The RE Curriculum at Abbotts Ann CE Primary School

Intent:

We intend to provide a curriculum that is inclusive and reflects our values of curiosity, compassion and courage.  We want children to have a systematic substantive knowledge and understanding about religions and world views, which give life value.  We will enable children to understand the nature of Christian beliefs and to encounter and study what it is like to live life in traditions of world faiths.  We will provide opportunities to promote children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) development and to promote British Values, particularly the mutual respect for and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs, and for those without faith.  We will encourage pupils to develop open minds to new and different concepts and to form their own opinions based on evidence and argument. Children in KS1 and KS2 will study both Abrahmic and dharmic traditions.

Implementation:

Teachers plan opportunities which allow children to learn more about world religions and beliefs.  We follow the Hampshire Living Difference IV Agreed Syllabus for Hampshire, Portsmouth, Southampton and the Isle of Wight, https://documents.hants.gov.uk/childrens-services/HIAS/living-difference-IV-2021.pdf.  The Living Difference IV Syllabus is a concept-based approach, looking at concepts that are common to all people, concepts that are shared by many religions and concepts that are distinctive to particular religions.  As children move through primary school, they will have opportunities over time to engage with all three groups of concepts.  We use teaching packs from the Hampshire RE Centre which we adapt and make our own as appropriate, to fit our school and cohorts which ensures progression from Year R through to Year 6.  To support us in our teaching of Christianity, we use the ‘Understanding Christianity’ resources which is also a concept-based approach with pictorial references which help build a narrative and progressive understanding of Christianity.  For each faith, substantive knowledge and vocabulary is revisited in different ways over time.

 Much of our RE teaching is carried out through exploring the children’s ideas and emphasis is given to discussion and positive, quality talk.  Our religious education learning provides a rich and wide range of experiences inside and outside the classroom, which give children opportunities to develop concepts and skills that will help them to make sense of their own experiences and beliefs, and to understand the beliefs and practices of faith and non-faith communities through open, fair-minded enquiry.  Our teaching is based around an enquiry methodology which works through the ‘communicate, apply, inquire and contextualise and evaluate’ process. 

Religious Education will be taught in regular lessons or blocks of lessons, with children responding in a variety of ways such as discussion, role play, art, writing, use of food or dance.  Where possible we bring learning to life by using artefacts, visits, or welcoming visitors into school.  Indoctrination and conversion are not part of the educational process and therefore have no place in religious education.  Religious education is an educational subject in its own right, taught within an educational framework.

Impact:

The impact of our rich religious education curriculum is that children are motivated to develop knowledge and understanding of religions.  We enable children to become religiously and theologically literate so they can engage constructively and compassionately in life in an increasingly diverse society.  Children will be curious to inquire and ask questions to deepen their thinking.  Children appreciate and are respectful of the fact that the world is made up of many faiths and belief systems and have the courage to share their own spirituality and beliefs. 

 ‘In RE, it is cool seeing how everybody is different and interesting to find out how we live and worship differently.’  Child in Year 5.

Sometimes, I realise I have to be more understanding and accept and learn, even though I am not religious,’ child in Year 6.