Curriculum Intent

It is our intent that Religious Education at Blue Coat will engage, inspire, challenge and encourage pupils, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to explore and respond to life’s most challenging questions. We aim to involve pupils in systematic enquiry into the significant human questions that religions and worldviews address. Pupils will subsequently develop the understanding and skills needed to appraise a range of responses to these questions, as well as forming thoughtful and reasoned responses of their own.

Religious Education contributes significantly to the Christian character of the school and enables pupils to ask deep and searching questions about their own beliefs and values, the faiths and worldviews of others, and opinions regarding contemporary moral issues. Pupils will be able to deepen their understanding of God while also developing skills that allow them to articulate with confidence their views and experiences.

At Blue Coat, Religious Education is taught in accordance with the Coventry and Warwickshire Locally Agreed Syllabus. This syllabus sets out a clear framework for high-quality RE and reflects national developments in the subject. It ensures that pupils learn about Christianity, other world religions, and non-religious worldviews in a balanced and coherent way.

A key feature of the syllabus is its emphasis on the worldviews approach, which recognises that everyone has a worldview — a way of understanding and making sense of life. This approach encourages pupils to explore how different religious and non-religious traditions address ultimate questions, while also reflecting on their own perspectives. It equips pupils with the skills to interpret, analyse and critically evaluate diverse worldviews, preparing them for life in a diverse society.

The curriculum will help to foster responsibility and respect for all aspects of diversity, whether social, cultural or religious, and prepare pupils well for life in modern Britain. Excellence within Religious Education means each pupil leaving Blue Coat with a sound grasp of world religions and non-religious worldviews, alongside significant skills in empathy and respect for difference and diversity. Pupils should be enabled to use the knowledge, skills and understanding gained in RE beyond school and apply them confidently, fostering an attitude of kindness and tolerance towards others in all contexts.

Curriculum Documents

Teaching and Learning

In RE, we deliver an ambitious, inclusive curriculum that ensures all students access the full breadth of content. Our teaching vision focuses on high expectations and embedding the 3Rs: Ready, Respectful, Responsible. Lessons follow the school’s Blue Coat approach; explaining and modeling, do and practice, and using the 4forAll Toolkit: key words/reading, time management, chunking/checking, questioning, and providing appropriate verbal, written and visual feedback. Reading is a key strategy, with staff using “Jump In,” the “3-Second Rule,” and “Echo Reading” techniques to support learning.

Enrichment & Experiences

External Study Experiences and Visits Intent

• Holocaust memorial centre – Year 7 and 8
• Mandir and Gurdwara – Year 8
• Islamic exhibition centre – Year 10
• Holi celebration – all year groups
• Vaisakhi celebration – all year groups
• Eid celebration – all year groups

Speakers

• Langar Aid
• Humanists UK
• Hope not hate
• Anne Frank Trust