Implementation

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION IMPLEMENTATION - 

Religious Education is a vital component of our weekly timetable at The Prince of Wales School. While it holds a unique legal status, we treat it with the same academic rigour as core subjects to ensure our pupils develop high levels of Religious Literacy.

We implement the Dorset Locally Agreed Syllabus (2025-2030) through a structured, enquiry-based approach across Key Stages 1 and 2, while integrating foundational experiences into the EYFS through the 'Understanding the World' and 'PSED' early learning goals.

The Enquiry Cycle and Enrichment

To bring the syllabus to life, we provide a "worldview-rich" environment where children learn by:

• Handling authentic artefacts to explore ritual and meaning.

• Engaging with "Living Faith" through visitors and virtual/physical visits to places of worship.

• Textual analysis, looking at sacred texts and stories as sources of authority.

• Creative expression, using drama, imaginative play and art to explore "Big Questions."

• Digital exploration, using ICT to connect with global religious communities.

• Intentional reflection, providing quiet moments to consider their own personal knowledge.

Foundation Stage (Reception)

Children begin their journey by exploring the "Small Stories" that link to "Big Beliefs."

• Substantive Knowledge: Encountering stories from the Bible and other faiths, including the narratives of Christmas, Easter and Diwali.

• Ways of Knowing: Using their senses to explore artefacts and special places.

• Personal Knowledge: Talking about their own special people and places.

Key Stage One: Building the Foundations

Pupils explore religious and non-religious worldviews through thematic enquiries.

• Substantive Knowledge: Learning the core beliefs of Christianity and at least one other principal religion, establishing a clear vocabulary for symbols and celebrations.

• Ways of Knowing: Developing "detective" skills to spot how beliefs are expressed in stories, music and actions.

• Personal Knowledge: Reflecting on the concept of belonging and what matters most to them and their community.

Key Stage Two: Deeper Enquiry

Learning shifts toward a more disciplined investigation into the complexity of worldviews.

• Substantive Knowledge: Exploring the connection between beliefs and practices in depth. 

• Ways of Knowing: Learning to think like theologians (beliefs), philosophers (thinking), and social scientists (how people live). Pupils interpret varied sources of authority and handle "Ultimate Questions" regarding ethics and morality.

• Personal Knowledge: Critically reflecting on their own "positionality"—how their own experiences influence their view of others' truth-claims.