Religious Education
Religious education is very important in Church of England schools.
In voluntary aided schools, the governing body controls the religious education and this must be according to the rites, practices and principles of the Church in England. We provide guidelines to support this and support is available from our RE Adviser and School Consultants.
In voluntary controlled schools, the religious education must follow the locally agreed syllabus unless parents request that it is according to the rites, practices and principles of the Church in England or Church in Wales.
To see current in-service training being provided, click here.
Download the Primary RE Guidelines
Download the RE Medium Term Planning Matrix
Download the RE School Policy Proforma
Copies of the Framework for Religious Education in Church of England Secondary Schools can be obtained by contacting Sandra Reynolds.
For suggestions about what to include in the RE Curriculum about the Church of England, click here.
Brief information about the Diocese of Chester and some of its historic parishes can be found here.
Information about the church's calendar can be found here.
RE Quality Mark
If you would like information on the RE Quality Mark here.
Other RE Documents
To download an order form for our publications, click here.
Teaching the Old Testament at KS1 and KS2
This publication by Jane Brooke and Sue Glover follows the same methodology as ‘Where to start with a Bible Story’. After a brief introduction to the Old Testament, there follows an explanation of the process ‘unpacking beliefs’. There are then suggestions for lesson plans for KS1 and KS2 using popular Old Testament stories.
The book costs £5 for those who are members of the Family of Schools and £8.99 for everyone else.
Where to start with a Bible story
Written by Jane Brooke, this new book is a teaching aid designed for primary schools. The book uses Trevor Cooling’s approach to ‘unpacking’ beliefs for teaching Bible passages. Illustrated by the Revd Canon Taffy Davies it provides lesson plans for teaching the parables at both key stages. Each lesson plan gives the Biblical reference and background followed by a four step process and assessment task.
The book costs £5 for those who are members of the Family of Schools and £7.99 for everyone else.
Season to Season
This book produced by Jane Brooke, Sue Glover and Nicola Preston will assist teachers in primary schools in teaching about the church's year. Each season/festival is considered from four aspects: the events (or what happened), the customs associated with the season/festival, the beliefs and the experiences. There are 'thinking points' for each season/festival and suggestions for classroom activities for Reception/KS1 and KS2. The festivals covered are: Harvest, Advent, All Saints' Day, Christmas, Lent, Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter, Ascension, Pentecost and Trinity.
The book costs £9.95 but is available to schools which are subscribers to Chester Diocesan Family of Schools for £5.00.