Hathersage St. Michael's C of E (A) Primary School

Religious Education (RE)

Intent

Religious Education at our school is a core subject, giving it a prominent and important role in the lives of all our pupils. We do not intend to educate pupils only for their current life, perhaps in a village, town or city. The purpose of RE includes enabling pupils to be ready to live in a wider world: the region, the nation, the global community.

We ensure full coverage of the RE Curriculum by following The Derbyshire and Derby City Agreed Syllabus for RE supported by Understanding Christianity.

We aim to engage pupils in enquiring into and exploring questions arising from the study of religion and belief, so as to promote their personal, spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. It is not about telling pupils what religious views they should have but rather assists them in gaining shared human understanding, developing personal identity and searching for meaning in the context of evaluating different viewpoints.

Teaching and learning encourage the development of attitudes and values that are a reflection of our Christian ethos, and an understanding of the meaning and significance of faith.

Inclusive

A range of teaching approaches can be used by teachers to deliver this curriculum giving them flexibility in ensuring all learners are included. We have designed and will continue to modify the curriculum to ensure children recognise and celebrate cultural diversity. The curriculum aims to ensure that children develop their understanding of what it means to be a Christian or, someone from another faith who lives in Britain. They develop an awareness and tolerance of living in a multi-cultural society and being mutually respectful towards the beliefs of others.

Teachers ensure that children have an understanding of equality of peoples’ own beliefs and self identity, which is enhanced through the teaching. This will include teaching pupils to appropriately challenge negative comments, expectations or stereotypes.

Implementation

Based on the Derbyshire and Derby City Agreed Syllabus for RE and Understanding Christianity, pupils learn from religions and world views about different ways of life. 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 about their own and others’ lives. They think rigorously, creatively, imaginatively and respectfully about their ideas in relation to religion and world views.

In the EYFS (Nursery), RE is taught within ‘Understanding of the World’.

Within EYFS (Reception) and Key Stage One, RE is taught in two mixed age classes and in KS2 RE is taught in three mixed age groups. The RE topics follow a 2 year cycle to ensure children learn new content, make progress and develop enquiry skills to be able to answer the Key Questions.

Religious Education is generally taught for one hour on a weekly basis, but may also be delivered through a class topic or as a whole-school focus. Teachers may develop their own key questions linked to the themes in the syllabus, allowing links with other subject areas where appropriate.

Lessons are planned and delivered in a variety of ways ensuring that all children can access and participate in engaging lessons. Interactive, practical activities encourage the children to discuss their ideas and extend their understanding of difficult concepts and challenging questions.

Children increase their cultural capital through visits and visitors. These specialist visits and visitors support RE learning by building on the children’s prior knowledge and encouraging them to think about others.

We uphold strong links with our local Church St. Michael and All Angels along with close links to our local churches in Hathersage. The whole school is involved in regular Collective Worship with a member of St. Michael and All Angels Church and we regularly visit the church for Collective Worship and special celebrations within the church calendar.

Please see our Long Term Plans below.

Impact

The Church of England Education Office gives the following aims for Church Schools:

To know about and understand Christianity as a diverse global living faith through the exploration of core beliefs using an approach that critically engages with Biblical text.
To gain knowledge and understanding of a range of religions and worldviews appreciating diversity, continuity and change within the religions and worldviews being studied.
To engage with challenging questions about the meaning and purpose raised by human existence and experience.
To recognise the concept of religion and its continuing influence on Britain’s cultural heritage and in the lives of individuals and societies in different times, cultures and places.
To explore their own religious, spiritual and philosophical ways living, believing and thinking. The impact we see in school:
Teachers use formative assessment during teaching and learning and provide support as needed so that all children make expected progress.
As children progress through Hathersage St. Michael's they cover the full RE curriculum developing a deep knowledge, understanding and appreciation of all the major religious beliefs and practices.
The level each child is working at (whether in line with the majority of I can statements for their year group, below or above) will be recorded and input into the school’s tracking system twice a year.
Children demonstrate a positive attitude towards people of any religion and show an understanding of cultural beliefs different to their own. They demonstrate respectful behaviour to all and this is transferable outside of school in the wider community and beyond. This is reflected in comments in the child’s annual report.