RE topics at Limehurst have been selected to extend and deepen students’ knowledge and understanding of a range of religious and world views.  Topics studied at KS3 enable students to explore key themes and questions from the Leicestershire Agreed Syllabus KS3 Programme of Study: 

Year 7- Believing (“Existence of God?”, “Belonging and Belief”) 

Year 8 - Expressing (“Religious Buildings”, “Religion and the Environment”) 

Year 9 - Living (“Rites of Passage” and “Death”) 

RE at KS4 focuses on themes such as moral questions, developing values, recognising rights and responsibilities and preparing for adult life.  RE at KS4 is taught during PD lessons. 

Knowledge and understanding: 

The topics enable students to: 

• Understand how religious beliefs influence the values and lives of individuals and groups. 

• Build on their prior learning and appreciate religions and religious views in systematic ways. 

• Draw on a wide range of subject specific language. 

• Analyse, interpret and evaluate in order to develop their capacity to articulate well-reasoned positions, both verbally and in written work. 

Skills developed: 

• The ability to be respectful of the beliefs of others. 

• To identify and understand similarities between religions as well as some of the differences. 

• To consider challenging questions individually and also to discuss together as a group.  

• To formulate an opinion and express it, developing oracy skills. 

• To work in pairs and groups.  

• To select from a range of information to present ideas both verbally and in written work. 

• Many of the skills developed in RE are related to careers skills e.g. oracy, working in pairs and groups, formulating and expressing opinions and selecting from a range of information to present a piece of work. 

Link to previous years: 

RE is taught throughout KS2, looking at religious teachings and values and also religion in daily life.   RE at KS3 continues to develop the knowledge and understanding of key topics and ideas from world religions.  At KS4, RE builds on these foundations to look at themes which prepare students for adult life. 

Link to future study/the wider world: 

• Teaching key religious beliefs at KS3 enables students to bring these ideas into their work in KS4 Humanities subjects e.g. the importance of religion in the GCSE History “Elizabethan Age” topic.  In addition, RE at KS3 and 4 links to a range of KS4 Citizenship topics e.g. “Living together in the UK”, Law and Justice” and “Power and Influence”. 

• Skills developed in KS3 and KS4 RE for example, selecting from a range of information and writing extended pieces of written work, support skills needed in post-16 study. 

• Career skills are built into RE lessons throughout KS3 and 4.  For example formulating and expressing opinions, working in pairs and teams and presenting skills and developing confidence in oracy. 

• RE at KS4 focuses on themes, such as moral questions, developing values and recognising rights and responsibilities.  This is geared to help to prepare students for adult life. 

• The importance of respecting and understanding the beliefs of all religions and also secular beliefs is core to the intent of teaching RE.  This helps to teach tolerance and respect for all members of the richly varied and multicultural community and wider society within which students live. 

• Parents/carers have the right to withdraw their children from all or part of the Religious Education in accordance with Schedule 19 to the School Standards and Framework Act 1998.  However, we hope that all parents will feel comfortable with the type of religious education being taught in our school.

• In the first instance, parents who may wish to exercise this right should make an appointment with the senior leader with responsibility for curriculum, who will explore any concerns and discuss any impact that withdrawal may have on the child. 

• We will ensure that parents who want to withdraw their children from RE are aware of the RE syllabus and its relevance to all pupils, and respects their own personal beliefs.

• Parents will be made aware of the learning objectives and what is covered in the RE curriculum and will be given the opportunity to discuss this, if they wish.