Religious Education
Intent
The religious education curriculum is designed to reflect the global diversity of belief. We believe that High quality RE prepares pupils to engage in a complex multi-religious and multi-secular world.
We aim for our pupils to gain respectful and insightful knowledge on a variety of beliefs and practices through in-depth learning about major religions, philosophies, and ethics
We aim to instil our pupils with a holistic understanding of shared, modern values—such as diversity —that support life in today’s Britain. We strongly believe that by building a rich knowledge base of a plurality of beliefs, conjoined with an understanding of shared values, our pupils gain a critical insight into the way religion shapes the community and world in which we live. We intend for pupils to know how to navigate and reflect upon the complex world we live in and be able to find their own voice and ideas within it.
Implementation
As a result of the careful sequencing and design of our curriculum, we ensure that all pupils understand and access new material when it is taught, building their knowledge from Reception to Year 6. In their final year, pupils compare a variety of religions to demonstrate their understanding of the complexity of RE. Pupils are taught substantive knowledge through content about specific religions (including Abrahamic, Dharmic and non-religious groups) to provide sufficient breadth; the diversity and differences within belief-sets; and the connection and concepts that cross over different religions.
Disciplinary knowledge is taught in two ways. Pupils first learn about different religions ‘ways of knowing’ through reading, observing ways of living, asking questions, and debating. Pupils learn from a variety of sources including authentic artefacts, architecture, and art. Also, they explore that there are degrees of certainty in religious concepts. Secondly, their own personal knowledge, assumptions and their own views are also taken into consideration for a better understanding of their relationship to the subject matter. Pupils have retrieval opportunities as starters for each lesson which support fluency in key concepts.
The knowledge that is gained is linked through authentic horizontal, vertical, and diagonal links across the whole school curriculum. Many of these links are made through texts such as holy books or other stories that deepen their understanding of religion or religious groups. The pupils from EYFS to Year 6 repeatedly learn through development of vocabulary both Tier 2 and Tier 3 in Vital Vocabulary and explicit teaching in lessons.
Impact
As a result of the carefully sequenced curriculum and quality first teaching practice, pupils build a broad, firm range of knowledge of global religious practices and shared values. Teachers use robust formative assessment to track the progress of knowledge and skills across each unit of work, with low stakes assessment allowing pupils to reflect on their learning while teachers identify and address gaps. Based on these assessments, teachers evaluate if areas need to be re-visited or whether some pupils need consolidation or support.
End of unit assessments ensure that pupils have an opportunity to demonstrate what they have learnt, and feeds into future unit planning. While pupil voice at the end of each unit shows that pupils have acquired the requisite substantive knowledge and can answer disciplinary knowledge questions using their substantive knowledge to support their explanations. Regular and consistent monitoring of work, planning and pupil voice ensures that the quality of religious education teaching remains high, and that pupils are well prepared for the diversity of life in modern Britain.
The richness of the curriculum affords pupils the opportunity to be respectfully curious, and to leave primary school with the skills to evaluate and contribute to challenging ethical and religious questions, ready for the next stage in their education.
*Families have the right to withdraw their children from part or all of the religious education curriculum. If you wish to request that your child be withdrawn from part or all of religious education, please contact the Headteacher on head@deerparkschool.org.uk