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St Paul's Cof E Primary School

We Can Do All This Through Him Who Gives Us Strength

RE

RE (Religious Education) has a very significant position in our school curriculum; it is also key to enabling us to live out our school vision.  We aim that through experiences in Religious Education that our children have a better understanding of their religious and spiritual selves as well as those of people around them.  Our Religious Education curriculum is one aspect from which our children acquire a deeper understanding of the Christian faith.  

INTENT

Our curriculum delivery of R.E. gives us an excellent platform to extend our Christian vision and values; making links between our modern world and the teachings of the bible. To ensure that we offer a balanced education to our pupils, we also provide opportunities for children to learn about other major world religions and draw comparisons to what we learn about Christianity.

It is our intent that our St Paul's learners will leave us at the end of Year 6 with the ability to be critical thinkers and ask meaningful questions; being able to make connections within and across religions and worldviews as well as being reflective and able to express their own religious and philosophical convictions.

At St Paul’s School, we follow the LDBS R.E. syllabus with the aim that:

  • all children become religiously literate
  • RE enables all children to 'live life in all its fullness' (Church of England) 
  • it takes note of the Religious Education Church of England Schools – Statement of Entitlement

During their time at St Paul’s, children have the opportunity to learn about Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Islam and Buddhism. 

Teaching and learning in R.E. is part of how we enable our children to become religiously literate and to nurture their own spirituality. This is also enhanced through: 

  •  The Christian vision of the school
  •  Close links with our Parish Church
  • Acts of Collective Worship
  • Our learning as a UNICEF Rights Respecting School
  •  Our embedded PSHE curriculum (JIGSAW)
  • Reflection Areas that children engage with as a time of personal reflection 

IMPLEMENTATION

R.E is an important part of our curriculum and we have ensured that sufficient dedicated curriculum time, meeting explicit RE objectives, however organised, should be committed to the delivery of RE. This should aim to be close to 10% but must be no less than 5% in key stages 1 and 2.  At St Paul’s this works out as one hour in Key Stage 1 and 1.5 hours in Key Stage 2.  To ensure we are well within these statutory hours of RE teaching, we also plan extra RE time for whole school projects, for example, our ‘Big Easter Project’ in the Spring Term.

Each weekly lesson is planned to ensure that children;

  • know what the big theological question is that is being explored throughout the unit
  • are given opportunities to learn through enquiry-based learning
  • are given opportunities for theological enquiry and discussion
  • are given opportunities to reflect so they can demonstrate their personal responses to the learning

Our lessons: 

  • are rooted in theological concepts, strong subject knowledge and content
  • offer a balanced curriculum which enquires into different religions and worldviews
  • offer sequential learning both in terms of knowledge and skills
  • offer motivating, engaging and creative activities
  • provide opportunities for children to develop understanding and empathy towards people of similar or differing religious or worldviews

We use the LDBS syllabus and assessment grids to guide our planning.  This ensures we know what the children need to have learnt by the end of the unit and plan accordingly. In the Christianity Units, we endeavour to have a member of the church clergy come to school or we go to the church for a visit with the class to bring the learning to life. We try where possible to include visits to other places of worship linked to the world faith being studied.

The LDBS syllabus has taken note of the national curriculum framework for RE, taking into consideration the following three strands for RE learning: 

  • know about and understand a range of religions and world views
  • express ideas and insights about the nature, significance and impact of religions and worldviews
  • gain and deploy the skills needed to engage seriously with religions and world views 

IMPACT

 The impact of our R.E curriculum is by the end of Year 6: 

  • children will be able to hold a balanced and well-informed conversation about religion and worldviews. (Religious Literacy)
  • children will make good or better academic progress from their starting points as a result of a rich and engaging RE curriculum.
  • children will be able to reflect, respond and express their own religious, spiritual and/or philosophical convictions.
  • children will be able to make their own choices and decisions concerning religion and belief based on a deep knowledge and understanding of religions and worldviews, belief systems, values and practices.
  • children will have developed a deeper understanding of what it means to live life in all its fullness.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS IN OUR RE CURRICULUM

RE Project Map

Disciplinary Knowledge and Skills