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Welcome to our new RE syllabus, which has been successfully implemented since the beginning of the Summer term. As part of the Southwark Diocese Church of England schools, we follow the Southwark Diocese Board of Education (SDBE) syllabus for RE.
Welcome to our new RE syllabus, which has been successfully implemented since the beginning of the Summer term. As part of the Southwark Diocese Church of England schools, we follow the Southwark Diocese Board of Education (SDBE) syllabus for RE.
Religious Education is at the heart of our school’s Christian distinctiveness and plays a vital role in our effectiveness as a school. It directly contributes to the outworking of our Christian vision by raising aspirations, fostering dignity and respect, nurturing curiosity and wonder, and creating a strong sense of belonging.
Religious Education is at the heart of our school’s Christian distinctiveness and plays a vital role in our effectiveness as a school. It directly contributes to the outworking of our Christian vision by raising aspirations, fostering dignity and respect, nurturing curiosity and wonder, and creating a strong sense of belonging.
This updated syllabus reflects the broader commitment of the SDBE and the Diocese to racial justice, social justice, and environmental justice. It is designed to support Church of England schools within the Southwark Diocese in delivering high-quality RE education, aligned with national calls to deepen pupils’ knowledge of religions and enhance their religious literacy.
This updated syllabus reflects the broader commitment of the SDBE and the Diocese to racial justice, social justice, and environmental justice. It is designed to support Church of England schools within the Southwark Diocese in delivering high-quality RE education, aligned with national calls to deepen pupils’ knowledge of religions and enhance their religious literacy.
The syllabus follows a structured approach, combining:
The syllabus follows a structured approach, combining:
- Systematic units that focus on the in-depth study of individual religions.
- Thematic units that build on prior learning by comparing different religions, beliefs, and practices.
The curriculum includes teaching units on Christianity at Reception, Key Stage 1 (KS1), and Key Stage 2 (KS2), along with the study of other major world religions and worldviews in KS1 and KS2.
The curriculum includes teaching units on Christianity at Reception, Key Stage 1 (KS1), and Key Stage 2 (KS2), along with the study of other major world religions and worldviews in KS1 and KS2.
It will be fully implemented from September 2025.
It will be fully implemented from September 2025.
Whole school overview for RE
Whole school overview for RE
Whole school overview for RE 2025.pdfThe whole school gathered together at the end of the day, which was a heart-warming experience, with the children eagerly sharing all of their activities. They were enthusiastic about informing the rest of the school about what they had accomplished. The letters spelling CHRISTMAS were beautifully and thoughtfully decorated, creating a striking display on the stage.
Christmas RE theme day
Christmas RE theme day
On Thursday 12th December, the whole school celebrated our Christmas RE theme day.
On Thursday 12th December, the whole school celebrated our Christmas RE theme day.
What a fantastic day it was! The atmosphere around the school was vibrant and inspiring. The children's learning was thoughtful, showing clear progression throughout the day. There was a wonderful array of activities happening in the classrooms, ranging from arts and crafts to drama and freeze frames.
What a fantastic day it was! The atmosphere around the school was vibrant and inspiring. The children's learning was thoughtful, showing clear progression throughout the day. There was a wonderful array of activities happening in the classrooms, ranging from arts and crafts to drama and freeze frames.
RE Easter Theme Day
RE Easter Theme Day
The whole school took part in this year’s Easter Theme Day, which began with a reflective Easter service led by Mr Rylett. There was an array of activities throughout the school which focused on the Easter story. The following day, we celebrated the children’s work during a special assembly, where each year group had the opportunity to share their part of the Easter story.
The whole school took part in this year’s Easter Theme Day, which began with a reflective Easter service led by Mr Rylett. There was an array of activities throughout the school which focused on the Easter story. The following day, we celebrated the children’s work during a special assembly, where each year group had the opportunity to share their part of the Easter story.
2025 Easter Theme Day Assembly Presentation.pdfEach class focused on a different section of the Easter narrative, exploring it through a variety of engaging activities throughout the day. As you can see from the photos, the children brought the story to life through thoughtful drama, creative art, and other hands-on learning experiences.
It was a very enjoyable and meaningful day for everyone involved, and a real delight to witness the wonderful work produced across the school
EASTER THEME DAY 2025 for website.pdfOur Easter RE day was a great success and all the children from Reception to year 6 had a very enjoyable day full of interesting and fun activities.
