RE curriculum

What are we trying to achieve in RE?

The syllabus we follow for RE at Purlwell is authorised for use in maintained schools by the Standing Advisory Councils for RE (SACREs) in the participating local authorities for five years from 1st September 2019.The syllabus uses and reflects the Curriculum Framework for RE in England published by the RE Council in 2013 and the Commission on RE report 2018. However, it adapts non-statutory guidance to respond to local needs and experience.

In RE we aim to offer a broad and balanced curriculum which includes a study of the key beliefs and practices of religions and other world views, including those represented in West Yorkshire.

We aim to help children to understand and articulate their own views about religion and world views and help them comprehend that not everyone feels the same as them, but teaches them to see other people`s points of view. It gives them an understanding of why people think and behave differently and how that impacts society.

This syllabus is called Believing and Belonging because it includes two key elements. First, it is about beliefs and values. It aims to develop pupils’ understanding of world faiths and other beliefs, exploring their commonality and diversity. Secondly, it is about ‘belonging’. It aims to nurture pupils’ awareness of the treasury of diversity as well as sensitivity to the questions and challenges that different views and cultures can present .taught, RE is a rigorous academic subject, supporting problem solving and critical thinking skills. As part of investigating the beliefs and practices of religions and other world views children are taught to recall and name different beliefs and practices, including prayer, worship, festivals, rituals and ways of life, in order to find out about the meanings behind them

Children are encouraged to think about their experiences and how they respond to others and the world around them and understand diversity, empathy and cohesion alongside developing their own views and beliefs.

Engaging and stimulating RE helps to nurture informed and resilient responses to misunderstanding, stereotyping and division Ultimately, it has the potential to contribute towards community cohesion and the shaping of society for a better future.

We hope to inspire our children to learn from others and discover the value of empathy. This syllabus provides a framework to explore the rich heritage of faiths and beliefs but also the opportunity to develop critical and reflective skills that will support each student in discovering their own journey of purpose and meaning.

Our aim is to prepare our pupils for life in the 21st century, engaging them in a contemporary and relevant context by developing their knowledge and understanding of Christianity and Islam, other religious traditions and world views and exploring their responses to life's challenges. This gives pupils the knowledge and skills to flourish both within their own community and as members of a diverse and global society RE plays an important role in preparing our pupils for their future, for employment and lifelong learning.

How is the subject taught?

The curriculum ensures that there is both depth of study (some areas investigated in detail) and breadth (an overall general understanding of the faiths and related philosophical and ethical questions).

Teaching and learning is focused around Christianity and Islam, alongside understanding of non-religious approaches to life. Aspects of other faiths are included as appropriate, such as teaching about specific festivals or rituals.

In the Foundation stage children encounter religions and other world views through special people, books, times, places and objects and by observing special assemblies such as Ramadan assembly. At Christmas children in reception perform the nativity .They listen to and talk about stories from a range of different religions and world views. Children are introduced to subject specific words and use all their senses to encounter beliefs and practices. They are encouraged to ask questions and talk about their own feelings and experiences. Pupils use their imagination and curiosity to develop appreciation of, and wonder at, the natural world. They learn to appreciate and value human beings, recognising and encountering diversity.

In KS1Pupils develop their knowledge and understanding of religions and world views, recognising local, national and global contexts. They learn to use basic subject specific vocabulary. They begin to raise questions about beliefs and find out about questions of right and wrong and begin to respond with their own views.

At KS1 children should begin to:

Retell and suggest meanings for some religious and moral stories, exploring and discussing sacred writings and sources of wisdom and recognising the traditions from which they come.
Recognise some ways that people express beliefs and belonging through prayer, worship, symbols and actions, appreciating some similarities between communities.
The content and meaning of stories that explore faith, belief and meaning through Christianity, Islam and other world views
What it means to belong to a community such as a church or a mosque
How some religious leaders and other figures can be inspiring to others
Cross curricular work on celebrations in different cultures and shared human values.

In Y1 pupils should be able to: Recall, talk about and notice, respond to questions and talk about ideas.

In Y2 pupils should be able to: Recall and name, retell and suggest meanings for and recognise similarities and differences.

Every opportunity is taken to develop SMSC and Fundamental British Values.

This is done by:

Celebrating a variety of local, national and international festivals e.g. Festivals of light Diwali, the great get together
Understanding how different people celebrate both religious and non-religious festivals harvest Vaisakhi
Charity work including refugee week, children in need, sports relief, visiting local elders in sheltered home giving to food bank
Remembrance Day
National and international awareness days/ weeks world religion day Jan 20th autism awareness day etc

Impact

Work scrutiny and discussions with pupils shows a progression of skills and an accurate recall of knowledge and application of skills. Children are able to apply and link their RE understanding to other areas of the curriculum and everyday life.

SMSC / PSHE / British Values

One of the key roles of RE in schools is to support community cohesion and the development of SMSC and Fundamental British Values.

It enhances their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development by:

Developing awareness of the fundamental questions raised by human experiences, and of how religious teachings can relate to them;
Responding to such questions with reference to the teachings and practices of religions and other belief systems, relating them to their own understanding and experiences. Our pupils will develop skills in other areas, such as:

Cultural awareness;

Exploring and respecting diversity in local, national and global communities.
Recognising the things people and communities share in common

Moral understanding

Develop an understanding of right and wrong and the consequences of their behaviour and actions and respecting other people’s traditions..

Social skills;

Engaging with British values (mutual respect and rule of law) and positively contributing to life in modern Britain
Understanding rights and responsibilities as community members. Exploring questions about the lives of the school community and the area in which they live.

Spiritual awareness;

Reflecting on experiences.
Thinking about the beliefs of Christians and Muslims, and looking for links to their own lives;