Religious Education at Langdale CE Primary School is a central part of our commitment to nurturing the whole child—spiritually, morally, socially, culturally, and intellectually. Our intent is rooted in our school’s Christian vision and values, which underpin everything we do. We enable pupils to flourish through RE by fostering respect, curiosity, empathy, and an understanding of diverse beliefs. We strive for every child to develop religious literacy, enabling them to engage meaningfully with the world around them, recognising both the richness and complexity of faiths and worldviews in local, national, and global contexts.

To achieve this, we implement the Cumbria Agreed Syllabus and structure our curriculum across three key disciplinary lenses: Theology, Philosophy, and Human/Social Sciences. This approach allows children to explore religion in a way that is deep, balanced, and reflective. Our bespoke three-year rolling programme, enhanced by the Understanding Christianity resource, provides progression in knowledge and skills across EYFS to Year 6. In EYFS and KS1, children begin to explore Christianity in depth alongside one other religion or worldview, often through storytelling, play, and discussion. They start to make connections between traditions and explore key concepts such as belief, celebration, and identity. In KS2, pupils build on this foundation by investigating multiple faiths—including Islam, Buddhism, and Humanism—with increasing critical awareness. Learning is made relevant to our rural Lake District context through our Learning Beyond the Classroom ethos via local visits, real-life encounters, and opportunities to hear religious voices first-hand. Religious Education lessons are further enriched through whole-school celebrations of key religious festivals and dedicated days.

The impact of our RE curriculum is clear in the thoughtful, respectful, and open-minded attitudes our pupils demonstrate. Through visits to local places of worship, such as Carlisle Cathedral and Manjushri Kadampa Meditation Centre, and engaging with visitors representing a range of faiths and worldviews, our children develop a nuanced understanding of how belief influences people’s lives. Pupils regularly reflect on their own views and values, and they enjoy opportunities to ask big questions and consider multiple perspectives. The strong relationship we maintain with our local church community ensures that Christianity remains a lived and celebrated part of our school life, whether through regular worship or special moments. By the time children leave Langdale, they have developed the ability to think deeply, speak respectfully, and act with compassion—key qualities that each child will carry with them both within and beyond their education.

Children in EYFS and KS1 will:

• Develop an in-depth understanding of Christianity via the Understanding Christianity units and Key Questions.
• Develop an understanding of the beliefs and practices of at least one other religion or worldview (Islam/ Buddhism).
• Develop an understanding of the beliefs and practices of at least one other ‘non-Abrahamic’ traditions (Buddhism/ multi-faith units).
• Develop an understanding of the connections between Abrahamic religions (via multi-faith units)
• Connect learning to their local context, utilising visits and religious voices where possible.

Children in KS2 will:

• Develop an in-depth understanding of Christianity via the Understanding Christianity units and Key Questions.
• Develop an understanding of the beliefs and practices of 2 other principal world religions or worldviews (Islam/ Buddhism).
• Encounter at least one other religion or worldview (via multi-faith and Humanist units).
• Develop an understanding of the beliefs and practices of Dharmic traditions.
• Develop an understanding of the connections between Abrahamic religions.
•  Connect learning to their local context, utilising visits and religious voices where possible.

RE Highlights

Our wonderful visit from Bishop Rob

We were blessed with a visit from Bishop Rob at the start of this year. He held a wonderful collective worship for Reception to Year 6 children and brought along some of his favourite items! The children had great fun trying out his crook and miter before showcasing their Autumn Days song and putting a wealth of thought-provoking questions to him. The wonderful sunshine provided the perfect opportunity to showcase our woodlands, meadow and grounds as we considered how fortunate we are to live and learn in such a naturally beautiful environment.

We made the most of the sunshine by developing our learning about Holy Week through the creation of class Easter gardens. Normally we would mark Easter with a service at Holy Trinity church.

Hanukkah Morning

In December, the children all enjoyed a morning learning about the Jewish festival of light - Hanukkah. Oak Class had made a Menorah and we lit it during our morning Worship. The children learned why Hanukkah is celebrated by listening to the story of the Miracle of the Oil in the Temple. They heard how Hanukkah is celebrated today by watching a short film about some British Jewish children. They learned about Judaism and the Star of David symbol associated with it before making their own Star of David sun catcher. The most popular part of the day was definitely the dreidel game. The children learned the meaning of the Hebrew symbols and how it helps Jewish children remember the story of Hanukkah.

Buddhism and Temple Trip

This half term we have been learning about Buddhism. We have been reading about their beliefs and have enjoyed watching videos of Buddhists talking about their faith. We have enjoyed hearing the story of Buddha and his teachings. We have compared the Buddhist precepts to the Christian Ten Commandments. Meditation is a really important part of the Buddhist faith and we have tried to practise it in school. After learning about Lung-ta (Tibetan Prayer flags) and Buddhist symbols and mantras, we made our own prayer flags and will hang them from the hill in our wood.

The culmination of our learning was a trip to the Buddhist temple near Ulverston. Before we went we learned how to behave in a Buddhist Temple and wrote a set of rules to follow so we could show respect when we got there. The whole school went on the trip. It was great to be able to share our learning with each other. The first thing we saw was a huge statue of Buddha Maitreya. We learned about the meaning of his gestures and symbols. We looked out for symbols we recognised such as the Wheel of Life. Next, we walked around to the temple. It was amazing to see it covered in golden decorations. Inside we took off our shoes and sat on cushions for a short meditation. Everyone sat still and quiet and enjoyed the peace. Our guide told us all about the statues, shrines and offerings. It was a wonderful opportunity to extend our learning from the classroom.