RE

Religious Education 

Intent

At Rolls Crescent Primary School our aim for our pupils is to learn from and about religion to broaden children’s understanding and appreciation of themselves and the world around them. We believe it is important to provide children with the opportunity to explore different religions represented in Great Britain and the wider world to develop knowledge and understanding. Therefore, allowing children to appreciate the way religious beliefs shape life and behaviour, develop the ability to make reasoned and informed judgements about religious and moral issues and enhance their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development in order to thrive as global citizens. Having an understanding of these areas will equip the children with skills to thrive in tomorrow's world.

Through Religious Education at Rolls Crescent, children are encouraged to ask questions about the world, reflect on their own and others beliefs and make links between our school values with the different topics that are taught. Our curriculum is designed to encourage creativity, imagination, enquiry, debate, discussion and independence. It is enhanced further with trips to places of worship in our local area and links with religious groups who visit our school termly.

Implementation

Rolls Crescent Primary School use Discovery RE which follows the Manchester RE agreed syllabus, that is used to structure our scheme of work. It adopts an enquiry-based approach to teaching and learning. Christianity is taught in every year group, with Christmas and Easter given new treatment each year, developing the learning in a progressive way. Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Sikhism are also covered. Humanist perspectives are added when appropriate in some enquiries.

Each enquiry is taught in the equivalent of 6 lessons or blocked over 3 half days to enhance learning. Each enquiry has a learning objective which shows the learning over the enquiry and SMSC (Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural) development opportunities are mapped throughout as is each enquiry’s contribution to the British Values agenda.

The 4-step enquiry process

Step 1 Engagement - (1 lesson) The children start by exploring the key question by relating to children’s own experiences. If they can relate to this human experience they will be better able to understand the world of religion into which the enquiry takes them.

Step 2 Investigation - (3 lessons) Guide the children through the enquiry, children gaining subject knowledge carefully selected to assist their thinking about the key question.

Step 3 Evaluation - (1 lesson) This lesson draws together the children’s learning and their conclusions about the key question of that enquiry. This lesson can be used to assess children’s learning.

Step 4 Expression - (1 lesson) Children are taken back to Step 1, their own experience, to reflect on how this enquiry might have influenced their own starting points and beliefs.