Religious Education is Excellent at BJR!

Religious Education Intent

At Bishop John Robinson, Religious Education (RE) is the "core of the core" curriculum, central to our distinctive Christian character. Our intent is to provide a high-quality, inclusive RE curriculum from EYFS to Year 6 that enables every child to flourish and live "life in all its fullness" (John 10:10).

We follow the Southwark Diocesan Board of Education (SDBE) RE Syllabus. This framework ensures a progressive and sequential journey of "religious literacy," where children develop the skills of enquiry, analysis and reflection.

To ensure our pupils are prepared for life in a diverse and global society, our curriculum is broad and balanced. While Christianity is taught as a core religion in every year group, we also provide a systematic and in-depth study of the other main world religions:

• Buddhism
• Hinduism
• Islam
• Judaism
• Sikhism

In EYFS, children begin by exploring their own experiences and special places. As they progress through Key Stages 1 and 2, they move from identifying the beliefs and practices of these six faiths to analysing how these beliefs impact the way people live their lives today.

Our RE curriculum is the primary vehicle for embedding our school’s core Christian values:

Trust: We create a safe space for "Big Questions," where children trust that their unique beliefs and questions of meaning will be heard and respected.

Compassion: By learning about the lives and traditions of the six main world religions, our pupils develop empathy and a drive to "stand in someone else’s shoes," reflecting the love and kindness of Jesus.

Forgiveness: Through the study of Biblical narratives and the "Salvation" story, children understand that mistakes are part of the human journey and that reconciliation is key to a flourishing community.

Local Church and Community Links

Our RE is not confined to the classroom. We maintain a vital, living link with our school parish, St Paul’s Church, which serves as a spiritual "second home" for our school. Pupils visit the church throughout the year to celebrate Christian festivals such as Christmas and Easter and our school Reverend, Patrick Eggleston, visits us regularly, supporting our RE delivery and leading Collective Worship.

Impact and Outcomes

By the end of Year 6, our pupils will be religiously literate citizens who can hold balanced and well-informed conversations about religion and belief. They leave us equipped with the "disciplinary lenses"—theological, philosophical, and sociological—needed to navigate a diverse world with confidence and grace.

While we believe our inclusive RE curriculum is vital for helping children understand the diverse world they live in, we respect that parents and carers have the legal right to withdraw their child from all or part of Religious Education lessons. If you are considering this, we encourage you to speak with the Headteacher so we can share our syllabus with you and discuss how your child’s needs can be best met during these times.