Religious Education
Intent
Religious Education is an important part of developing children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. In line with the SACRE agreed syllabus for teaching RE in Southend our curriculum aims to equip pupils with the knowledge, experiences, understanding and attitudes which will allow them to be part of a multi-faith society, having a positive sense of self and others. We aim to ensure they are respectful and curious about the world around them, gaining an understanding of what people believe and the difference this makes to the way they live. We work with the children to enable them to express their own ideas, ask questions, reflect on their own beliefs and respond to what they discover
Implementation
At West Leigh Infant School we follow the Southend Agreed Syllabus for RE. Our three key religions studied are Christianity, Islam and Judaism. The children will be taught through units of learning based on different concepts such as believing, expressing and living. The themes and concepts within the units covered reflect a progression in difficulty and complexity from Year R-2. The children are taught first how to attend to their experience of particular concepts, before enquiring into related religious as well as non-religious ways of living, represented in Great Britain and beyond.
In Year 2, the children will be taught using the following units of learning and concepts: Who is a Muslim and what do they believe?, Who is Jewish and what do they believe? What can we learn from sacred books?, How and why do we celebrate special and sacred times? How should we care for others, the world and why does it matter? In Year 1, the children will be taught the following units of learning and concepts: Who is a Christian and what do they believe? What makes some places sacred? What does it mean to belong to a faith community? In Year R, RE will be delivered as part of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum, following ‘Development Matters’. There will be strong links to the EYFS curriculum requirements for Personal, Social and Emotional Development and Understanding the World. Children will learn about ‘making relationships’, ‘self-confidence and self-awareness’, ‘managing feelings and behaviour’, ‘people and communities’, and ‘the world’. Teaching and learning experiences in the EYFS will capitalise upon opportunities for each child to develop and build upon characteristics of effective learning. In Year R, the children will be taught using the following units of learning and concepts: Which stories are special and why? Which people are special and why? What places are special and why? What times are special and why? And what is special about our world?
The RE curriculum will be delivered through regular taught lessons and class discussions, with the children enabled to respond in a variety of ways such as through role-play scenarios, art or dance. Units of work are planned to be progressive, building on prior knowledge, and the study of at least one major world religion is covered in each year group. Where possible, units are linked to other subjects in the curriculum. At West Leigh Infant School, we have a strong link with some of the local churches. All classes visit local places of worship and we try to arrange for local religious leaders to visit the school and lead assemblies or lessons. We also have a variety of other opportunities for first-hand experiences, exploring relevant resources and artefacts, making cross-curricular links and using visits/visitors to enhance and deepen the children’s learning and engagement in RE. Teaching and learning activities include opportunities for children to express their thoughts, feelings and responses through, for example: art, role play/drama, music, dance, writing, use of food or cooking, use of computing. Children take part in Collective Worship times as part of our school and class assemblies. Planning, teaching and learning are monitored by the subject leader who also coordinates staff training where relevant and provides up-to-date resources
Impact
The children at West Leigh Infant School will demonstrate an eagerness to ‘together we aim high, work hard, have fun’, and will strive to show ‘respectful behaviour at all times’. Children will speak and act kindly towards others; there will be an ethos of respect for others within the school. Children will be building an understanding of other cultures and beliefs. They will show a mutual respect for and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs, and for those without faith. Children and adults in the school will challenge stereotypes and welcome diversity. Our RE curriculum contributes to promoting a positive and inclusive school ethos and champions democratic values and human rights.” (DCSF)
Children will show an enthusiastic, interested approach to RE lessons and will be eager to communicate and apply their thoughts and ideas about different RE concepts, confidently relating this to their experiences. They will be curious to enquire and ask questions to deepen their thinking. By the end of Key Stage 1, they will show a strong ability to contextualise their thinking in relation to the key religions we study. They will be able to evaluate their understanding of different concepts, explaining why they might be important to themselves or to someone who is a Christian or Muslim or Jew.
We use the Southend Agreed Syllabus age-related expectations to assess and monitor children’s learning across each year group and to ensure that progress is made. Evidence of children’s learning and progress is captured in a variety of ways, for example through speaking and listening, drama, art, dialogue and discussion, as well as through different written activities. Planning and teaching is monitored throughout the year by the subject leader to ensure consistency of approach, coverage of the curriculum and sharing of best practice have access to high quality teaching.
RE is provided for all pupils, and is inclusive and broad minded. Parents do have the right to withdraw pupils from RE: if you wish to do this, make an appointment with the Head teacher. The school does not support selective withdrawal from RE’.