"In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16
Curriculum Intent
At Knightlow, we aim for Religion and Worldviews to inspire curiosity, deepen understanding, and nurture respect for diverse beliefs and practices. Rooted in our Christian ethos, the curriculum enables children to reflect on profound questions about life, identity, and meaning, while developing a robust understanding of Christianity, other world religions, and non-religious worldviews. Through the lens of theology, philosophy, and human and social sciences, children acquire, build, and apply their knowledge of religious beliefs and practices, develop critical thinking skills, and engage with ethical decision-making. Our curriculum fosters personal reflection and encourages creative expression, empowering pupils to explore their own identities and appreciate those of others. This journey equips them to become compassionate and informed members of society who value diversity and contribute to a better world.
What is a Worldview?
A worldview is the way in which a person encounters, interprets, understands and engages with the world. A person's worldview may change over time. Our curriculum gives pupils the opportunity to understand and explore their own worldview as well as the worldviews of others.
What does R.E. look like at Knightlow?
Our Religion and Worldviews curriculum is delivered through a combination of the SACRE Coventry and Warwickshire Agreed Syllabus and the Understanding Christianity scheme. Every week, children engage in at least one hour of dedicated learning where our teachers guide them through carefully planned, high-quality lessons. These lessons integrate theological concepts, religious literacy, and critical thinking to create a comprehensive learning experience. Core concepts are revisited and deepened over time, ensuring a coherent progression of knowledge and understanding. Children explore sacred texts, historical figures, and life’s big questions through interactive methods, including drama, art, and collaborative discussions. Enriched by visits to places of worship, visits and retreats in partnership with our local church, and interactions with other faith leaders, the diverse curriculum reflects the breadth of worldviews across our school community while also maintaining a strong Christian foundation. For more information about the SACRE syllabus and the Understanding Christianity scheme, take a look at the 'Important Documents' below.
In our Religion and Worldviews curriculum, every child is welcomed as a Worldview Explorer. To support this journey, each pupil receives a special Pupil Passport in KS1 and a new one in KS2, which travels with them as they grow and learn. These passports encourage children to reflect on their own beliefs and values, helping them thoughtfully explore and understand both their own worldviews and those of others. Take a look at the KS2 Pupil Passport template below:
Every other year, during the first week back after the Christmas holidays, we begin the term with our special Reverence Week. This dedicated week gives us time to reflect deeply on our Christian distinctiveness and what it means to be a Church of England school, rooting ourselves again in our shared vision and values.
Each Reverence Week centres on a different biblical theme. This year, we explored the Parables of Jesus, using The Parables of Jesus: Short Stories, Timeless Truths as our key text for the week. A different parable was shared each morning in Collective Worship, with thoughtful follow-up activities in class each day to deepen understanding and reflection. The children’s responses and questions have been fantastic, and Reverence Week continues to be a much-loved highlight of our school year.
RE can make a key educational contribution to pupils’ explorations of British values, and excellent teaching of RE can enable pupils to learn to think for themselves about them.
RE offers opportunities to build an accurate knowledge-base about the religious beliefs of others in relation to values. This supports children in building increasing respect for the beliefs of others, so that they can celebrate diversity.
Values education and moral development are a part of a school’s holistic mission to contribute to the wellbeing of each pupil and of all people within our communities.
Democracy
In RE, pupils learn the significance of each person’s ideas and experiences (their worldview) through discussion. In debating the fundamental questions of life, pupils learn to respect a range of perspectives. This contributes to learning about democracy, examining the idea that we all share a responsibility to use our voice and influence for the wellbeing of others.
Rule of Law
In RE pupils examine different examples of codes for human life, including commandments, rules or precepts offered by different religious communities. They learn to appreciate how individuals choose between good and evil, right and wrong, and they learn to apply these ideas to their own communities. They learn that fairness requires that the law apply equally to all, irrespective – for example – of a person’s status or wealth. They have the opportunity to examine the idea that the ‘rule of law’ focuses specifically on the relationship between citizens (or subjects) and the state, and to how far this reflects or runs counter to wider moral codes and precepts.
Individual Liberty
In RE, pupils consider questions about identity, belonging and diversity, learning what it means to live a life free from constraints. They study examples of pioneers of human freedom, including those from within different religions, so that they can examine tensions between the value of a stable society and the value of change for human development.
Mutual Respect
At Knightlow, we do not accept intolerant attitudes to members of the community: attitudes which reject other people on the basis of race, faith, gender, sexual orientation or age are rightly challenged. A baseline for a fair community is that each person’s right to ‘be themselves’ is to be accepted by all. RE can challenge children and young people to be increasingly respectful and to celebrate diversity.
Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs
In the RE curriculum, attention focuses on developing mutual respect between those of different worldviews, faiths and beliefs, promoting an understanding of what a society gains from diversity. Pupils will learn about diversity in religions and worldviews, and will be challenged to respect other persons who see the world differently to themselves.
Recognition and celebration of human diversity in many forms can flourish where pupils understand different faiths and beliefs, and are challenged to be broad- minded and open-hearted.