“Blackburn Diocesan Board of Education believes that high quality Religious Education (RE) is the key to enabling every child to flourish. We are committed to producing quality resources that will provide teachers with the knowledge and skills they need to ensure that the children experience the best RE curriculum. By embracing the explicit teaching of Christian concepts and God’s big salvation story, it is hoped that the content of this syllabus will give pupils a deeper understanding of Christianity. In addition, pupils explore all major world faiths and discuss world views where appropriate.“
(Blackburn Board of Education’ – Questful RE)

• The school follows the Blackburn Diocesan Syllabus for RE which is completely compliant with the expectations set out in the CofE statement of entitlement. We encourage children to engage with the ‘BIG questions’ and in so doing both grow in their knowledge of the Christian faith as well as other world religions but also to reflect on faith and how it speaks to them as an individual. As a single class intake school we can follow the scheme sequentially and as such we know that it is well-sequenced and includes the correct amount of coverage of Christianity alongside other world faiths.
• There is a dedicated RE lesson in very class every week along with additional RE sessions within themed weeks / focus days / linked to key times and seasons.
• Displays around school reflect the importance of RE as a subject within school
• The school governors (via the Worship and Ethos group) also monitor the quality of provision
• The content / units taught are reviewed regularly to ensure the overview remains relevant (last revision Summer 2023).

The subject leader for RE is Mrs Joanna Jennings.

Intent 

At Slyne-with-Hest St Luke's our ethos is embedded within the Biblical teaching of:

"Encourage one another and build we each other up." 1Thessalonians 5 v11

This key statement alongside our school motto of:

'Listen, Learn, Love and Laugh as part of God's Family'

are the threads woven through our worship and RE teaching, to allow children to flourish academically and spiritually.

As a Church of England Primary School, we aim to give all children excellent RE teaching through creative, enquiring, spiritual and challenging lessons where they are encouraged to listen, talk, share, respect and question. RE is taught every week and we follow the structure of the Blackburn Diocesan scheme – Questful RE. As part of this scheme, teaching is placed within the context of ‘God’s Big Story’ where the children are given opportunities to explore big questions about God, Creation, The Fall, People of God, Incarnation, The Gospel, Salvation and The Kingdom of God. We support pupils to understand these core concepts and how they can be applied to their everyday lives to help them encounter life’s experiences. We aim to teach respect and an understanding of diversity both within Christianity and other faiths and to cultivate children’s spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development, promoting an ethos of respect and understanding for diverse beliefs and practices.

Specifically, our objectives include:

• Encouraging Reflection: We intend to create opportunities for pupils to reflect on their own beliefs and value systems while exploring the fundamental questions of existence, purpose, and morality.

• Developing Knowledge: Our curriculum is designed to deepen pupils’ knowledge of the Christian faith, the Bible, and key teachings, while also exposing them to the beliefs and practices of other major world religions.

• Promoting Respect and Tolerance: We aim to equip our pupils with the skills necessary to engage with, understand, and respect others’ beliefs, fostering a sense of community and belonging.

• Linking to Community: Our intent includes nurturing connections between the school, the church, and the wider community, encouraging pupils to actively participate in community life and service.

Implementation

At Slyne-with-Hest St Luke’s, Religious Education is delivered through weekly, high-quality lessons that follow the Blackburn Diocesan Questful RE scheme. Lessons are rooted in our Christian ethos—“Encourage one another and build each other up”—and reflect our school motto of Listen, Learn, Love and Laugh as part of God’s Family. These values are woven through all RE teaching, collective worship and wider curriculum experiences.

Our implementation centres on God’s Big Story, ensuring pupils build a progressive and secure understanding of key theological concepts including God, Creation, The Fall, People of God, Incarnation, The Gospel, Salvation and The Kingdom of God. Concepts are revisited in age‑appropriate ways so pupils deepen their knowledge as they move through school.

RE is taught through creative, engaging and enquiry-based lessons, which encourage pupils to ask big questions, explore ideas, discuss respectfully and reflect on their own beliefs and values. Teachers use a wide range of strategies—storytelling, drama, artwork, discussion, text analysis and philosophical enquiry—to help pupils develop a rich understanding of Christianity as well as other world faiths and worldviews.

