Junior Schools, we aim to provide a rich experience of RE that enables our children to experience both depth and breadth in the worldviews they cover. From exploring religious communities, special places, and stories in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), our curriculum sequentially builds across Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. Children systematically dive into core concepts within Christianity (such as Incarnation, Salvation, and Gospel) alongside deep studies of other major world religions including Judaism, Islam, Sikhism, and Hinduism.

The methodology for teaching RE at the Federation of North Walsham Infant and Junior Schools is to provide opportunities for children to develop their questioning skills, ignite curiosity about diverse cultures, and widen their knowledge of the world and how it works. We want our children to respond proactively and positively to big philosophical and ethical challenges, striving to learn more about the "how" and "why" of different lived experiences. We recognise that children need to be equipped with the necessary critical thinking skills, cultural capital, and mutual respect to become capable, free-thinking citizens in a culturally and socially diverse world.

We also recognise that RE encompasses a broad range of subject knowledge and draws on disciplines from the wider world such as history, geography, art, and literacy. We believe making these curriculum connections—such as linking historical religious context to modern faith practices or mapping the global spread of worldviews—are essential components that help to engage and connect our children with the opportunities RE provides.

By the time our children leave the Federation of North Walsham Infant and Junior Schools, they will have the skills, knowledge, and experience to have a level of independent thinking to carry through to their future education and into their lives beyond the classroom.

For further information on the curriculum please read the Subject Overview below.