🕊️ Religious Education at Cottesbrooke
At Cottesbrooke Infant & Nursery School, Religious Education (RE) is inclusive, respectful, and rooted in the diversity of our community. It is for children of all faiths and no faith, and is designed to help them understand themselves and others, ask big questions about the world, and learn to live well together.
We follow Route 2 of the Birmingham Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education, which reflects the fact that most of our pupils are familiar with Muslim traditions. However, our RE curriculum also introduces children to other major world religions and non-religious worldviews such as Humanism.
🧠 How RE is Taught
RE is structured around 24 universal dispositions, such as being fair and just, being thankful, and creating unity and harmony. These values are explored through the beliefs, stories, celebrations and practices of a range of religious and cultural traditions. Children learn through:
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Storytelling, discussion and reflection
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Festivals, music, food and art
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Handling artefacts and visiting places of worship
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Sharing personal experiences and asking meaningful questions
Wherever possible, we prioritise celebrations and traditions that are meaningful to our school community, helping children to understand their peers and be proud of their own identities.
🌍 Inclusive and Respectful
RE at Cottesbrooke encourages children to:
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Learn about and from different religions and worldviews
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Explore their own ideas and feelings about the world
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Reflect on similarities and differences in belief and practice
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Develop a sense of belonging, empathy and respect in a diverse society
We promote the Fundamental British Values and universal virtues through our RE work, helping children to develop spiritual and moral character alongside their knowledge.
Parents have the right to withdraw their child from RE, but we encourage all families to take part in this inclusive curriculum.
🔗 Click here to read our full RE Policy
✨ Collective Worship at Cottesbrooke
At Cottesbrooke Infant & Nursery School, collective worship is a daily opportunity for children to pause, reflect and feel a sense of togetherness.
We are proud to be a diverse and inclusive school, and our approach to worship reflects this. Our children, families and staff come from many different faiths and backgrounds, and we see this as a source of strength and richness.
Worship at Cottesbrooke is invitational, respectful and values-led. Children are never expected to say or do anything that goes against their beliefs — they are always invited to join in or simply listen quietly.
🕊️ What does worship look like?
Worship happens every day, either in assemblies or in the classroom. It might include:
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A story or message that explores kindness, resilience, hope or respect
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Music, stillness or guided reflection
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A celebration of a festival such as Eid, Diwali or Christmas
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A prayer or blessing — always optional
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Visitors from local faith communities (in line with safeguarding and our inclusive ethos)
Worship is distinct from assembly. Assemblies may include awards, curriculum themes or general messages, but only become collective worship when they involve reflection or spiritual focus.
🙏 Our School Blessing
We often use this simple blessing during assembly time:
O Lord, bless our school,
so that working together and playing together,
we may learn to serve you and serve one another.
Children can choose to join in or listen respectfully.
🌍 Belonging in a Multi-Faith Community
We aim to build understanding across different beliefs by sharing stories, festivals and values from many world religions and cultures, including:
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Christian celebrations such as Harvest, Christmas and Easter
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Muslim festivals like Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha
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Hindu and Sikh festivals such as Diwali
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Lunar New Year and other cultural observances
Our focus is always on shared human values — compassion, justice, honesty, humility and courage — rather than promoting any one belief.
🔄 Right to Withdraw
Parents have the right to withdraw their child from collective worship. If you are considering this, we encourage you to speak to the Head Teacher so we can discuss your concerns and agree the most appropriate arrangements.
