Good RE should:
- provoke challenging questions about the ultimate meaning and purpose of life, beliefs about God, the self and the nature of reality, issues of right and wrong and what it means to be human;
- develop pupils’ knowledge and understanding of Christianity, other principal religions and religious traditions, world views and non-religious belief systems that offer answers to questions such as these;
- offer opportunities for personal reflection and spiritual development and enhance pupils’ awareness and understanding of religions and beliefs, teachings, practices and forms of expression, as well as of the influence of religion on individuals, families, communities and cultures;
- encourage pupils to learn from different religions, beliefs, values and traditions while exploring their own beliefs and questions of meaning by challenging them to reflect on, consider, analyse, interpret and evaluate issues of truth, belief, faith and ethics and to communicate their responses;
- encourage pupils to develop their sense of identity and belonging, enabling them to flourish individually within their communities and as citizens in a plural society and global community;
- prepare pupils for adult life, employment and life-long learning and enable them to develop respect for and sensitivity to others, in particular those whose faiths and beliefs are different from their own;
- promote discernment and enable pupils to combat prejudice; and
- take its place in the whole curriculum, underpinned by values and purposes.

Along with the other subjects of the curriculum, RE aims to:
- provide opportunities for all pupils to learn and to achieve;
- promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development; and
- prepare all pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life.