Religious Education at High Ash

At High Ash, a Church of England Primary School, Religious Education (RE) is a cornerstone of our curriculum and central to the spiritual and moral development of every child. Guided by our Christian ethos and the words of Matthew 5:16 – “Let your light shine”, we aim to nurture confident, compassionate learners who use their knowledge and values to make a positive difference in the world.

We follow the Buckinghamshire Agreed Syllabus, delivered through the engaging, enquiry-led Jigsaw RE programme. This framework combines academic rigour with opportunities for deep reflection, empathy, and social action, preparing children to flourish in a diverse world.

Our Approach

• Christian Ethos & Living Out Our Faith: While exploring diverse worldviews, we give core focus to Christianity. Through key teachings and parables—such as the Parable of the Good Samaritan—children learn to embody advocacy, compassion, and social justice, being encouraged to "shine their light" by standing up for fairness and showing kindness across differences.

• Spirituality & Reflection: Spirituality is woven through our RE provision and school life, encouraging children to develop a sense of awe, wonder, and inner reflection. Dedicated classroom Spiritual Reflection areas provide quiet, open-ended spaces for children to contemplate big ideas, process emotions, and explore their own personal sense of identity and connection to the world around them.

• Connecting Learning: Windows, Mirrors, and Doors: As part of our wider programme, we use the Windows, Mirrors, and Doors reflection model to link classroom learning directly with our whole-school weekly collective worships 'Time to be' and 'Time to share':

  • Windows (Looking Out): Giving children opportunities to look out at the wider world to learn about diverse faiths, living traditions, and global perspectives.

  • Mirrors (Looking In): Inviting children to look inside themselves, reflecting upon their personal values, beliefs, experiences, and growth.

  • Doors (Stepping Out): Encouraging children to step through the door, taking what they have learned into action through daily kindness, courageous advocacy, and active service.

• Enquiry-Led & Scholarly Lenses: Each unit is structured around a key enquiry question. Children learn to think like scholars by investigating religious and non-religious worldviews through three distinct disciplinary lenses:

  • Theology: Interrogating sacred texts, stories, and symbols to ask what texts mean to believers.

  • Philosophy: Grappling with big questions surrounding truth, purpose, morality, and human nature.

  • Social Sciences: Observing how lived worldviews shape daily identity, rituals, values, and community life.

• Substantive Knowledge & Star Words: Children build structured knowledge of major world religions (Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism) and non-religious worldviews (such as Humanism). Core concepts (dharma, incarnation, ritual, prayer, sacred, sacrifice) are explicitly taught as "Star Words" and applied in context.

• Personal Knowledge & Oracy: We empower children to recognise their own "viewpoint"—shaped by their personal values, identity, and background. This self-awareness equips them to engage in open, respectful dialogue and challenge assumptions without making snap judgements.

• Inclusive & Experiential Provision: Lessons are scaffolded so every child can access deep learning. Through hands-on artefact exploration and flexible recording (such as Class Floor Books in Key Stage 1), RE supports every child's spiritual, moral, social, and cultural (SMSC) development.

If you would like to withdraw your child from some or all of the RE curriculum, please email the school office stating the relevant parts of the curriculum: office@highashschool.co.uk