Religious Education

Religious Education at Checkendon Primary School

Intent: why we teach RE
At Checkendon Church of England (A) Primary School, our RE curriculum lies at the heart of our vision: to unlock the unique voice within each child, fostering a lifelong aspiration of learning excellence in a caring Christian community.
Rooted in our Christian values of respect, integrity, compassion, courage, and hope, we aim for every pupil to develop knowledge, understanding, and respect for Christianity, other world religions, and non-faith perspectives, while reflecting thoughtfully on their own experiences.

Our RE curriculum is designed to:

• Develop pupils’ spiritual awareness, moral responsibility, and empathy
• Encourage reflection, questioning, and understanding of ethical and spiritual issues
• Enable pupils to explore meaning, purpose, and values in their own lives
• Support pupils to respect and understand diverse beliefs and cultures, fostering inclusion and community
• Reflect our Christian values:
  • Respect for others’ beliefs, traditions, and perspectives
  • Integrity in exploring and presenting ideas thoughtfully
  • Compassion through listening, collaboration, and consideration of others
  • Courage to ask challenging questions and consider different viewpoints
  • Hope inspired by understanding, ethical action, and spiritual growth
• Recognise our school emblem, the crossed keys and sword, as a symbol of unlocking each child’s potential and our close relationship with St Peter and St Paul Church

Implementation: how we teach RE

• We follow Understanding Christianity for the study of Christianity, and the Diocese RE teaching plans for all other religions, with input from our local clergy, Rev’d Kevin Davies and checked by Anne Andrews, ODBE RE Advisor
• Lessons are structured progressively from Reception to Year 6, developing knowledge, understanding, reflection, and enquiry skills
• Pupils engage in discussion, enquiry, and exploration of texts, artefacts, and practical activities to deepen their understanding of faith, belief, and practice
• Opportunities for reflection, ethical discussion, and spiritual enquiry are integrated into lessons, Forest School, and classroom practice
• Collective worship, including weekly sessions led by clergy and Values Ambassadors, reinforces learning and spiritual development
• Pupils with SEND and disadvantaged backgrounds are supported to access the full curriculum and express their ideas confidently and respectfully

Impact: outcomes and evidence

• Pupils develop respect for others and a deeper understanding of different faiths, worldviews, and moral perspectives
• Work scrutiny, pupil voice, and observations show growth in knowledge, understanding, and confidence in expressing ideas about faith, values, and meaning
• RE supports pupils’ Christian character and spiritual development, enabling them to demonstrate respect, integrity, compassion, courage, and hope in daily life
• By the time they leave Checkendon, pupils are confident in their beliefs, empathetic towards others, and equipped to make informed, moral, and responsible choices

Evaluation and continuous improvement

• Progress and attainment are monitored through work scrutiny, pupil voice, and lesson observations
• Governors and subject leaders ensure the curriculum aligns with the SIAMS framework and Ofsted priorities: curriculum quality, personal development, inclusion, and engagement
• The curriculum is continually reviewed and updated to reflect best practice, educational research, and the needs of our pupils
• Times of quiet reflection and prayer, and a rich programme of enrichment activities, are woven throughout the curriculum, enhancing spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development
• Our annual parent surveys document the positive impact on belonging, engagement, and pupils’ flourishing within the school community

This is taken directly from our SIAMS SEF

Our vision is to unlock the unique voice within each child fostering a lifelong aspiration of learning excellence. Striving for an inclusive school family where everyone can flourish and experience life to its fullest. We aim to grow within the natural beauty surrounding us, safe in the knowledge of God's love.

Our vision is rooted in Christian vision, from Jesus’ teachings recorded in John 10:10 “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

Our school emblem is two crossed keys and a sword (in recognition of our close relationship with our local church of St Peter and St Paul) we take the keys as a sign to unlock the unique voice within each child.

We believe the purpose of education is to enable every child to thrive and to be the person they are fully capable of being. The uniqueness of each child is celebrated and nurtured through the partnership of children, parents, staff and governors. Every child enjoys the extra attention that makes all the difference to learning, behaviour and having fun in our small class sizes, therefore fostering a lifelong aspiration of learning excellence.

We see our role as providing a well-rounded education, which supports everyone to flourish academically and physically, emotionally and spiritually, socially and morally, striving for an inclusive school family where everyone can flourish and experience life to its fullest.

We are dedicated to providing a place of effective learning and teaching so that each child may pursue success in the classroom, on the sports field, within the arts, in every area of school life and outside by growing within the natural beauty surrounding us.

Our children are grateful for their surroundings and understand that not all individuals have the same opportunities as them. We feel fortunate that our children have the opportunity to attend Forest School once a week, where they can appreciate the natural beauty surrounding us and the majesty of nature while also discovering their place in the world.

Guided by our Christian values, we endeavour to motivate and inspire everyone to become resilient and enthusiastic lifelong learners, safe in the knowledge of God's love reinforced by their teachers and the wider community.

When we reflected on our vision, in our first FGB of the year following the publication of the new SIAMS framework, the governors and school leaders discussed including John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” This encourages us to consider our context in more depth and further draw on our mission to create stewardship, teaching the children to be agents of change and protect the environment. Our children are leaders of the future, they are privileged and we want them to do something good with the advantages they have. We will teach our children to have a good moral compass through an inspiring and varied curriculum, supported by a wide range of enrichment activities and extra-curricular opportunities. Our school community is on a spiritual journey, as such we regularly discuss the relevance of our Bible Verse and will continue to ensure it reflects our ethos.

The school leaders have considered joining an academy; and federating with another small, local school has been exhaustively discussed with the governors and Oxfordshire County Council. These are not currently the best options to enhance the effectiveness of Checkendon as a Church school.

Times of quiet reflection and prayer are woven into the daily rhythm of the school. This is evident in our daily collective worship which follows a timetable that includes, learning hymns, celebration and cultural diversity. Collective worship is inclusive, and invitational and always ends in prayer and reflection.  We are building the role of School Values Ambassadors to plan, lead, and monitor collective worship every week. The school has an incredibly close relationship with the local church and clergy, once a week a member of the local clergy leads our collective worship within the school or in church. Members of the Langtree Team Ministry are regular visitors to the school. Opportunities for reflection, and ethical and spiritual issues are also built into the curriculum. These regular, planned opportunities are driven by our vision and values and are central to the life of the school.

Our Hope for a Flourishing Schools System (page 16) states ‘Children and adults flourish from a deep sense of belonging in their schools’ this is documented in our annual parent surveys (see Parents - Surveys for more details).