At Melling Primary School, we follow the SACRE Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education (RE), as provided by RE Today. This syllabus has been developed for Sefton SACRE and approved by Sefton Council, providing a clear framework for the teaching of RE in Sefton schools.

The syllabus recognises that:

“The UK has a rich heritage of culture and diversity, which continues today in an era of globalisation and increasing interdependence. For many people, religion and belief form a crucial part of their culture and identity. Religion and beliefs are increasingly visible in public life at local, national, and international levels. The impact of religion on society and public life is frequently highlighted through media coverage. Rapid developments in scientific and medical technologies, as well as ongoing environmental debates, continue to raise new religious, moral, and social questions. The internet enables learning and encourages participation in public discussion of issues in a new and transformative way.”
(Religious Education in English Schools: Non-statutory Guidance, 2010)

By following this syllabus, Melling Primary ensures that pupils are provided with high-quality RE education that is both culturally aware and relevant to contemporary society. It supports pupils in understanding the diversity of beliefs and practices, exploring moral and ethical questions, and developing respectful attitudes towards others.

  The Purpose of Religious Education (RE)

Ethos and Aims

Religious education makes a dynamic contribution to pupils’ education by encouraging them to explore challenging questions about:

• The meaning and purpose of life

• Beliefs about God and ultimate reality

• Issues of right and wrong

• What it means to be human

In RE, pupils learn about and from religions and world-views in local, national, and global contexts. They are encouraged to discover, explore, and consider different perspectives in response to these fundamental questions.

Pupils are supported to:

• Evaluate wisdom from different sources and express their insights thoughtfully

• Agree or disagree respectfully, developing skills for constructive dialogue

• Gain systematic knowledge and understanding of a range of religions and world-views

• Develop their own ideas, values, and identity

• Participate positively in a diverse society through dialogue and mutual understanding

• Understand, interpret, and evaluate texts, sources of wisdom, authority, and other evidence

• Reflect on their personal responses to fundamental human questions

• Articulate clearly and coherently their beliefs, ideas, values, and experiences clearly and coherently while respecting the right of others to hold different views.

This broad purpose is summarised in the principal aim of RE, which serves as a practical guide for daily teaching, short-term planning, and long-term curriculum design. Teachers are encouraged to use this aim to ensure that RE consistently promotes knowledge, understanding, reflection, and respect.

 High quality teaching approach

Organised World-views

Organised world-views include the traditional religions studied in RE, such as Buddhism, Christianity, Hindu Dharma, Islam, Judaism, and Sikhi. These world-views often provide:

• A way of understanding the world

• Answers to fundamental questions about life and existence

• Guidance on how to live ethically and meaningfully

Organised world-views may include formal structures, agreed teachings, and official practices. Some traditions are more centralised than others. For example:

• Within Christianity, the Roman Catholic Church has centralised institutions that provide leadership and guidance for Catholics worldwide.

• Islam consists of strands that share core beliefs—such as the Prophethood of Muhammad and the divine revelation of the Qur’an—but differ in historical development and practice (for example, Sunni and Shi‘a traditions).

In this syllabus, Christianity and Islam are studied as examples of organised world-views. Pupils are also encouraged to recognise that there is no single model of “organised” world-views that applies universally across all traditions.

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Personal World-views

Every individual has a personal world-view which shapes how they understand and encounter the world, including their own place within it. Personal world-views are:

• Influenced by experience and the environment, but also influence how individuals interpret life and interact with others

• The narrative each person constructs to make sense of the world, themselves, and others

Many people are members of organised world-views, which influence their personal world-view. However, an individual’s personal world-view may not fully reflect the teachings of their organised tradition.

In the UK, many individuals hold non-religious world views. Some may align with organised non-religious groups, such as Humanists UK, while others draw upon a mixture of influences, including:

• Ideas or practices from religious traditions (e.g., belief in an afterlife, mindfulness, or meditation)

• Personal experiences and philosophical reflections

Non-religious world-views are diverse and independent of any single organised world-view. Personal world-views can therefore overlap with religious and non-religious ideas, reflecting the complexity of individual beliefs.

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Equality and Diversity

This syllabus uses the concept of world-views to provide flexibility in teaching traditional religions, acknowledging:

• Diversity within religious traditions, both geographically and historically

• That individuals’ personal world-views may differ from official teachings

By incorporating both organised and personal world-views, pupils are encouraged to explore the diversity of beliefs and practices and develop critical thinking, empathy, and respectful dialogue in response to the world around them.

