“I have come in order that you might have life—life in all its fullness.’
John 10v10b
“Let all that you do be done with love.”
1 Corinthians 16:14
Helping Each Child to Flourish
At Heworth CE School, RE has a core and central place within our curriculum. Our approach to Religious Education supports this and all of our school values: Compassion, Trust, Forgiveness and Endurance in our school’s mission of ‘Helping Each Child to Flourish’. At Heworth School, pupils and their families can expect a high quality religious education (RE) curriculum that is rich and varied, enabling learners to acquire a thorough knowledge and understanding of a range of faiths and world views.
We provide a wide range of opportunities for learners to understand and to make links between the beliefs, practices and value systems of the range of faiths and world views studied. The use of an enquiry approach engages with significant theological concepts and the pupils’ own understanding of the world as part of their wider religious literacy. Links with our school vision, and support for pupil’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) development are intrinsic to our RE curriculum and have a significant impact on learners.
What RE looks like at Heworth?
- We teach according to the Diocese of York and Leeds Agreed Syllabus. As a church school, the teaching of Christianity is at the heart of our RE curriculum.
- We use an enquiry approach supported by the use of the Understanding Christianity resource.
- Learning is planned very carefully in order to build on previous knowledge and skills.
- RE weeks are carefully planned and delivered through a whole school approach and culminate in a whole school sharing assembly to celebrate our learning.
- Visitors are invited into Heworth to share their beliefs and practices with our children.
- Visits to places of worship are planned throughout the school year.
How do our values shine through in RE?

Compassion
At Heworth Children are given the opportunity to ask questions, enquire and reflect on religious and non-religious world views. They learn that people have different cultures, beliefs and opinions and that this should be respected and accepted by everyone within our school.

Trust
Our teaching of RE provides a safe and trusted space for children to explore their own religious, spiritual and/or philosophical ways of seeing, living and thinking, believing and belonging. We aim to provide opportunities to engage in meaningful and informed dialogue with those of all religions and worldviews.
How do children flourish in RE at Heworth?
- Children know about and understand Christianity as a diverse global living faith through the exploration of core beliefs using an approach that critically engages with biblical text.
- Children gain knowledge and understanding of a range of religions and worldviews appreciating diversity, continuity and change within the religions and worldviews being studied.
- Children engage with challenging questions of meaning and purpose raised by human existence and experience.
- Children recognise the concept of religion and its continuing influence on Britain’s cultural heritage and in the lives of individuals and societies in different times, cultures and places.
- Children explore their own religious, spiritual and philosophical ways of living, believing and thinking.