Intent
At Gusford Primary School, the intent of our Religious Education curriculum is to teach all our children about their position within the world, from a local to the global perspective. As a school we use the Discovery Scheme as a basis for our planning but use every opportunity to meet the needs of our children. We aim for all children to develop an understanding and respect of the different faiths in the wider world, whilst also deepening the children’s knowledgeof, and appreciation for, the major world religions. All children will explore the beliefs and values of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, and Buddhism. Children will be reflective about their learning and be confident and inquisitive with their questioning.
Implementation
As with all subjects, RE begins in our EYFS provision. We ensure our children are exposed to experiences and teaching that allow them to learn about different faiths through key festivals and celebrations, both in their own local community and in the wider world.
In Key Stage 1 and 2 Religious Education is delivered on a weekly basis using the Discovery Programme. Teaching and Learning is enquiry lead and is built around the four steps of: engagement, investigation, evaluation and expression.
Our teaching focusses on critical thinking skills, personal reflection into the child’s own thoughts and feelings, growing subject knowledge and nurturing spiritual development.
To ensure our children grow up to be respectful and well-informed members of their community we plan and deliver a wide range of experiences and opportunities in order to fully immerse them in the Religious Education curriculum. Some of these opportunities include:
- Exploring sacred texts
- Using role-play and drama activities to express feelings, ideas, and concepts.
- Handling artefacts
- Meeting Visitors for local religious communities.
- Visiting significant religious places within the community
- Taking part in whole school events such as multi-faith days
- Participating in moments of reflection during assemblies
- Comparing religions through discussion
- Using ICT to research.
Early Years Foundation Stage
Children are introduced to Christianity as the ‘heritage religion’ and the one that most influences school and community life. They are taught about traditions, beliefs and world views outside of their own experiences through exploring other cultures, festivals and practices in the wider world.
KS1-
Learning about religion and belief
Pupils should be taught to:
- explore a range of religious stories and sacred writings, and talk about their meanings
- name and explore a range of celebrations, worship and rituals in religion, noting similarities and differences, where appropriate
- identify the importance, for some people, of belonging to a religion and recognise the difference this makes to their lives
- explore how religious beliefs and ideas can be expressed through the creative and expressive arts and communicate their responses
- identify and suggest meanings for religious symbols and begin to use a range of religious words and phrases.
Learning from religion and belief
Pupils should be taught to:
- reflect on and consider religious and spiritual feelings, experiences and concepts, such as worship, wonder, praise, thanks, concern, joy and sadness
- ask and respond imaginatively to puzzling questions, communicating their ideas
- identify what matters to them and others, including those with religious commitments, and communicate their responses
- reflect on how spiritual and moral values relate to their own behaviour particularly those concerned with right and wrong, justice and injustice
- recognise that religious teachings and ideas make a difference to individuals, families and the local community.
KS2-
Learning about religion and belief
Children should be taught to:
- Explore and comment on the key aspects of religions, believer’s lives, their stories and traditions and their influence.
- Explore how practices are related to beliefs and teachings.
- Interpret information about religion and religious beliefs through a range of sources.
- Recognise similarities and differences within and between religions.
- Consider how religious and spiritual ideas are expressed.
- Describe and begin to encounter religious and other responses to ultimate questions and ethical or moral issues.
- Use a developed religious vocabulary when discussing and expressing their knowledge and understanding.
Learning from religion and belief
Children should be taught to:
- Reflect on what it means to belong to a faith community and how this relates to them and others’ lives.
- Recognise how religious practice is conducted in a variety of ways.
- Discuss their own and other’s views of religious truth and belief.
- Reflect on morality and how people respond to decisions they are faced with.
- Reflect on sources of information and what they find value in in their own and other’s lives.
Impact
At Gusford Primary School the Religious Education curriculum impacts the children in the following ways:
- Extend their knowledge and understanding of religions and beliefs
- Develop a religious vocabulary and interpret religious symbolism in a variety of forms
- Reflect on questions of meaning, offering their own thoughtful and informed insights into religious and secular world-views
- Explore ultimate questions of beliefs and values in relation to a range of contemporary issues in an ever-changing society.
By the end of each key stage, pupils are expected to know, understand and apply skills related to the enquiry that they have been studying.