RE Curriculum Statement

Intent

R.E is key to children becoming knowledgeable and empathetic learners with a global outlook and a balanced view. Children will develop a strong and broad moral base which leads to spiritual and cultural awareness and understanding. Children will learn about diverse and global cultures and beliefs. 

Teachers promote wellbeing and respect, while guiding the children towards reflecting on their own spirituality as well as that of others. Community will play a key role in the children understanding the cultural landscape around them, while wider associations will be used to consolidate a global outlook. 

Children are able to inquire about and consider a diverse  range of global faiths and deepen their anthropological awareness. The curriculum is sequenced to ensure progression and high quality well informed teaching ensures no misconceptions are learnt. 

R.E lessons will show a progression of understanding that gains in depth. Children will be able to make connections between faiths, beliefs, religion and lifestyle choices and inquire as to the impact and influence of these. Children will have a broad and balanced understanding of global faiths and be able to discuss these and their own spirituality.

Implementation

R.E is embedded into Inquiry based lessons, providing children with opportunities to explore their own and others beliefs. Wider social issues are incorporated into Inquiry lessons.

Global cultural traditions are explored and discussed ensuring children have the ability to make connections and reflect. Using talk to promote discussion, evaluation and enquiry, whilst also giving children opportunities to ask their own questions.

Discussions  and lessons include ‘ways of knowing’ ( language, reason, sense perception, memory, faith, intuition, imagination and emotion) and the children can freely express their thoughts about them in a safe respectful environment. 

The vehicles which drive learning throughout the term are the Central Idea and associated Lines of Inquiry. Therefore, R.E is taught through these vehicles.

Each class has an Inquiry display showing the children's questions, findings, work and learning journey. Group work embeds knowledge and independent learning. Learning is adapted to fit the needs of individual learners in the class. 

Use of questioning deepens the childrens research. The children become lifelong learners with an empathic and engaged mind. Children have opportunities to work both independently and as part of a group to explore a variety of sources that are linked to Spirituality and Faith. 

Learning through inquiry: children pose questions and develop research skills to discover answers. At the start of Inquiries children can record what they know, what they want to know and at the end of the Inquiry reflect on their learning journey. 

Teachers make the best use of new technology to enthuse pupils and provide immediacy and relevance. Children will use artefacts, sacred texts, imaginative play, visits and whole school events to enhance their understanding and make R.E relevant and real for them. Teachers use Bromcom and PYP PoI to record children’s progression of skills in social studies. They use peer and self-assessment against agreed success criteria. AfL questions are used in lessons to enhance understanding.

Impact

An assessment grid (the Foundation Skills Assessment) is used to formally record an overview of progress. Children have the freedom to express their thoughts and ideas through group discussions. 

Children’s learning should be displayed as well as prompts and learning resources. Resources are used to enhance displays. Children of all abilities and backgrounds find inclusivity with R.E lessons with all children's thoughts being valued and listened to.

Visual prompts and thought-provoking questions are used and children are able to connect faiths and beliefs to other subjects and realise their impact on the community and wider world. Evidence of learning will be found in Inquiry books or digital tools. High quality teaching responds to the needs of children.

Children are happy and confident to express their thoughts and spirituality. They experience a wide range of learning - delivered through local, national and international context - challenges within the subject and know appropriate responses to them.

Resources

Use of ipads and school library to research. Teachers use the local area  and local people to embed a sense of community. Local religious leaders provide frequent assemblies and discussions. Local buildings relating to worship are visited. 

R.E lead will keep up to date with developments in the curriculum and relay to staff when needed.