Religious Education


At Earlsmead Primary our school community is made up of staff and pupils who originate from many different nationalities, cultures and faith groups. As a school we are dedicated to celebrating this diversity and offer a welcoming and inclusive environment for all our pupils, helping them to develop an appreciation and understanding of themselves and the wider world.


Intent


At Earlsmead Primary we believe that Religious Education provides an opportunity to celebrate and foster awareness of these differences within our school and the wider world. It is a subject that celebrates diversity and challenges stereotypes enabling pupils to become citizens of their community and the wider world.


Through the delivery of the Religious Education curriculum we aim to;

  • encourage pupils to learn about and learn from religions. Giving them the opportunity to ask questions that allow them to enquire and explore to further their understanding of themselves and others.

  • provide pupils with an understanding of the six main religions, including the teaching of non-religious views.

  • to develop an awareness of the ways in which religious beliefs and practises influence attitudes, beliefs and behaviours.

  • to prepare pupils for life in modern Britain with tolerance and a greater respect for faiths and beliefs different to their own.

  • to develop and use a range of religious vocabulary to help deepen their understanding of religious content.



Implementation


At Earlsmead Primary we provide a curriculum which takes into account both religious and non-religious world views. It is a curriculum in which pupils progress and build on their prior knowledge and learning. We do this by planning and teaching a sequence of lessons which support pupils to deepen their understanding and further develop their knowledge and understanding of religions and beliefs.


Our lessons provide opportunities for pupils to enquire and explore faiths through the uses of;


  • a sequence of lessons that support all pupils in their development of religious views, cultures and traditions.

  • members of the faith groups visiting classrooms to support pupils in their understanding of traditions and beliefs.

  • the uses of religious artefacts during lessons to allow pupils to further explore religious traditions.

  • visits to places of worship which allows pupils to gain first hand experiences.



At Earlsmead Primary we value the backgrounds of staff, pupils, families and the wider community. Outside of the classroom we celebrate our diversity and differences through whole school celebrations such as;


  • members of the local religious community leading whole school assemblies.

  • whole school lunches to mark particular religious festivals and celebrations.

  • whole school assemblies with a religious focus.


At Earlsmead Primary we ensure we comply with the locally agreed syllabus through the teaching of Awareness, Mystery and Value within EYFS and KS1. This syllabus encourages pupils to develop an awareness and understanding of faiths and beliefs, naming places of worship, holy books and important religious figures.


Within KS2 we are using the Haringey Educational Partnership (HEP) syllabus. This syllabus allows pupils to build on their knowledge from their learning in the previous key stages. It provides cross curricular links with History and Geography, with a clearly planned sequence of lessons which support pupils in understanding the origins of religions and the historical links between them.


Both syllabuses combined allow pupils to develop a strong and secure understanding of the religious world around them, helping them to value their own beliefs and those of others.



Impact


The pupils at Earlsmead Primary through the teaching of Religious Education leave our school with a broad and balanced understanding of religious and non-religious world views. They are able to reflect on the similarities found within different religions, as well as a respectful awareness of the differences.


Through the teaching of Religious Education pupils are able to learn from and about other religions which helps them to develop an understanding of different cultures, traditions and religious views and see theses within their own lives as well as those within the local community.