Embedded Files
Intent, Implementation and Impact
Intent:
At Martham Academy and Nursery, we believe that it is important for all our pupils to learn from and about religion, so that they can understand the world around them. The aim of Religious Education in our school is to help children to acquire and develop knowledge and understanding of Christianity and the other principal religions represented in Great Britain; to appreciate the way that religious beliefs shape life and behaviour, develop the ability to make reasoned and informed judgements about religious and moral issues and enhance their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.
Religious Education is taught throughout the school in such a way as to reflect our overall aims, values, and vision , through an enquiry based approach. It plays an important role, along with all other curriculum areas, particularly RSHE, in promoting social awareness and understanding in our children. We encourage our pupils to ask questions about the world and to reflect on their own beliefs, values and experiences. We include and promote British values, ensuring that children are aware of their rights and responsibilities as UK citizens.
Our belief at Martham is that by using an enquiry-based model well, children’s critical thinking skills can be developed, their motivation to learn increases, and their knowledge and understanding of, and empathy with people and their beliefs, religious or otherwise, will be enhanced. This approach takes very seriously the philosophy that children are free to make their own choices and decisions concerning religion and belief. RE does not try to persuade but rather to inform and develop the skills with which evaluation can take place.
Our curriculum is designed to encourage creativity, imagination, enquiry, debate, discussion and independence.
Implementation:
At Martham, we use the Norfolk Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education ( 2019) alongside the Discovery RE Scheme of Work as the basis for our curriculum. It has been agreed that having taken into account the requirements and guidelines presented in the Agreed Syllabus, the following religions have been selected for study:
Christianity
Islam
Judaism
Hinduism
Buddhism
Sikhism
As the Norfolk Syllabus states , we teach RE through the multi lens approach of Theology , Philosophy and Human Social Science . Each enquiry question has a focus and develops the pupils skills of becoming a Theologist, Philosopher or Human Social Scientist as they learn and ask questions . Our RE planning is based on the Progression and skills mapping document of all three lens from Nursery to Y6.
Discovery RE advocates an enquiry model with a 4-step approach as the basis for implementation. Every enquiry is based around a key question. The key question for the enquiry is such that it demands an answer that weighs up ‘evidence’ (subject knowledge) and reaches a conclusion based on this. This supports children using their subject knowledge and applying it to the enquiry question, rather than this knowledge being an end in itself. Discovery RE focuses on critical thinking skills, on personal reflection into the child’s own thoughts and feelings, on growing subject knowledge and nurturing spiritual development.
The Discovery RE model for Key Stages 1 and 2, of studying Christianity plus one other religion in each year group, means both religions have multiple enquiries (or 6 week units) per year. This ensures that the children revisit prior learning for both religions throughout the year to build on the previous enquiries, and Christmas and Easter enquiries are built on year-on-year throughout the child’s primary school journey. In EYFS, Religious Education is taught alongside their Knowledge and Understanding of the World strand. Reception children build on their experiences and knowledge from their Nursery years.
Impact:
Assessment is key to ensure our pupils our building on their prior knowledge and skills across all religions . In the medium term plans for each year group, prior learning and enquiries are noted to remind the children of previous learning in previous years . Knowledge Organisers are beginning to be used to support and clarify the learning journey within each enquiry and also link learning between different religions.
At the end of an enquiry, children evidence their learning in either a single or double page spread. They use the learnt key vocabulary, possible stem sentences , note key learnt knowledge and also offer their opinion in answering the key question. The Knowledge organisers will be a useful prompt for pupils and will support and consolidate their learning and also help them to present it in their own creative way . In collaboration with the double page spread , there is usually a meaningful outcome planned which will also support , consolidate and assess learning outcomes.
There is a whole school evidence display of RE enquiries across the school which is changed periodically . This show cases quality RE across the school and gives an opportunity to revisit and recall prior learning.
Curriculum Overview
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