"Education about world religions is an essential aspect of a broader curriculum that encourages empathy and understanding, enabling young people to make informed decisions about their own beliefs and values, as well as those of others."
Karen Armstrong, writer and religious scholar.
Exploring beliefs, ideas and life's big questions
Children are growing up in a world shaped by many different religious and non-religious worldviews. Religion and Worldviews gives them the knowledge and vocabulary to understand that diversity. We want pupils to approach difference with knowledge, curiosity and respect.
Why this subject matters
Religion and Worldviews helps children understand beliefs, practices and ideas that have shaped communities, cultures and individual lives. It supports thoughtful discussion of meaning, identity, belonging, ethics and how people interpret the world. Through this learning, children develop respect for different perspectives and a deeper understanding of the society in which they live.
What children learn
Children encounter a range of religious and non-religious worldviews through beliefs, texts, practices, festivals, communities and lived experience.
They learn about people of faith and belief, explore how worldviews influence daily life and develop the vocabulary needed to discuss these ideas thoughtfully and respectfully.
How knowledge develops
Knowledge is carefully sequenced so pupils build increasingly nuanced understanding and avoid seeing religions or worldviews as simple lists of facts.
Children revisit concepts such as belief, worship, belonging, morality, identity and interpretation in different contexts, helping them make connections across their learning.
What this looks like at Elburton
Pupils examine texts, artefacts, case studies and accounts of lived experience.
They discuss questions respectfully, compare perspectives and learn to distinguish between describing a worldview and evaluating an idea. Children are encouraged to ask meaningful questions, listen carefully and develop reasoned responses.
How we know children are learning
Teachers assess through discussion, retrieval, explanation and children's ability to use subject vocabulary accurately.
We look for growing knowledge, thoughtful comparison and the ability to explain diversity within, as well as between, different worldviews.
Supporting Learning at Home
You can support your child's learning by:
- Talking about beliefs, traditions and celebrations encountered in family life, the community and the wider world.
- Encouraging respectful questions rather than assuming all people within a religion or worldview think or act in the same way.
- Discussing big questions where there may be more than one thoughtful answer.
- Exploring places, books, news stories and experiences that help children understand different communities and cultures.
- Modelling curiosity, respect and open-mindedness when discussing differences.
Religion and Worldviews in Action
Religion and Worldviews helps children make sense of the rich diversity of human experience. Through learning about different beliefs, values and ways of life, pupils develop empathy, respect and the confidence to engage thoughtfully with the world around them. By the time they leave Elburton, we want children to be knowledgeable, reflective and respectful young people who are prepared to live and thrive in a diverse society.