Religious Education at Chantry: Understanding Our Diverse World
At Chantry Middle School, our Religious Education (RE) curriculum encourages pupils to explore and appreciate the rich diversity of religious beliefs and worldviews. We aim to foster respect, cultural understanding, and critical thinking, preparing pupils for life in a diverse society and future employment.
Teachers regularly check pupils’ understanding during lessons through targeted questioning, quick quizzes, and mini whiteboard activities. During independent tasks, they circulate to support pupils and address misconceptions. Formal assessment happens in four stages: pre-assessment quizzes, written tasks, progress checks, and end-of-topic tests that revisit previous learning.
Learning intentions and “big questions” are shared clearly so pupils know what they are learning, why it matters, and how it connects to earlier and future lessons. Pupils learn new vocabulary explicitly, supported by teaching slides, visualisers, and reading tasks that help connect ideas to background knowledge.
Pupils apply their learning by answering questions on religious sources (such as scriptures or artefacts), writing short and extended responses, and engaging in philosophical discussions. Teachers guide and support pupils throughout, checking for misunderstandings and providing additional help when needed.
The curriculum covers:
- Year 5 explores community belonging through Christianity, Judaism, and Hinduism.
- Year 6 deepens understanding of Christianity and studies key aspects of Islam.
- Year 7 investigates Buddhism, faith’s impact on life, and philosophical questions about God.
- Year 8 studies Humanism, Sikh values of equality and service, and ethical issues such as suffering and justice.
SEND pupils receive tailored support including clear task guidance, time management help, and scaffolded activities. Teachers use praise to encourage effort and participation.
RE at Chantry enriches pupils’ cultural capital by including diverse religious art, literature, and music. This broadens horizons, challenges stereotypes, and nurtures empathy and inclusion.
