Religious Education
“Diversity is not about how we differ. Diversity is about embracing one another’s uniqueness”
- Ola Johnson
1. Rationale/Introduction
1.1 Religious Education (RE) has an important place in the curriculum of all schools. It provides a safe space for young people to develop their understanding of people, cultures, faiths and relationships. This agreed syllabus sets out detailed and extensive programmes that will enable pupils to gain a coherent understanding of religious and non-religious World views, preparing them for life in twenty-first century Britain. The teaching of RE across all key stages, takes an innovative and rigorous approach that will promote high standards of RE in our schools.
2. Aims and Objectives
The principal 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 on their own ideas and ways of living.
The curriculum for RE aims to ensure that all pupils: make sense of a range of religious and non-religious beliefs, so that they can...
2.1• identify, describe, explain and analyse beliefs and concepts in the context of living religions, using appropriate vocabulary
2.2• explain how and why these beliefs are understood in different ways, by individuals and within communities
2.3• 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
The curriculum for RE aims to understand the impact and significance of religious and non-religious beliefs, so that they can:
2.4 • examine and explain how and why people express their beliefs in diverse ways
2.5• 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
2.6• appreciate and appraise the significance of different ways of life and ways of expressing meaning
2.7. The curriculum for RE aims to ensure that all pupils: make connections between religious and non-religious beliefs, concepts, practices and ideas studied, so that they can:
2.8• evaluate, reflect on and enquire into key concepts and questions studied, responding thoughtfully and creatively, giving good reasons for their responses
2.9• challenge the ideas studied, and allow the ideas studied to challenge their own thinking, articulating beliefs, values and commitments clearly in response
2.10• 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
3. Strategies/Implementation
RE is for all pupils:
• Every pupil has an entitlement to Religious Education (RE).
• RE is a necessary part of a ‘broad and balanced curriculum’ and must be provided for all registered pupils in state-funded schools in England, including those in the sixth form, unless withdrawn by their parents (or withdrawing themselves if they are aged 18 or over).3
• This requirement does not apply for children below compulsory school age although at Lickhill we mark celebrations in faiths like; Christmas, Diwali and Chinese New Year as well as personal celebrations like birthdays and important events for the children.
Legal Requirements:
RE is for all pupils:
RE is legally required for all pupils. RE at Lickhill conveys equal respect to different religions and non-religious worldviews (e.g. humanism). It is a core subject and an entitlement for all pupils throughout their schooling, from Reception year up to and including Key Stage 5. Our timetable at Lickhill equates around an hour a week of RE teaching each week. This maybe taught in a week of cultural activities that covers the teaching for the subject for the half term. It is at the school’s discretion whether this is delivered as a weekly subject or as a together as a topic over a few days.
Learning and Teaching
At Lickhill Primary School will implement the Worcestershire Agreed Syllabus 2020 to deliver the subject across the school. The progression map that will showcase the faiths that will be covered through the school. They will all begin with a key question and include core concepts which the children will become familiar with through their journey at Lickhill. The teaching and learning approach has three core elements, which are woven together to provide breadth and balance within teaching and learning about religions and beliefs, underpinning the aims of RE Teaching and learning in the classroom will encompass all three elements, allowing for overlap between elements as suits the religion, concept and question being explored. We will teach the subject through a systematic approach allowing the children to become familiar with the faith that they are studying for the term and learn about at least two faith in order to compare similarities and differences.
3.2 EYFS links :
- Begin to make sense of their own life-story and family’s history. Spend time with children talking about photos and memories. Encourage children to retell what their parents told them about their life story and family.
- Continue developing positive attitudes about the differences between people. Ensure that resources reflect the diversity of life in modern Britain. Encourage children to talk about the differences they notice between people, whilst also drawing their attention to similarities between different families and communities.
- Answer their questions and encourage discussion. Suggestion: talk positively about different appearances, skin colours and hair types. Celebrate and value cultural, religious and community events and experiences. Help children to learn each other’s names, modelling correct pronunciation.
- Know that there are different countries in the world and talk about the differences they have experienced or seen in photos. Practitioners can create books and displays about children’s families around the world, or holidays they have been on. Encourage children to talk about each other’s families and ask questions. Use a diverse range of props, puppets, dolls and books to encourage children to notice and talk about similarities and differences.
- Understand that some places are special to members of their community. Name and explain the purpose of places of worship and places of local importance to the community to children, drawing on their own experiences where possible, take children to places of worship and places of local importance to the community. Invite visitors from different religious and cultural communities into the classroom to share their experiences with children.
- Recognise that people have different beliefs and celebrate special times in different ways. Weave opportunities for children to engage with religious and cultural communities and their practices throughout the curriculum at appropriate times of the year. Help children to begin to build a rich bank of vocabulary with which to describe their own lives and the lives of others.
- Recognise some similarities and differences between life in this country and life in other countries. Teach children about places in the world that contrast with locations they know well. Use relevant, specific vocabulary to describe contrasting locations. Use images, video clips, shared texts and other resources to bring the wider world into the classroom. Listen to what children say about what they see. Children in reception will be learning to: Examples of how to support this: how they travel to school, what they eat, where they live, and so on.
- 3.3 Equal opportunities and SEND Children will have access to learning opportunities and pre-teaching of specialist vocabulary opportunities to make the learning real in order to relate to similarities and differences.