R.E. lessons at Cotmanhay Junior School involve learning about our multi-ethic and multi-faith society. Children are encouraged to ask questions to deepen their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  R.E. involves exploring different world religions and the reasons why people believe.

Pupils investigate a number of religions including: Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Islam.  Children are also exposed to non-religious world views, which includes Humanism. Our children investigate religious and non-religious views using the R.E. Syllabus for Derbyshire and Derby City.  They focus on the following areas:

• Believing – Religious beliefs, teaching, sources; questions about meaning, purpose and truth
• Expressing – Religious and spiritual forms of expression; questions about identify and diversity
• Living – Religious practises and ways of living; questions about values and commitments

Pupils are encouraged to demonstrate their understanding in a variety of ways including role-play, art and drama.  Furthermore, children are challenged through a variety of activities to explain their thoughts, views and ideas about what they have been learning, in order to build on and apply their knowledge.  Children also complete a piece of cross-curricular writing each half term, using the Talk 4 Writing techniques that they learned during their English lessons. To improve the children’s cultural capital, we foster links with a local religious group who visit school and perform stories in assemblies.