Statement of Intent:

Religious education provokes challenging questions about the meaning and purpose of life, beliefs about faith, issues of right and wrong and what it means to be human.

At Goldenhill Primary Academy the RE curriculum aims to give the children in our care knowledge and understanding of   these  Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism as well as humanist beliefs. RE is taught within a local, national and global context. The integrated topic provision provides further opportunities for the children to learn about other non-religious perspectives such as humanism.

Our academy RE curriculum offers children opportunities for personal reflection and spiritual development.  It considers the influence of religion on individuals, families, communities and cultures.

Aims

The academy follows the Stoke-on-Trent Agreed Syllabus.

This states that:

"The Principle aim of religious education is to explore what people believe and what difference this makes to how they live, so that pupils can gain the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to handle questions raised by religion and belief, reflecting their own ideas and ways of living."

The curriculum for RE aims to ensure that all pupils:

   1.  make sense of a range of religious and non-religious beliefs, so that they can:

Identify, describe, explain and analyse beliefs and concepts in the context of living religions, using appropriate vocabulary

Explain how and why these beliefs are understood in different ways, by individuals and within communities

Recognise how and why sources of authority (e.g. texts, teachings, traditions, leaders) are used, expressed and interpreted in different ways, developing skills of interpretation

2.  understand the impact and significance of religious and non-religious beliefs, so that they can:

   Examine and explain how and why people express their beliefs in diverse ways

Recognise and account for ways in which people put their beliefs into action in diverse ways, in their everyday lives, within their communities and in the wider world

Appreciate and appraise the significance of different ways of life and ways of expressing meaning

3.  make connections between religious and non-religious beliefs, concepts, practices and ideas studied, so that they can:

Evaluate, reflect on and enquire into key concepts and questions studied, responding thoughtfully and creatively, giving good reasons for their responses

Challenge the ideas studied, and allow the ideas studied to challenge their own thinking, articulating beliefs, values and commitments clearly in response

Discern possible connections between the ideas studied and their own ways of understanding the world, expressing their critical responses and personal reflections with increasing clarity and understanding

Objectives

• To help our children develop respect and sensitivity for all people.
• To help our children understand faith and moral codes to guide them and develop informed opinions.
• To help our children develop an understanding of modern multi-cultural Britain and how this is reflected in their lives and local community.
• To help our children understand more about the importance of religion in today’s world.

Implementation:

Time allocations

There is no expectation that RE is to be delivered within Foundation Stage 1 but in Foundation Stage 2, there is an expectation of a weekly 50-minute session or short sessions implemented throughout continuous provision.  In  Key  Stage 1  and  Key  Stage  2,  RE  is  expected  to  be delivered weekly during a 1 hour session.

Whole Academy Approach to Teaching and Learning of RE

RE is an exciting curriculum subject and we employ a wide range of learning methods in our teaching.

These include:

• visiting local places of worship and receiving visitors from faith communities

• Using art, music, dance and drama
• Children experiencing times of quiet reflection to develop their own thoughts and ideas
• Using story, pictures and photographs
• Using  artefacts  to  help  children  develop  their  understanding  of  religious beliefs and forms of expression
• Discussing religious and philosophical questions giving reasons for their own beliefs and those of others
• Developing  the  use  of  ICT  (particularly  DVDs  and  the  internet)  in  helping children’s awareness of religions and beliefs

Impact:

Assessment, Recording and Reporting

RE  is  assessed at  the  end  of  each  unit  against  the  ‘I  can’  statements  that  have  been developed using the Stoke-on-Trent   Agreed   Syllabus.   Throughout the unit, staff gather evidence against these statements to enable them to give a judgement at the end.

RE is a statutory part of the curriculum and follows the locally agreed syllabus.