Our Easter RE day was a great success and all the children from Reception to year 6 had a very enjoyable day full of interesting and fun activities.
The day day began with Mr Rylett leading a lovely collective worship, which was a great introduction to our day. After that, the children went straight into their activities where each year group took a different part of the Easter story and focused on that for the day.
Easter story.pdfThere was such an amazing variety of activities in each year group, which ranged from drama to art to DT, among others.
There was such an amazing variety of activities in each year group, which ranged from drama to art to DT, among others.
We all gathered together in the hall at the end of the day to share our wonderful day of learning of this special Easter week.
We all gathered together in the hall at the end of the day to share our wonderful day of learning of this special Easter week.
RE Displays
RE Displays
RE is prominently displayed throughout our school, including the entrance hall, ‘Our growing tREe’ board, which showcases our theme days or term’s work and in individual classrooms. These are changed regularly according to the class topic.
RE is prominently displayed throughout our school, including the entrance hall, ‘Our growing tREe’ board, which showcases our theme days or term’s work and in individual classrooms. These are changed regularly according to the class topic.
Easter Theme day display
Good deed tree-Islam year 4
Judaism - Year 3
St Paul’s Day
St Paul’s Day
Our biennial St Paul’s Day was held on Wednesday 25th June this year. The children began the day with collective worship led by Mr Rylett, who shared the story of St Paul and Barnabas. Barnabas played a vital role in supporting Paul and helping him become accepted within the early Christian community. Together, they travelled on important missionary journeys to spread the message of Christianity.
Our biennial St Paul’s Day was held on Wednesday 25th June this year. The children began the day with collective worship led by Mr Rylett, who shared the story of St Paul and Barnabas. Barnabas played a vital role in supporting Paul and helping him become accepted within the early Christian community. Together, they travelled on important missionary journeys to spread the message of Christianity.
In the afternoon, the whole school took part in a range of activities to learn more about our school’s saint. Each class explored different aspects of St Paul’s life and legacy through creative, reflective, and engaging activities. It was a special day of learning, celebration, and community.
Who was St Paul?
Who was St Paul?
St Paul, also known as Saul of Tarsus, was one of the most influential early Christian leaders. Although he originally opposed Christianity, his dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus changed his life. He went on to travel widely, sharing the teachings of Jesus and writing many of the letters that appear in the New Testament.
Did you know?
Did you know?
St Paul is the patron saint of writers, missionaries, and tentmakers!
Reception
Reception
In Beech class we told the story of Saul. The children then re-enacted the story.
Year 1
Year 1
We have learnt about Saul and how he became Paul and we read from the bible. The second lesson, we talked about our logo. We talked about ST Paul travelling by ship and we drew on a map where we would like to travel and what sort of transfer we would use. We also did freeze frames and hot seating as Saul and then as Paul.
Year 2
Year 2
In Year 2, we learned about St Paul’s journeys around the world, where he taught people about Christianity and spread the message of Jesus.
To bring this learning to life, we created our own mosaics depicting the boat that St Paul sailed in. The children really enjoyed combining history and creativity, producing some beautiful and thoughtful pieces of art.
Year 3
Year 3
In Year 3, we learned about Saul and how his life changed after he met Jesus and became St Paul. We explored how he went from persecuting Christians to becoming one of Jesus' most important followers. We also learned about his journeys to share the message of Jesus, including when he travelled by boat to different places. We drew posters to show what we learned and to help us remember his amazing story and adventures.
Year 4
Year 4
In Year 4, we began by recapping the life of Saint Paul.
We read about his dramatic conversion to Christianity on the road to Damascus. After that, we completed a research quiz about St Paul using the Chromebooks, where we had to find answers to various questions. Two winners were chosen from each class!
Next, we explored the story of how St Paul was shipwrecked. We created origami boats with sails and wrote this message on them:
"God has granted safety to all those who are sailing.
Keep up your courage!" — Acts 27
Monessa (4CF) with her origami boat.
Year 5
Year 5
We researched the life of St.Paul and discussed his main achievements. We then looked at his letters about love which he wrote to the Corinthians. This inspired us to write our own poem about what love means to us. We did a variety of types, for example, list, acrostic and Haiku. Then we wrote our poem on a square piece of paper and folded it into a sailboat! They are now ‘sailing’ outside our classroom!
