Religious Education
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Subject Overview
What do we want our children to learn in RE?
Please click to view our Progression of Knowledge and Skills in RE. This shows what we want our children to learn in RE at Norristhorpe.
Intent
A Norristhorpe pupil will learn how Religious Education promotes discernment and enables them to combat prejudice, by challenging stereotypes, thereby preparing them for adult life, employment and life-long learning. Primarily, R.E.’s purpose is to give pupils a broad understanding, as the curriculum is designed to deliver the agreed Statutory Syllabus; which comprises Christianity, Islam and non-religious world views, as well as Judaism and Sikhism and reflects the variety within different world faiths. Above all, it promotes tolerance, acceptance and respect. Here at Norristhorpe we have created a Religious Education curriculum that will engage, inspire, challenge and encourage pupils, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to answer challenging questions, explore different religious beliefs, values and traditions and develop a more rigorous understanding of the commonality and diversity within our multi-cultural society.
Our R.E. curriculum promotes the holistic development of all pupils. It facilitates their intellectual, social, emotional, spiritual and moral development and an awareness of our shared humanity. R.E. contributes to the understanding of British Values, and Community Cohesion, focusing on preparing pupils for life in the 21st century, by engaging them in a contemporary and relevant context. We provide opportunities for pupils to engage with life’s big questions and to reflect, with sensitivity, on moral values by expediting an overall general understanding of the faiths and related philosophical and ethical dilemmas. We encourage pupils to reflect, question, critique, interpret, imagine and find insight for their lives, by relating to their own experiences. Links are made to other areas of the curriculum such as Drama, Art, English, Music and Information Technology.
IMPLEMENTATION
We use the Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education developed by Kirklees, Calderdale, Leeds and Bradford as the basis for our curriculum.
The curriculum is based on a spiral curriculum with links at every level. Curriculum maps for each year group outline the progression.
At Norristhorpe, it has been agreed that having considered the requirements and guidelines presented in the Agreed Syllabus, the following religions have been selected for study:
• Christianity
• Islam
• Judaism
• Hinduism
• Sikhism
• Humanist//world views
From the syllabus it is required that: -
In the Early Years Foundation Stage, the learning outcomes are mainly referenced to Christianity and as appropriate to a range of other beliefs and cultures. Although all areas of the EYFS goals are relevant, RE particularly supports development in understanding the world.
• KS1 - Christianity is studied (and one other principal religion in some depth)
• KS2 – Christianity is studied (and two other principal religions in some depth, as well as non-religious views).
There are no presumptions made as to the religious backgrounds and beliefs and values of the children and the staff. We value the religious/non-religious background of all members of the school community and hope that this will encourage individuals to share their own experiences with others freely. All religions and their communities are treated with respect and sensitivity and we value the links, which are, and can be made between home, school, and the community. We are extremely lucky that in normal circumstances, members of the local community regularly visit our school to carry out assemblies.
We acknowledge that each religion/world view studied can contribute to the education of all our pupils. We promote teaching in Religious Education that stresses open enquiry and first-hand experiences, through three areas of study:
A. Religious Studies: developing understanding of the traditions, beliefs and experiences of specified religions and world views.
B. Philosophy: exploring ultimate questions about life and human experience.
C. Ethics: considering moral questions from individual and societal perspectives.
The Syllabus aims to investigate:
Beliefs and authority: core beliefs and concepts; sources of authority including written traditions and leaders.
Worship and Spirituality: how individuals and communities express belief, commitment and emotion.
How religions and other world views address questions of meaning, purpose and value, including:
The nature of religion and belief and its key concepts.
Ultimate questions of belonging, meaning, purpose and truth.
How religions and other world views influence morality, identity and diversity.
Comprehensive exemplar units of work have been produced by the Pennine Learning RE Hub and, taken together, these fulfil the aims of the syllabus.
impact
The impact of RE at Norristhorpe can be measured by both formative assessments, as each lesson is based on a series of questions and summative assessment criteria for the end of each unit of work. End of Key Stage expectations are outlined in the Syllabus.
Sample questionnaires evidence that the children at Norristhorpe J & I School enjoy learning about other religions and why people choose, or choose not to follow a religion. Through their R.E. learning, the children are encouraged to make links between their own lives and those of others in their community and in the wider world, developing an understanding of other people’s cultures and ways of life.
- The R.E. curriculum aims to lead to well-rounded children who are tolerant of all faiths.
- They will have been taught the necessary skills to succeed when they transition to secondary school.
- SEN children are given the same opportunity to succeed, developing skills needed for life.
R.E. is invaluable in helping children to develop holistically i.e. SMSC (Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural development) and contributes to their understanding of British Values; particularly that of tolerance and understanding of other faiths and beliefs. As such, R.E. is invaluable in an ever changing and shrinking world.