To ensure depth and rigour, lessons focus on three core strands:

• Theological understanding – exploring beliefs, texts and concepts
• Philosophical enquiry – reflecting on identity, values and meaning
• Social and human sciences – examining lived experiences, practices and communities

Pupils regularly engage with the local church, members of the faith community and visitors from other traditions, helping them recognise the diversity of belief both locally and globally. Collective worship reinforces core Christian values, supports spiritual development and deepens pupils’ understanding of how faith shapes daily life.

Teachers assess learning through discussion, written work, concept maps and reflective responses, ensuring progress is monitored and misconceptions are addressed. The subject leader supports staff with high‑quality resources, training and regular review of practice to maintain a consistent, ambitious RE curriculum.

Through this carefully structured and spiritually rich approach, RE at St Luke’s equips every child to understand, explore and live out Christian values while appreciating the beliefs and practices of others, building a respectful, thoughtful and inclusive school community.

Impact 

At Slyne-with-Hest St Luke’s, the impact of Religious Education is reflected in pupils who flourish academically and spiritually, embodying our vision to “Encourage one another and build each other up” (1 Thessalonians 5:11) and our motto to Listen, Learn, Love and Laugh as part of God’s Family.

Through the Questful RE curriculum and God’s Big Story, pupils gain a strong understanding of key Christian concepts and learn to apply them to real-life experiences. They develop the ability to reflect, question, communicate clearly and think deeply—skills that support learning across the whole curriculum.

RE at St Luke’s nurtures pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, encouraging respect for diversity within Christianity and across other faiths and worldviews. Pupils grow in empathy, moral courage and a sense of belonging, learning to value others and recognise shared human values.

Our curriculum strengthens links between school, church and community, enabling pupils to understand their responsibilities, practise compassionate action and contribute positively to the world around them. Ultimately, pupils leave St Luke’s confident, reflective and ready to live out Christian values in their everyday lives.

Inclusivity

At Slyne-with-Hest St Luke’s CE Primary School, inclusivity in Religious Education is grounded in our Christian vision to “Encourage one another and build each other up” (1 Thessalonians 5:11) and in our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Justice (EDJ) for every child. We believe that all pupils are created in the image of God, equally loved, and deserving of dignity, respect and opportunity. Our motto—Listen, Learn, Love and Laugh as part of God’s Family—guides us in ensuring that RE is a place where every child feels valued, represented and empowered.

Our RE curriculum embraces the diversity within our school and wider community, ensuring that children encounter a rich range of beliefs, cultures, traditions and worldviews. We teach pupils how to appreciate difference, recognise shared values and understand that equality and justice are central to living well together. This includes respecting the identities of children from Christian, other faith and non-religious backgrounds, as well as honouring the experiences of pupils with SEND, those from minority ethnic groups and those facing disadvantage.

Our approach to EDJ in RE ensures that:

• Equality is promoted through high expectations for all, adaptive teaching and accessible resources so that every child can participate fully and succeed.
• Diversity is celebrated by ensuring pupils see their own backgrounds reflected and learn about the richness of other cultures, traditions and belief systems. This includes using resources, stories and role models that reflect our diverse world. 
• Justice is fostered through teaching that encourages moral courage, fairness and advocacy, helping pupils recognise injustice and explore how they can contribute to a more compassionate and equitable world.

We work in partnership with families, the church and community groups to build understanding and strengthen belonging. Through RE and collective worship, pupils are encouraged to act with kindness, challenge stereotypes, stand up for others and consider how their choices can promote fairness and peace.

By embedding EDJ principles into every aspect of RE, we ensure that every pupil is able to flourish academically, spiritually and socially—secure in the knowledge that they are seen, heard and deeply valued as part of our school family.

Right to withdraw from RE: While we are a Christian foundation school, parents do have the right to withdraw children from all or part of the RE curriculum. If a parent chooses to do this, a letter should be written to the headteacher stating their wishes. Alternative provision for a child’s education would be made.

Currently, all parents, including those of other faiths, choose for their children to take part in all of our worship and curriculum arrangements.