Religious Education

RE in Church Schools

In Church of England schools, where pupils and staff come from all faiths and none, religious education (RE) is a highly valued academic subject that enables understanding of how religion and beliefs affect our lives. At the heart of RE in church schools is the teaching of Christianity and pupils also learn about other faiths and world views.

Understanding Christianity

Understanding Christianity is a resource to support the teaching of Christianity in religious education in all schools.

  • Develops pupils' own thinking and understanding of Christianity.
  • Explores the significant theological concepts within Christianity as part of developing pupils wider religious, theological and cultural literacy.
  • Supports teachers in developing their own knowledge and understanding of Christianity theology to be able to teach with confidence.

#balancedRE  

What does a balanced approach to curriculum design in RE look like? Four diocesan RE advisers  who wanted to answer this question set out to try and achieve a balanced curriculum that enables pupils to hold balanced and well-informed conversations about religion and belief. Implicit within this is the study of a range of religions, belief systems and worldviews. 

You can find out about this approach in this short film

This work has been developed with support from the Church of England Education Office and in collaboration with teachers and subject experts over the last four years. A suite of resources to accompany this approach are currently being trialled and will be launched soon.

The RE advisers are: Jane Chipperton (Diocese of St Albans), Gillian Georgiou (Diocese of Lincoln), Olivia Seymour (Diocese of York) and Kathryn Wright (Diocese of Norwich).