At Rood End our RE lessons play an important part in helping children learn about respect, honesty, inclusivity, resilience, and working together. We want our children to understand and appreciate different religions and beliefs because it helps them grow into kind and open-minded people in our diverse community.

Our goal is for every child to leave Rood End with a genuine respect for different faiths and beliefs. Through RE, children learn how to live harmoniously with others and celebrate diversity both inside and outside of school.

We follow the Sandwell Agreed Syllabus (SACRE) and use resources like Understanding Christianity, virtual visits from The Arts Society Birmingham, and hands-on materials like religious texts and artefacts. We also use interactive tools to make lessons interesting and real.

Here's what our RE lessons look like:

• Clear planning: Lessons build on what children have learned before.

  Recap and review: Each lesson starts with a quick look back to help children remember key ideas.

  Key vocabulary: We teach important religious words so children can talk and write confidently about them.

  Modelling: Teachers show how to think about and understand religious ideas.

  Reflections: Children share their thoughts and ideas through writing, drawings or verbal reflections.

  Active participation: Children take part in hands-on, age-appropriate activities such as; Role-playing and acting out stories, Listening to and making music inspired by different religions, Expressing ideas through dance and movement, Creating art related to religious themes, Design Technology linked to religious festivals, Writing activities that help children explain their ideas clearly.

  Support: We help children who need extra support by carefully adapting work.

  Practical learning: Using real objects and stories to bring lessons to life.

  We use learning maps to help children remember what they've learned and build confidence.

  Knowledge catchers are used throughout and at the end of units to demonstrate children's understanding. 

  We make sure our RE lessons are accessible and meaningful. We respect our children's cultures and help them build confidence and life skills through their learning.

Parents and carers can support RE by talking about the different religions and beliefs their child is learning about, supporting children's visits to different religious buildings and encouraging respectful curiosity at home.