Intent

At John Henry Newman Academy, our vision is for children and adults to “have the courage to let your light shine” (Matthew 5:16), to love those around us, celebrate our lives and belong within our community. Religious Education plays a vital role in bringing this vision to life.

Religious Education at John Henry Newman Academy is academically rigorous, encourages critical thinking and lively debate and develops a broad understanding of faiths and religious and non-religious worldviews. At the same time, it offers meaningful opportunities for pupils to reflect on life’s big questions, making learning in RE both intellectually challenging and deeply personal. Through RE, pupils are encouraged to reflect on and question beliefs, explore similarities and differences between worldviews and develop empathy and respect for people of all faiths and none.

Our Christian values of Love, Courage, Celebration and Community underpin the RE curriculum and are explored thoughtfully throughout. We believe all children should be given the opportunity to “Let Their Light Shine”, and our RE curriculum supports and nourishes this by enabling pupils to develop understanding, compassion and respect. Our vision is theologically underpinned through biblical texts, including the story of Noah’s Ark, which helps pupils explore what it means to let their light shine through hope, responsibility and care for others.

The intent of Religious Education at John Henry Newman Academy is to help pupils understand what people believe, how those beliefs are lived out in practice and how beliefs and worldviews influence choices, behaviour and identity. Pupils explore key religious teachings and traditions while also considering how faith and belief shape everyday life, values and decision-making in both religious and non-religious contexts.

Religious Education reflects and supports the school’s Christian vision by encouraging pupils to live out the values of Love, Courage, Celebration and Community. Through respectful engagement with difference and thoughtful reflection, RE supports pupils to grow as reflective, compassionate and responsible members of the community.

Implementation

At John Henry Newman Academy, we follow Jigsaw RE, an enquiry-based scheme of work that meets the requirements of the Oxfordshire Locally Agreed Syllabus (SACRE). An enquiry approach allows pupils to explore meaningful questions about faith and belief, follow their curiosity, and find personal relevance, while developing secure knowledge and understanding.

All year groups study Christianity alongside at least one other religion each year. The curriculum is carefully mapped to ensure coverage of a range of religions, festivals and worldviews across the school and is inclusive of pupils from all backgrounds. Christian celebrations such as Christmas and Easter are revisited annually, with learning deepened in a progressive and age-appropriate way. Pupils also study Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism and Humanism, with other worldviews explored where appropriate.

Pupils learn that Christianity is a global, diverse faith, expressed in many cultures and contexts across the world. They also learn that religions are internally diverse and practised in different ways by different communities and denominations. This helps pupils move beyond stereotypes and develop an informed, respectful understanding of faith in the modern world.

Religious Education enables pupils to explore a wide range of religious and non-religious worldviews, including Humanism as a non-religious worldview. Pupils learn that people may hold different beliefs about life, meaning and morality, and that meaningful, moral lives can be lived with or without religious belief. Through this, pupils develop understanding, respect and appreciation for the diverse ways people make sense of the world.

Religious Education also supports pupils’ spiritual development through opportunities for reflection, questioning and meaning-making. Pupils are encouraged to think deeply about beliefs, values and purpose, while recognising that individuals may respond in different ways. RE is a space for exploration and reflection, where pupils are not expected to adopt beliefs, but are supported to develop thoughtful, respectful responses of their own.

Our RE curriculum is carefully structured to develop both substantive knowledge and disciplinary knowledge. Pupils learn about religious beliefs, teachings, stories and concepts, while also developing skills such as interpreting texts, comparing worldviews, asking meaningful questions and reflecting on different perspectives. This ensures pupils not only know about religions and worldviews, but also understand how religious knowledge is explored and discussed.

Religious Education at John Henry Newman Academy is inclusive, reflective and ambitious, enabling all pupils to flourish academically, spiritually and personally.