Northside Primary School is a small, diverse school where the highly-skilled, established, cohesive staff are committed to creating the positive family-feel of a village school in North Finchley.  In such a diverse community, learning about different religions, beliefs and spiritual values is of paramount importance.

Even though the Northside pupils are very individual, coming from many different cultures and backgrounds, speaking over 40 different languages, the culture of joint ownership from all stakeholders creates a happy community. Differences are celebrated and used to build a strong school culture, behaviour is excellent, and Northside pupils are happy to learn and inspired to flourish.  

The Northside RE Curriculum reflects the multicultural aspects of the school and considers all world-views and faiths to be of equal importance. The pupils will understand and appreciate religious diversity and learn about the many ways in which different religious groups express their beliefs and values. The pupils study of RE will also develop their knowledge of local, national and global events and issues. The curriculum allows pupils to consider some of life’s most important questions in a safe environment and builds on key academic skills in a progressive way. Through the curriculum, the pupils develop in confidence and consider their own views and beliefs, which will prepare them for their future lives.

We implement our RE curriculum through a series of big questions. These questions remain the same for each year group and pupils' knowledge is built upon year-on-year. Topics will include beliefs, symbols, celebrations, sacred texts, places of worship, journeys, stories, religious leaders and families. Pupils are organised in mixed-ability groups and are given the independence to select their own level of challenge.  The Northside Values(Respect, Pride, Inclusion, Challenge, Creativity, Resilience) are all integral to the RE curriculum. A wide range of valuable artefacts are used to teach RE, including books, music, art, photos, local visits and IT. Key religious festivals are celebrated in assemblies and a whole-school visit to a local church is organised to celebrate Christmas. Links with all stakeholders (parents, the local community, other schools etc.) are used to deepen knowledge and improve skills.  

Northside pupils will have understood the importance of religion/worldviews for many individuals and will have appreciated that religions are diverse in their belief systems, rituals and values.  The pupils will be thoughtful and tolerant of others’ beliefs and will have considered their own beliefs and values in an increasingly complex world. They will be confident, independent learners ready for the next stage of their life, having considered some of life’s most challenging questions.