Religious Education (RE) Curriculum Statement

Intent

At Claremont Primary School, we teach Religious Education with the aim that each child will

  • have a strong sense of their own identity and their journey in life
  • respect themselves and others
  • value differences as well as similarities
  • stand up and speak out for what is right

We aim to provide children the opportunity to develop, build and master their knowledge and understanding of their beliefs. They will show knowledge of previous learning and build and develop new skills and knowledge to show progression. We enable children to make links to their own lives and other beliefs by understanding the distinctive nature of religion within human experience.

At Claremont Primary School, we believe that RE helps pupils to develop a knowledge and understanding of the other religions and world views found in the United Kingdom. Pupils learn from religions and world views about different ways of life in local, national and global contexts. It enables and encourages pupils to appreciate the way in which religious beliefs can shape personal and social life and contribute to personal morality and social responsibility. RE helps children to develop and articulate their personal beliefs, ideas, values and experiences, whilst respecting the right of others to differ.

We study RE as a part of our curriculum. We focus on the features of the religions, their beliefs and practices, as well as the similarities and differences between them. We also look at how people’s beliefs impact the moral decisions they make and circumstances when different religions closely work together. A high proportion of our children have English as an Additional Language (EAL) so we ensure that teachers and TA’s incorporate key vocabulary and clearly model skills using visual aids, ICT and cues to enhance the learning.

Implementation

At Claremont Primary School we deliver ‘Manchester Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education 2022-2027’. This syllabus continues in the tradition of ensuring that RE is responsive to the changing nature of schools and education. 

The main religions of Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism are taught, and revisited, through age groups from Years 1 to 6. We aim for every child to understand the key principles of each religion and know how these impact on daily life.

RE is planned and taught weekly, with teachers making links where possible with other curriculum areas and our values system HEARTS (Human Kindness, Equality, Aspirations, Resilience, Teamwork and Self- belief) which is the ethos of the school. The key skills and knowledge we have identified (our Age-Related Expectations) are allocated to year groups so that new learning builds on that of previous years and progression is achieved.

The overview of RE curriculum planning has been organised in year groups to make staff aware of the topics to teach in different Years and Key Stages. The plans and objectives follow our schools Age Related Expectations (ARE) and enable progression and consistency throughout the school. The whole-school age-related expectations and planning in years groups ensures that prior knowledge and skills are revisited and built on as children progress through the school. RE Curriculum overview can provide clear ideas for the following the academic year. All the resources are listed and clearly labelled. Age-appropriate RE resources are available.

In RE, pupil are informed how they are doing and what they must do next to make progress. Children are able to talk and discuss using key questioning. Some work is recorded in books. Key ideas are discussed and taught and children are able to talk about them.

The school believes that it is important for all children to have access to opportunities for spiritual development and awareness and understanding of the great religious traditions. All children are given the opportunity to access the curriculum at their level and are provided with the resources required to enhance their understanding. They are given opportunities to discuss their ideas and beliefs. If progress is not being made, support is immediate and steps provided to ensure all pupils achieve and make progress.

Impact

At Claremont we believe a deeper understanding of each other’s beliefs promotes a greater sense of community cohesion by promoting mutual respect and tolerance in a diverse society. These principles of our RE teachings are carried throughout the entire curriculum and form the basis of our ethos. We firmly believe that a meaningful RE curriculum is the key to children becoming confident, tolerant and well-rounded adults with an understanding of respect and social responsibility.

  • Children will enter the world with a well- rounded knowledge of all key religions.
  • Children will have a stronger awareness of the world around them and will be mindful of the beliefs of others.
  • Children will be more knowledgeable about what people believe and what difference it makes to how they live and can make sense of religion, reflecting on their own ideas and ways of living.
  • Children will build up tolerance and acceptance.
  • Children will feel they are valued as individuals and that their beliefs are valued and celebrated.
  • Children will feel safe to learn new things and share their beliefs with others in an accepting environment.
  • Children will develop a religious vocabulary and interpret religious symbolism in a variety of forms.
  • Enjoyment of the R.E. curriculum will promote creativity, achievement, confidence and inquisitive minds.
  • Children leave the school with a sense of belonging to a tightly knit community where they have the confidence and skills to make decisions, self-evaluate, make connections and become lifelong learners.

Useful Documents

Curriculum Statement RE            
RE Subject Overview            

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