Religious Education
Ensuring access to a rich, broad and balanced curriculum, based upon and framed by our school values of Respect, Responsibility, Friendship and Perseverance, is at the heart of St Hilda’s provision…
Rationale:
The fundamental aim of St Hilda’s Church of England Primary School is to provide opportunities for children to develop as independent, confident, successful learners with high aspirations; creating citizens of the future who know how to make a positive contribution to their community and the wider society. This aligns with our school vision which strives to enable children to “Where everyone grows.”
RE intent:
Being a St Hilda’s Theologian and Philosopher means that:
Religious Education contributes dynamically to children and young people’s education in schools by provoking challenging questions about meaning and purpose in life, beliefs about God, ultimate reality, issues of right and wrong and what it means to be human.
- In RE pupils learn about and from religions and worldviews in local, national and global contexts, to discover, explore and consider different answers to these questions.
- Pupils learn to weigh up the value of wisdom from different sources, to develop and express their insights in response, and to agree or disagree respectfully.
- Teaching therefore should equip pupils with systematic knowledge and understanding of a range of religions and worldviews, enabling them to develop their ideas, values and identities.
- It should develop in pupils an aptitude for dialogue, so that they can participate positively in society, with its diverse religions and worldviews.
- Pupils should gain and deploy the skills needed to understand, interpret and evaluate texts, sources of wisdom and authority and other evidence. They should learn to articulate clearly and coherently their personal beliefs, ideas, values and experiences while respecting the right of others to differ.
Principal aim
The principal aim of RE is to engage pupils in systematic enquiry into significant human questions which religion and worldviews address, so that they can develop the understanding and skills needed to appreciate and appraise varied responses to these questions, as well as develop responses of their own.
Implementation
Meeting North Yorkshire requirements, by following the ‘North Yorkshire Agreed Syllabus for RE’ (NASRE) we deliver a rich, broad and balanced curriculum. St Hilda’s engages all learning styles using a variety of resources which support the teaching of the curriculum. The wider learning culture is promoted through our school values of ‘Respect, Responsibility, Friendship and Perseverance’ and through a culture of our aspirational ‘Growth Mindset’.
EYFS:
The EYFS part of the NYASRE is taught in a variety of ways through adult-led and adult-supported tasks and child initiated learning in well-resourced provision areas, both indoors and outdoors.
KS1 & KS2:
Using the NYASRE units of work, we follow a rolling 2 year programme (Year A and Year B) This ensures that all key topics are covered and supports the progression of skills across our mixed-age classes.
Where appropriate, we block learning in order to immerse children fully. Where relevant and possible, we offer enrichment activities to motivate, excite and inspire – these may take the form of educational visits, visitors, theme days etc.
We link our teaching to key texts from the religions covered, that will enrich language and provide context to learning; this involves challenges based around an enquiry question as a starting point e.g. ‘What do religions say to us when life gets hard?’ We follow our lesson structure (see attached) making connections and spotting values through our RE lessons.
Impact:
Impact will be measured by assessing formatively against the NYASRE assessment statements through ‘Insight pupil tracking’ at termly intervals as: Below, Just below and On track. We also have progression trackers that monitor overall progression.
St Hilda’s theologians and philosophers will be able to demonstrate the essential characteristics of RE detailed in the Intent section above.
They will successfully be able to:
- Know about and understand a range of religions and worldviews 1, so that they can:
- describe, explain and analyse beliefs and practices, recognising the diversity which exists within and between communities and amongst individuals
- identify, investigate and respond to questions posed, and responses, offered by some of the sources found in religions and worldviews
- appreciate and appraise the nature, significance and impact of different ways of life and ways of expressing meaning.
- Express ideas and insights about the nature, significance and impact of religions and worldviews, so that they can:
- explain reasonably their ideas about how beliefs, practices and forms of expression influence individuals and communities
- express with increasing discernment their personal reflections and critical responses to questions and teachings about identity, diversity, meaning and value, including ethical issues
- appreciate and appraise varied dimensions of religion.
- Gain and deploy the skills needed to engage seriously with religions and worldviews, so that they can:
- find out about and investigate key concepts and questions of belonging, meaning, purpose and truth, responding creatively
- enquire into what enables different individuals and communities to live together respectfully for the wellbeing of all
- articulate beliefs, values and commitments clearly in order to explain why they may be important in their own and other people’s lives.
They will use the school Christian values of Respect, Responsibility, Friendship and Perseverance to drive their RE attainment and show progress against the milestones alongside demonstrating aspiration, confidence, independence as they develop in to citizens of the future.
Democracy
In RE pupils learn the significance of each person’s ideas and experiences through
method of discussion. In debating the fundamental questions of life, pupils learn to
respect a range of perspectives.This contributes to learning about democracy, examining the idea that we al share a responsibility to use our voice and influence for the wellbeing of others.
The Rule of Law
In RE pupils examine different examples of codes for human life, including commandments, rules or precepts offered by different religious communities. They learn to appreciate how individuals choose between good and evil, right and wrong, and they learn to apply these ideas to their own communities. They learn that fairness requires that the law apply equally to all, irrespective – for example – of a person’s status or wealth.
They have the opportunity to examine the idea that the ‘rule of law’ focuses specifically on the relationship between citizens (or subjects) and the state, and to how far this reflects or runs counter to wider moral codes and precepts.
Individual Liberty
In RE, pupils consider questions about identity, belonging and diversity, learning what it
means to live a life free from constraints. They study examples of pioneers of human
freedom, including those from within different religions, so that they can examine tensions between the values of a stable society and the value of change for human development.
Mutual Tolerance and Respect
We do not accept intolerant attitudes to any members of our school or the wider community. We believe that RE can challenge children and young people to be
increasingly respectful and to celebrate diversity.
In the RE curriculum attention focuses on developing mutual respect between those of
different faiths and beliefs, promoting an understanding of what a society gains from
diversity. Pupils will learn about diversity in religions and worldviews, and will be
challenged to respect other persons who see the world differently to themselves.
Recognition and celebration of human diversity in many forms can flourish where pupils
understand different faiths and beliefs and are challenged to be broad-minded and open –hearted.
Spiritual
Experience wonder and joy through learning about and from stories, celebrations, rituals and difference world views.
Ask and respond to questions about meaning and purpose.
Explore spiritual practices such as worship and prayer, and consider the impact of these on believers and any relevance to their own life.
Reflection on their own values and views, as well as those of others.
Moral
Explore morality including rules, teachings and commands. Link this to the school
Behaviour Policy.
Investigate and explore religious perspectives and responses to evil and suffering in the
world.
Ask questions ‘big questions’ about religion
Show tolerance and respect for other religions and other points of view.
Valuing others
Social
Explore the qualities which are valued by our school (CHAMPS) as well as the values of a civilised society.
Ask questions about the social impact of religion.
Take part in a number of religious festivals and worships practices.
Experiential learning – pupils should have opportunities to embody for themselves
expected behavioral norms, whether through class discussions, group work and
ongoing behavior expectations through special events such as school visits and
workshops.
Cultural
Provide opportunities for children to explore their own culture as well as to explore
Britain’s rich diversity of religious, ethnic and geographical cultures.
Learn about the UK saints, especially through theme days and celebrations.
Enagage with texts, artefacts and other sources from different cultures and religions.
Show tolerance and respect for all religions, including those of no faith.