In every lesson, pupils are taken on a carefully structured journey which helps them build knowledge, reflect personally, and grow in character:

At Nelson Primary School, we believe Religious Education is about far more than simply learning facts about religions. It is about helping children understand themselves, others and the world around them with curiosity, respect and kindness.

Our RE curriculum follows the Birmingham Agreed Syllabus, developed by SACRE (Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education), and is built around 24 dispositions — important values and qualities that help children think deeply about life, beliefs, relationships and the choices we make.

These dispositions include ideas such as being courageous and confident, appreciating beauty, responding to suffering, living by rules, expressing joy, being open, honest and truthful, and many more. Rather than teaching religion as a list of facts to memorise, we explore these ideas as themes that connect us all as human beings.

Pupils learn about a rich range of world religions and beliefs, including Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, Jainism and the Bahá’í Faith, alongside worldviews such as Humanism. Through stories, celebrations, places of worship, sacred texts and discussion, pupils discover both what makes people different and the many values we share.

At the heart of our RE curriculum is the ability to discern. This means encouraging children to think carefully, ask questions, weigh up ideas and reflect on what different beliefs might teach us about how to live well together. We want pupils to leave Nelson not simply knowing about religions and worldviews, but able to think deeply, respectfully and thoughtfully about life.

Our RE lessons are also closely linked to the Nelson 3 Cs – Compassionate, Capable and Community. Whether pupils are discussing fairness, forgiveness, courage or belonging, we help them reflect on how these values connect to everyday life at Nelson and the kind of people they want to become.

One of the loveliest things about RE lessons at Nelson is hearing pupils respectfully disagree, ask thoughtful questions and make links between faiths, beliefs and their own experiences. In a wonderfully diverse school community such as ours, these conversations matter enormously — helping our children grow into kind, curious and respectful citizens of the future.