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Progression and Coverage

	Autumn Term	Spring Term	Summer Term
Reception	Unit 1: Why is the word of god so important to Christians? Unit 2: Why do Christians perform nativity plays at Christmas? (Why is Christmas special for Christians?)	Unit 3: Being special: Where do we belong? Unit 4:Why do Christians put a cross in their Easter garden? (Why is Easter special to Christians?)	Unit 5: Which places are special and why? Unit 6: Which stories are special and why?
Year 1	Unit1 –Who do Christians say made the world? Unit 2 – Why does Christmas matter to Christians?	Unit 3 – Who is Jewish, and how do they live? Unit 4 – What do Christians believe God is like?	Unit 5 – What does it mean to belong to a faith community? How should we care for others, and why does it matter?
Year 2	Unit1 – What is the Good news Christians say Jesus brings? P1 Unit1 – Unit 2 – What is the good news Christians say Jesus brings? P2	Unit 3 – Who is Muslim, and how do they live? Unit 4 – Why does Easter matter to Christians?	Unit 5 – Who is a Muslim, and how do they live? Pt 2 Unit 6 – What makes some places special to believers?
Year 3	Unit1 – What is it like for someone to follow God? Unit 2 – What is the trinity, and why is it important to Christians?	Unit 3 – How do festivals and worship show what matters to a Muslim? Unit 4 – How do festivals and family life show what matters to Jewish people?	Unit 5 – What do Christians learn from the Creation story? Unit 6 – How, and why do people try to make the world a better place?
Year 4	Unit 1 – What kind of world did Jesus want? Unit 2- For Christians, when Jesus left, what was the impact of Pentecost?	Unit 3 – What do Hindus believe God is like? Unit 4 – Why do Christians call the day that Jesus died ‘Good Friday’?	Unit 5 – What does it mean to be a Hindu in Britain today? Unit 6 – How, and why do people mark the significant events in life?
Year 5	Unit 1 – What does it mean if Christians believe God is holy and loving? Unit 2 – What does it mean to be a Muslim in Britain today?	Unit 3 – Why is the Torah so important for Jewish people? Unit 4 – Creation and science; conflicting or complementary?	Unit 5 – How can following God bring freedom and justice? Unit 6 – What matters most to Humanists and Christians?
Year 6	Unit 1 – Christians and how to live: What would Jesus do? Unit 2 – Why do Christians believe Jesus was the Messiah?	Unit 3 – Why do Hindus want to be good? Unit 4 – What difference does the resurrection make to Christians?	Unit 5 – For Christians, what kind of King was Jesus? Unit 6 – Why do some people believe in God and some people do not?

Assessment and Impact

Assessment in RE

At Melling, assessment in Religious Education is formative, summative, and holistic, designed to evaluate pupils’ knowledge, skills, understanding, and personal development. Our approach reflects the principles of RE Today, NATRE, and Sefton SACRE, ensuring that pupils are assessed on:

1. Knowledge and Understanding

   • Pupils demonstrate understanding of beliefs, teachings, practices, and sources of authority within a range of organised and personal world-views.

   • They recognise the diversity and complexity within and across religious and non-religious traditions.

2. Enquiry and Critical Thinking

   • Pupils develop the ability to ask thoughtful and challenging questions about meaning, purpose, morality, and belief.

   • They analyse, interpret, and evaluate evidence from texts, artefacts, and other sources of wisdom.

   • Pupils are encouraged to consider multiple perspectives and support their reasoning with clear evidence.

3. Reflection and Personal Response

   • Pupils reflect on their own beliefs, values, and experiences, and how these relate to what they learn about others.

   • They develop empathy and understanding, recognising that personal world-views may differ from organised world-views.

Assessment is ongoing and embedded in daily practice, including:

• Observation of discussion and debate

• Written and creative responses

• Reflection journals or learning logs

• Presentations, role-play, or group enquiry projects

Teachers use assessment outcomes to:

• Inform planning and adjust teaching to pupils’ needs

• Identify pupils who require additional support or challenge

• Ensure that all pupils make progress in knowledge, understanding, and skills, as well as personal and moral development

Oracy

• They demonstrate mutual respect for different beliefs and perspectives, in line with the ethos of a diverse society.

• Pupils are assessed on their ability to articulate ideas coherently and respectfully, engaging in constructive discussion and debate.

 

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Impact of RE 

The impact of RE at Melling is measured by the extent to which pupils:

• Demonstrate secure knowledge and understanding of a range of organised and personal world-views

• Develop the ability to enquire, reflect, and evaluate thoughtfully

• Show respect, empathy, and understanding towards the beliefs of others

• Can articulate personal ideas, values, and beliefs clearly and coherently

• Engage confidently in dialogue and debate, responding constructively to challenging questions

• Appreciate the diversity of world views and recognise their relevance in contemporary society

• Develop moral and ethical awareness, supporting their preparation for life in modern Britain

Through high-quality RE, pupils leave the school as curious, thoughtful, and informed individuals, equipped to participate positively in a pluralistic society and with a lifelong respect for cultural and religious diversity.