Religious Education (RE) lessons will enable pupils to extend their knowledge and understanding of religion and belief diversity in the local, national and global landscape. Pupils will develop and use religious vocabulary correctly and will interpret religious symbolism in a variety of forms. Pupils will be ‘religiously literate’, they will understand what ‘believing’, ‘thinking’ and ‘living’ entails for religious believers. In Religious Education lessons, pupils will also grapple with ultimate questions and reflect on questions of meaning, offering their own thoughtful and informed insights into religious and secular world-views.
The RE curriculum at Riversdale is based on the Wandsworth Locally Agreed Syllabus, as well as Development Matters in EYFS. In Early Years, children develop a foundational understanding that different people have different beliefs, and that this is what makes us special and unique. This is taught through themes such as 'Me and My Community' and 'Light & Dark' and children are immersed in key texts that initiate pupil engagement and interest in the study of these. Additionally, pupils are introduced to key vocabulary that will be built upon in Key Stages 1 and 2.
In Key Stage 1 and 2, children learn about specific religious beliefs through enquiry questions such as "What is a Hindu’s dharma?" as well as using religious belief to explore larger moral questions such as "What is Justice?". This provides pupils with a tangible answer by the end of each lesson, giving a context to the learning which builds over time to answer a larger question around a topic or theme. As they progress through the key stages, pupils build on their understanding and knowledge of different religious and non-religious perspectives, exploring similarities and differences.
SMSC, personal growth, wellbeing and community cohesion are embedded throughout each unit of learning. Through the concepts of 'believing', 'thinking' and 'living' pupils are provided with opportunities to develop positive attitudes and values and to reflect on and relate their learning in RE to their own experiences. The intent is to make sure that children understand the relevance of RE in today's modern world.
At Riversdale Primary School we believe in the importance of all children developing a deep understanding of religious education and in embedding the substantive knowledge and disciplinary skills into their long-term memory. As such, the progression of RE has been carefully mapped, with a consideration to connected subject matter and opportunities to revisit specific concepts over time.
You can find a copy of the current RE Progression Document here.
Pupils will undertake a RE lesson once a week. In each lesson, the children have carefully selected knowledge that they will learn, in conjunction with developing and consolidating specific disciplinary skills. For example, when exploring the concept of marriage in Year 5, pupils will discuss the varying religious viewpoints around getting married, looking at how they compare and contrast, as well as atheist and humanist perspectives. This provides pupils with a broad and balanced approach to learning about and from religion and belief.
Pupils are provided with a Knowledge Organiser that:
You can find the 2025-26 Knowledge Organisers for RE below:
Autumn 1:
Autumn 2:
Spring 1:
Spring 2:
Summer 1:
Summer 2:
Religious Education forms an important part of our broad and balanced curriculum. It is taught in an inclusive, objective and educational manner that reflects a range of beliefs and worldviews.
Parents and carers have the legal right to withdraw their child, wholly or in part, from Religious Education in accordance with the Education Act 1996. This right applies to all maintained schools.
If you wish to request withdrawal, we ask that you contact the school in writing. We will arrange an opportunity to discuss the request so that you are fully informed about the RE curriculum and the implications of withdrawal. While the school will respect this right, we are not required to provide alternative teaching or learning during the time your child is withdrawn; however, appropriate supervision will be provided.
Requests for withdrawal will be recorded and kept on file.
Please find our RE policy below:
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