Year 6
Year 6
Using St Paul’s letter of love and the book ‘Love Is...A Celebration of Love in All Its Forms’ by Sarah Maycock as inspiration, we wrote our own statements about what love means to us.
We discussed how there are many ways that we can feel and give love. We explored themes such as self-love, a parent's love, the bond between siblings, friendship, fighting for what you believe in and the love for yourself and your passions.
INSIGHT AND VISITS
INSIGHT AND VISITS
Visits to Places of Worship
Visits to Places of Worship
As well as our regular visits to St Paul’s Church, each year group will be visiting a place of worship that links to the topics they are studying, in line with our new RE syllabus. These visits are a valuable opportunity for pupils to deepen their understanding of different faiths and traditions through real-life experiences.
As well as our regular visits to St Paul’s Church, each year group will be visiting a place of worship that links to the topics they are studying, in line with our new RE syllabus. These visits are a valuable opportunity for pupils to deepen their understanding of different faiths and traditions through real-life experiences.
Year 5 visited the Buddhist temple in Wimbledon.
Year 5 visited the Buddhist temple in Wimbledon.
Having started the new syllabus this term, Year 5 visited the Buddhist temple in Wimbledon in May. It was a peaceful and reflective way to end the afternoon. The children later wrote recounts of their visit for homework.
What the children say about RE
What the children say about RE
"We took our shoes off before we went inside... then we looked at the art on the walls which showed parts of the Buddha's life." - Y5, Sam N
"My favourite part was when we learnt to meditate.
All in all, the trip was:
– calming
– interesting
– beautiful." - Y5, Orla
Year 4 visited the Gurdwara in Shepherd’s Bush as part of their topic on Sikhism.
Year 4 visited the Gurdwara in Shepherd’s Bush as part of their topic on Sikhism.
They were warmly welcomed and treated to some delicious food. The children were able to experience Sikh traditions first-hand and see how sacred the Guru Granth Sahib is to Sikhs.
We look forward to many more enriching trips to places of worship in the next academic year
What the children say about RE
What the children say about RE
"My favourite part was when we had to bow to their special book, and something new that I learnt was that they treat their special book like the eleventh Guru." - Y4, Eliza
"My favourite part was looking at the Guru Granth Sahib, and something I learned about Sikhism is that everyone is welcome to the Gurdwara.", Y4 Beau M
Insight
Insight
We work in collaboration with Insight, which is a Christian-based organisation that has been working in our school for many years. They play an important role in supporting our RE lessons, and assemblies, helping to make them meaningful, engaging, and relevant to the children’s lives. They are experienced in working with a range of syllabi, including the one which we use, The Southwark Diocese of Education syllabus. Their approach makes RE interactive, thought-provoking, and enjoyable. Topics often covered include Christmas, Easter, The Bible, Parables, The Lord’s Prayer, The Beatitudes, and special celebrations.
We work in collaboration with Insight, which is a Christian-based organisation that has been working in our school for many years. They play an important role in supporting our RE lessons, and assemblies, helping to make them meaningful, engaging, and relevant to the children’s lives. They are experienced in working with a range of syllabi, including the one which we use, The Southwark Diocese of Education syllabus. Their approach makes RE interactive, thought-provoking, and enjoyable. Topics often covered include Christmas, Easter, The Bible, Parables, The Lord’s Prayer, The Beatitudes, and special celebrations.
Insight also runs a Thursday lunch time Bible Club, which offer a fun and welcoming space for children to enjoy games, drama, crafts, memory verses, quizzes, and Bible stories.
Insight also runs a Thursday lunch time Bible Club, which offer a fun and welcoming space for children to enjoy games, drama, crafts, memory verses, quizzes, and Bible stories.
Knowledge Organisers
Knowledge Organisers
Our Autumn 1 RE Knowledge Organisers
This year we are fully introducing our new RE syllabus, and we’re really excited to share it with the children. To help them on their learning journey, we’ve created Knowledge Organisers. These are simple guides that give the children (and parents) a clear picture of what we’re learning in RE this term.
They include the key ideas and important vocabulary we’ll be using, so children can become more confident in their RE learning and parents can easily see what’s being covered in class.
