Blackfell Primary School
Religious Education
Intent
At Blackfell Primary School the aim of Religious Education (RE) is developing the children’s knowledge and understanding of major world faiths. We ask challenging questions concerning the meaning and purpose of life, encourage personal reflection and spiritual development and respect for all. Blackfell develop a sound knowledge not only of Christianity but also of other world religions. Children reflect on what it means to have a faith and to develop their own spiritual knowledge and understanding. We help the children to learn from religions as well as about religions. Through our teaching of RE all our children:
- Develop an awareness of spiritual and moral issues arising in their lives
- Develop knowledge and understanding of Christianity and other major world religions or value systems adhered to in the UK
- Develop an understanding of what it means to be committed to a religious tradition
- Become capable of reflecting on their own experiences, and of developing a personal response to the fundamental questions of life
- Develop an understanding of religious traditions, and an appreciation of cultural differences in the UK today
- Develop investigative and research skills, in order to hold reasoned opinions on religious issues
- Learn to have respect for other people's views, and hence to celebrate diversity in society.
Blackfell’s RE curriculum meets the requirements of the 1988 Education Reform Act (ERA). In accordance to ERA stipulation that religious education is compulsory for all children, we ensure that RE is taught from Reception through to Year 6 and parents/carers have the right to withdraw their child from RE and assemblies if they so wish, however, this is after obtaining and have given written notice to the school governors. A statement of parent/carer’s position with regard to RE is included in the school prospectus.
The RE curriculum forms an important part of our school's spiritual, moral and social teaching. It also promotes education for citizenship.
Based on the Rosenshine Principles by providing instructional support; teaching new material in manageable amounts; good use of modelling; helping children when they have made errors and providing for sufficient practice and review we ensure that the children at our school efficiently acquire, rehearse, and connect background knowledge.
Special Educational Needs Disability (SEND) / Pupil Premium / Higher Attainers
All children will have Quality First Teaching. Any children with identified SEND or in receipt of pupil premium funding may have work additional to and different from their peers in order to access the curriculum dependent upon their needs. As well as this, our school offers a demanding and varied curriculum, providing children with a range of opportunities in order for them to reach their full potential and consistently achieve highly from their starting points.
Implementation
The RE curriculum is based on the Sunderland Agreed Syllabus, and meets all the requirements set out within the document. The RE syllabus reflects the fact that religious traditions in Great Britain are, in the main, Christian, but at the same time, takes account of the teachings and practices of other major religions. A renewed agreed syllabus is currently under construction and will be launched later this year. With this in mind, any amendments or changes to the new agreed syllabus will be considered and implemented accordingly in line with our curriculum expectations.
At Blackfell Primary School our teaching and learning style in RE is based on the key principle that good teaching in RE allows children both to learn about religious traditions and to reflect on what the religious ideas and concepts mean to them. Our teaching enables children to extend their own sense of values, and promotes their spiritual growth and development. We encourage children to think about their own views and values in relation to the themes and topics studied in the RE curriculum.
The deliverance of RE at Blackfell, enables the children to build on their own experiences and to extend their knowledge and understanding of religious traditions. We organise visits to local places of worship, and invite representatives of local religious groups to come into school and talk to the children. The children carry out research into religious topics and study particular religious’ faiths. The children investigate religious and moral issues either individually or in groups. Considering the requirements and guidelines set out in the agreed syllabus, the following religions have been selected for study:
RE at Blackfell supports in the teaching of other aspects of our curriculum. RE contributes significantly to the teaching of English, by actively promoting the skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening. Some of the texts used for guided reading and assemblies, as well as Literacy lessons have religious themes or content, encouraging discussion and debates. Our RE curriculum plays a vital role in providing opportunities for PSHE, Citizenship, RSHE and SMSC development. There are no presumptions made as to the religious backgrounds and beliefs and values of the children and the staff. We value the religious background of all members of the school community and hope this encourages individuals to share their own experiences with others freely.
Impact
Our RE curriculum is high quality, well thought out and planned to demonstrate progression. We focus on progression of knowledge and skills which form part of the units of work. We measure the impact of our curriculum through the following methods:
- Assessing children’s understanding of topic linked vocabulary before and after the unit is taught
- Summative assessment of pupil discussions about their learning
- Images and videos of the children’s practical learning
- Interviewing the pupils about their learning (pupil voice)
- Moderation staff meetings where pupil’s books are scrutinised and there is the opportunity for a dialogue between teachers to understand their class’s work
- Annual reporting of standards across the curriculum
- Governor monitoring with the RE link governors.
- Dedicated leadership time.
September 2024
