RE

Intent

Our religion and worldviews curriculum aims to develop deep thinkers who are open-minded about religion and worldviews. We at Charles Warren Academy aim to ensure that our RE curriculum is relevant to pupils, reflecting and preparing them for life in modern Britain. Through the scheme, children will secure a deeper understanding of concepts in order to be able to make connections, ask and respond to challenging questions, learn to respect and appreciate worldviews that are different to their own and consider their personal preconceptions, responses and views. Children will build their conceptual knowledge through studying religions and worldviews locally, nationally and globally in our progressive curriculum, enabling them to make links and connections between worldviews, develop disciplinary skills and build on their understanding of their positionality in relation to their learning. By revisiting key ‘big questions’ and building on prior knowledge, pupils will learn about how religion and worldviews are lived experiences across the world, consider the impact of worldviews on society and have opportunities to consider their personal worldviews. Kapow Primary’s R&W scheme of work enables pupils to meet the government guidance, which states that RE must reflect that ‘the religious traditions in Great Britain are, in the main, Christian while taking account of the teaching and practices of the other principal religions represented in Great Britain’. Our scheme has been designed to fulfill the aims of A Curriculum framework for Religious Education in England.

Implementation

Religious Education is unique in the school curriculum in that it is neither a core nor a foundation subject, however the Guidance released in 2010 views it as an important curriculum subject. It is the intent of Charles Warren Academy that Religious Education promotes an enquiry-based approach through the implementation of Kapow, which covers the Milton Keynes Agreed Syllabus for RE from Key Stage One and Two and can be used to contribute to the learning experiences of the early learning goals within the Foundation Stage.

Experiences and enrichment opportunities at Charles Warren Academy

handling artefacts
exploring scared texts
using imaginative play or drama to express feelings and ideas
responding to images, games, stories, art, music and dance
meeting visitors from local religious communities
making visits to religious places of worship where possible, and where not, making use of videos and the internet
taking part in whole school events- (multi-faith days, Harvest Festival, school performances)
participating in moments of quiet reflection
using ICT to further explore religion and belief globally, including resources on the ODBE website
comparing religions and worldviews through discussion
debating and communicating religious belief, worldviews and philosophical ideas and answering and asking ultimate questions posed by these

Early Years Foundation Stage

Pupils are introduced to Christianity as the religion that most influences school and community life. They are taught about Islam, Sikhism, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism and other religions through celebrations, traditions, beliefs and world views outside of their own experiences (through exploring other cultures and practices in the wider community and world).

Learning about religion and belief

Pupils should be taught to:

talk about religious stories, including the stories behind Christmas and Easter
recognise some religious beliefs or teachings
identify simple features of religious life and practice
recognise some religious words
name and recognise some religious symbols
recognise some Christian religious artefacts, including those in cultural and religious use (e.g. Christmas cards, Easter eggs and hot cross buns)

Learning from religion and belief

Pupils should be taught to:

recognise their own experiences and feelings in religious stories and celebrations
recognise there are similarities and differences between theirs and other’s lives
identify what they find interesting about religious events
question what they find puzzling in religious stories
say what matters to them and to talk about how to care for others

Key Stage One

During this key stage, pupils are taught the knowledge, skills and understanding through religion and belief as well as wider learning themes. They are introduced to other principle religions and can reflect on prior learning as they progress through the units.

Learning about religion and belief

Pupils should be taught to:

explore a range of religious stories and religious texts and talk about their meaning
explore a range of celebrations, teachings and traditions in religions, noting similarities and differences
recognise how belonging to a religion is important to people and the impact it has on their lives
explore how religious beliefs and ideas are expressed
begin to establish a religious vocabulary and suggests meanings for religious symbols

Learning from religion and belief

Pupils should be taught to:

reflect on what matters to them and others who hold religious views
reflect on moral values of right and wrong
recognise there are similarities and differences between theirs and others lives
communicate their ideas and ask and respond to questions
recognise how religious ideas and beliefs impact people’s lives personally and socially

Key Stage Two

During this key stage, pupils are taught the knowledge, skills and understanding through deeper enquiry into known religions and in Year 6, encounter secular world views. Pupils in Year 5 and Year 6 consider the impact of beliefs and practices in greater detail and respond to more philosophical questions.

Learning about religion and belief

Pupils should be taught to:

- 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

Pupils 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 Charles Warren Academy, we envision RE curriculum impacting the pupils 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 Oxford Diocesan Board of Education. Assessment criteria has been developed in line with the expectations laid out in the Agreed Milton Keynes Syllabus, to enable teachers to assess the progress of the children as they move through the key stages. The impact our RE curriculum is also sought directly from the pupils as class surveys and questionnaires are used to gather pupils’ voice on this subject and together with summative assessment, action can be taken to further develop the RE curriculum.