b. Provision, Profile & Priority​​​​​​​

At Aston Rowant, Religious Education is given the same status, rigour and strategic importance as the core academic subjects of English, Maths and Science. This reflects both our identity as a Church of England school and our commitment to ensuring that every child develops a deep, meaningful and academically secure understanding of Christianity and world faiths.

RE is not a peripheral subject here - it is a high-priority, high-impact discipline that shapes pupils’ thinking, values and world views.

Exceptional Provision

Timetabling & Commitment

We invest significantly in RE teaching time:

• 1 hour of RE each week in KS1
• 1 hour of RE each week in KS2
• A whole-school annual RE Enrichment Week, enabling extended theological exploration, creative expression and spiritual reflection
• Above the nationally required minimum hours for both Key Stages

This dedicated time ensures that pupils receive depth rather than tokenistic coverage, allowing complex concepts to be taught thoroughly and progressively.

A High-Profile, High-Status Subject

RE’s profile at Aston Rowant is deliberately elevated. It is treated as a fourth core subject, with consistent expectations around:

Monitoring & Evaluation

RE is fully integrated into all whole-school quality assurance systems:

• Lesson observations and learning walks
• Book looks and evidence reviews
• Pupil voice discussions
• Curriculum deep dives
• Termly data scrutiny and impact evaluations

This demonstrates to Ofsted that RE is strategically led, robustly monitored and continuously improved.

GROWTH Books

Every pupil’s RE journey is captured through our GROWTH books, which provide:

• Evidence of progression
• Rich theological thinking
• Reflection, application and personal insight

These books show the breadth and depth of pupils' understanding, as well as their ability to question, reflect and respond - all hallmarks of exceptional RE provision.

Governance Oversight

Our RE Link Governor scrutinises the subject with the same rigour applied to English, Maths and Science. Governor monitoring includes:

• Book looks
• Learning walks
• Discussion with staff and pupils
• Review of assessment and progress data
• Evaluation of worship and Christian distinctiveness

This demonstrates strong accountability and ensures that RE remains a school-wide priority at leadership level.

External Recognition & Professional Credibility

Our RE provision has been recognised beyond the school. Toby Long, Deputy Director of the Oxford Diocesan Board of Education (ODBE), described RE at Aston Rowant as:

“Worthy of sharing with other schools. The innovative approach to developing pupils’ awareness of the living experience of people of faith… is well-established and seen within pupils’ work. Such initiatives fuel pupils’ ability to learn from others and they can recall and articulate their learning over time.”

This endorsement highlights two things that inspectors highly value:

1. Innovation in provision

2. High retention and deep understanding among pupils

It also demonstrates effective subject leadership and the school’s commitment to diocesan partnership and curriculum excellence.

Why RE Has Such Priority at Our School

We give RE such prominence because:

• It is essential to our identity as a Church of England school.
• It equips pupils with the knowledge, skills and values needed to navigate a diverse world.
• It develops empathy, dignity, wisdom, critical thinking and moral courage.
• It provides theological depth, philosophical reflection and ethical engagement.
• It supports pupils’ spiritual development, personal growth and emotional wellbeing.

RE at Aston Rowant is a subject where pupils think deeply, question boldly, reflect personally and learn respectfully.

In Summary: What Visitors Will See

If visiting Aston Rowant, you will see RE that is:

• Strategically planned and expertly led
• Robustly monitored and continually improved
• Prioritised at leadership and governance level
• Given generous teaching time
• Rich in theological depth and academic rigour
• Inclusive, diverse and respectful of all world views
• Loved by pupils, who speak confidently and articulate their learning clearly

RE is a strength of our school, a reflection of our Christian vision, and a powerful driver of the spiritual, moral, cultural and intellectual formation of every child.