Religious Education

Why you teach it - your purpose of study.

Religious Education is an important element in the broad and balanced curriculum we aim to provide at Smallwood CE 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

INTENT

What you teach - your programme(s) of study

Religious Education at Smallwood CE Primary Academy contributes dynamically to children’s education, provoking challenging questions about human life, beliefs, communities and ideas. In RE pupils learn from religions and world views about different ways of life in local, national and global contexts. They discover, explore and consider many different answers to questions about human identity, meaning and value. They learn to weigh up for themselves the value of wisdom from different communities, to disagree respectfully, to be reasonable in their responses to religions and world views and to respond by expressing insights into their own and others’ lives. They think rigorously, creatively, imaginatively and respectfully about their ideas in relation to religions and world views.

IMPLEMENTATION

How you teach it - your delivery of the above

Our RE syllabus is based on the new Cheshire East RE syllabus and Understanding Christianity. The long- and medium-term plans ensure that there is progression throughout the school and that children are building upon knowledge learnt in previous years. The units are designed so that pupils develop knowledge and understanding of the principal religions in Great Britain but with Christianity being taught as a core religion in both key stages. Our RE curriculum allows children to see the similarities within the major religions and make connections. We recognise that within classes, there is a wide variety of abilities and as such our planning ensures that suitable learning opportunities are matched to the needs of all children. Where possible, teaching will be supplemented with trips to places of worship or visits from people from religious communities.

EYFS focuses on Christianity, then each year group builds on this alongside other world religions and cross-religious themes. At Key Stage 2, children are introduced to worldviews and their impact. Assessment at the end of each unit is based on the Cheshire East Syllabus End of Key Stage Statements and recorded on Classroom Monitor. Children who are “working towards” and at “greater depth” are recorded in order to track progression and provide intervention where appropriate. In the foundation stage, RE is linked to the Early Learning Goals and provides children the opportunity to explore the world of religion in terms of special people, books, times, places, and objects.

IMPACT

So what - your evaluations of the above

Regular monitoring of the RE curriculum with ‘Book Looks’, learning walks and pupil voice will show the progression of children’s knowledge, understanding and beliefs of Christianity, world religions and worldviews from EYFS and through both key stages.

- All children enjoy RE and can recall key information about their Christianity units covered and the other major religions.

- Individual Re books and class books show coverage from the RE curriculum and match up to the planning for each year group.

- Children can discuss their experiences and feelings, particularly with regard to their own beliefs.

-  All children understand that they should respect others’ beliefs and that no one should make any judgements.