RE Curriculum Statement

Intent

Religious Education is an important element in the broad and balanced curriculum we aim to provide at Paddock Wood Primary Academy. Through our RE curriculum we provide opportunities to develop children’s knowledge and understanding of world religions and reflect on the challenging questions that it provokes. The aims of religious education are:

● To develop pupils’ knowledge and understanding of Christianity and other religions and consider how the beliefs of others impact on their lives and the lives of others

● To encourage children to ask and reflect on challenging questions.

● To provide opportunities for personal reflection where children can explore their own beliefs (not necessarily religious).

● To encourage children to appreciate and respect the different cultures in today’s society.

Importance of RE

Religious education provokes challenging questions about the ultimate meaning and purpose of life, beliefs about God, the self and the nature of reality, issues of right and wrong, and what it means to be human. RE also contributes to pupils’ personal development and well-being and to community cohesion by promoting mutual respect and tolerance in a diverse society. RE can also make important contributions to other parts of the school curriculum such as citizenship, personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE education), the humanities, education for sustainable development and others. It offers opportunities for personal reflection and spiritual development, deepening the understanding of the significance of religion in the lives of others – individually, communally and cross-culturally.

Legal requirements

Religious Education is a compulsory subject and Local Authorities must adopt their own Agreed Syllabus. The Education Act 1996 states that an Agreed Syllabus must reflect the fact that the religious traditions in Great Britain are in the main Christian, whilst taking account of the teachings and practices of the other principal religions represented in Great Britain. It must be non-denominational and must not be designed to convert pupils to a particular religion. Our school RE curriculum is based on the Kent Local Authority’s (LA) Agreed Syllabus and it meets all the requirements set out in that document.

RE in Early Years

In Early Years the children learn about different celebrations across a range of different religions. In Christianity they will learn about the characters in the Christmas story and the meaning of the gifts that were brought. The curriculum also focuses on the values of love, kindness, respect and resilience and the similarities and differences between families. They will also begin to understand different cultures and traditions.

Implementation

Right of Withdrawal

According to the Education Act 1996 and the School Standards and Framework Act 1988 parents have the right to withdraw their children from all or part of Religious Education lessons. Parents are not obliged to state their reasons for seeking withdrawal.

Management of RE

The Principal will ensure:

● that RE is taught as part of the school’s basic curriculum, following the LA’s locally agreed syllabus.

● all pupils make progress in achieving the learning objectives of the RE curriculum

● the subject is well led and effectively managed and that standards and achievement in RE and the quality of the provision are subject to regular and effective self-evaluation

● teachers are aware of RE’s contribution in developing pupils’ understanding of religion and belief and its impact as part of the duty to promote community cohesion

● clear information is provided for parents on the RE curriculum and the right to withdraw

Our RE Curriculum

Each year group will learn about Christianity (God, Jesus and the Church) which will make up 50% of the RE curriculum and each of the other main world religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Sikhism and Judaism in the other 50%. These lessons may be taught discretely, or within an Inquiry. When studying these religions the children will discuss:

● How religious beliefs relate to our own lives

● Beliefs and values of that religion

● Traditions/festivals within that religion

● Reflections on what we can learn/apply from that religion

Impact

Assessment By the time children leave Paddock Wood Primary Academy we would hope that they:

● Know that Britain is a predominantly Christian country and our laws and special days are rooted in Christianity

● Know key information about Christianity e.g Bible, Church, life of Jesus, Christian festivals

● Know that the Bible is a book of guidance and advice about how Christians should live their life

● Know that there are other world religions that have different beliefs, rituals and festivals

● Know that different religions have different ways of showing commitment to their faith

● Understand the British values of tolerance, respect and rule of law

● Understand the role of Christian charities in improving lives in local, UK and global communities

● Are able to reflect on their own beliefs and what can be learned from religion

Assessment in RE will be done through making informal judgements through observation and discussion with the children and through the work they produce in RE lessons. Children will be assessed against the key learning identified in the RE planning overview at the end of each phase to give an overall judgement of children’s understanding of Religious Education.