Y1 RE AUTUMN 1.pdfYear 1
Y2 RE AUTUMN 1.pdfYear 2
Y3 RE AUTUMN 1.pdfYear 3
Y4 RE AUTUMN 1.pdfYear 4
Y5 RE AUTUMN 1.pdfYear 5
Y6 RE AUTUMN 1.pdfYear 6
RE Intent
RE Intent
By the end of EYFS
By the end of EYFS
The starting point for RE in foundation stage is to start from the child’s own experience (implicit RE and lead children progressively to the SDBE units of work, which focus more on Explicit RE. The core concepts should include specialness (ourselves and the world), celebration (birthdays/ Christmas) and a Christian belief in Jesus.
The starting point for RE in foundation stage is to start from the child’s own experience (implicit RE and lead children progressively to the SDBE units of work, which focus more on Explicit RE. The core concepts should include specialness (ourselves and the world), celebration (birthdays/ Christmas) and a Christian belief in Jesus.
Communication and language - Listening and attention
To listen to stories, accurately anticipating key events and respond to what they hear with relevant comments, questions or actions. They give their attention to what others say and respond appropriately.
Understanding the world - People and communities
They know about similarities and differences between themselves and others, and among families, communities and traditions.
By the end of KS1
By the end of KS1
To use high quality literature (fiction and non-fiction) including children’s Bibles and other religious texts, books from and about different cultures. Children will have an age-appropriate copy of a children’s Bible on the reflection area which they can refer to independently, should they choose to.
To apply a high standard of English skills (as expected by the end of KS1) in their RE books and take pride in their presentation
The Fruit of the Spirit are referred to within RE lessons so that pupils can begin to become resilient, able to persevere and learn from their mistakes. Stories where examples of resilience and perseverance are used throughout religious texts, and children will have been exposed to these throughout the key stage and encouraged by these examples.
Children will be expected to communicate their ideas and thoughts through discussion, drama and other means, confidently and effectively.
To foster a deep respect for beliefs, cultures, different world views and all that makes us unique. Christianity at the heart of the curriculum. Children will have a basic understanding of Judaism and Hinduism and what it is like to live as a Jew and Hindu. Children will have the opportunity to hear from practising Hindus and Jews through either workshops, visitors coming into school or going on trips to their place of worship. This will foster a rich culture capital.
Pupils will begin to develop their critical thinking skills by asking questions about faiths from around the world and to understand that there is not always an answer to a question.
Pupils will have the opportunity to perform through drama and dance. They will understand that serving and volunteering is part of our Christian ethos as a school and underpins other faiths, too.
To foster children who are appreciative. Pupils will make comparisons to other members of society and cultures, and to look at the struggles that people have to overcome and compare to their own lives.
By the end of KS2
By the end of KS2
To use high quality literature (fiction and non-fiction) including children’s and the Good News Bibles, prayer books and other religious texts where children can make references, books from and about different cultures. Children will have a good understanding of The Bible and how it is made up. Children will have an age-appropriate copy of a children’s Bible on the reflection area which they can refer to independently, should they choose to.
Consistently high standards of English are expected to be applied to writing in RE, taking into consideration spelling, punctuation and grammar. Children will have regular opportunities to apply their knowledge and thinking and write independently. Presentation skills should be of high quality.
The Fruit of the Spirit are referred to within RE lessons so that pupils can begin to become resilient, able to persevere and learn from their mistakes. Stories where examples of resilience and perseverance are used throughout religious texts, and children will have been exposed to these throughout the key stage. From these, children will be able to reflect upon their own lives and personal circumstances.
Children will be expected to communicate their ideas and thoughts through discussion, drama and other means, confidently and effectively. This will also be evident in their own reflective writing.
To foster a deep respect for beliefs, cultures, different world views and all that makes us unique. Christianity at the heart of the curriculum. Children will develop an understanding of Islam, Sikhism, Buddhism and learn what it is like to live as a Muslim, Sikh and Buddhist. Children will have the opportunity to hear from practising Hindus and Jews through either workshops, visitors coming into school or going on trips to their place of worship. This will foster a rich culture capital.
Pupils will begin to develop their critical thinking skills by asking questions about faiths from around the world. Children will understand that there is not always an answer to a question and recognise that individual faith will help with this understanding . Pupils will be able to make some comparisons between Christianity and other major world faiths, as well as their own faith.
Pupils will have the opportunity to perform through drama and dance. They will understand that serving and volunteering is part of our Christian ethos as a school and underpins other faiths, too.
To foster children who are appreciative. Pupils will make comparisons to other members of society and cultures, and to look at the struggles that people have to overcome and compare to their own lives. Pupils will then have the opportunity to reflect on ways that we can help those in need.
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