Religious education (RE)
Why Teach RE at Oughton Primary and Nursery School?
‘RE lessons give a key and unique contribution to understanding British Heritage.’
The world is shrinking as people now travel further, meet people from a wide variety of cultures and backgrounds. Technology also connects us to others around the world. Children need to embrace the changing world around them, understand and respect the beliefs and backgrounds of the people they will meet throughout their lives and develop their own set of beliefs and values.
RE is a statutory subject and we at Oughton Primary and Nursery School strive to provide the children with a broad and balanced RE curriculum that is meaningful and thought- provoking.
Our RE lessons should be engaging, ignite the imagination and give the children plenty to think about. Studying sacred stories, exploring artefacts, symbols and art, whilst spotting similarities and differences, meeting people from our community, visiting places of worship and debating ‘big’ questions help the children to become well-informed and thoughtful citizens.
Our Intent
As in all subjects, we aim to fulfil our school vision. In doing so, we aim to provide a progressive and sequenced curriculum evidenced by the learning intentions in our medium term planning and knowledge sheets. We promote an environment where all children feel known, accepted and valued as individuals in a caring environment.
Our aims for all children in RE are:
Implementation
Our whole curriculum is shaped by our school vision, which aims to enable all children, regardless of background, ability, additional needs, to flourish to become the very best version of themselves they can possibly be.
In Nursery and Reception (Early Years), we follow the Early Years Curriculum which incorporates aspects from the Hertfordshire Agreed Syllabus alongside aspects of Understanding of the World.
We use the Hertfordshire Agreed Syllabus in Year 1 to Year 6, which informs our teaching. The agreed syllabus provides the statutory requirements for RE in Maintained schools and Voluntary Controlled schools, and is recommended for Voluntary Aided schools, Academies and Free Schools to ensure consistency and coherence in the entitlement of all Hertfordshire pupils.
The syllabus ensures children are given opportunities to explore a wide range of different religions, providing a holistic and balanced RE curriculum, throughout their time in our school.
Our RE curriculum contains two main elements – Learning about the Religion and Learning from the Religion. Each year group’s units of work build on the previous year’s learning of knowledge of stories, celebrations, beliefs, practices, symbols, worship and rituals. We investigate the similarities and differences between different religions and the role religion plays with in the wider community today.
Teachers at Oughton are confident in their own subject knowledge and provide engaging teaching materials and resources. Teachers know how our children learn and are willing to let children explore and ask questions of their own.
Teachers use a wide range of child centred activities, including art, music, discussion, drama, the use of artefacts, pictures, stories and the use of reflection, ensuring that the learning is enjoyable. We hold regular ‘WOW’ Assemblies to enhance the children’s learning and recall.
Impact
We believe that the impact of our RE teaching will be for the children to have a better understanding of the religions of the world and how they can learn from and work beside each other to create a community cohesion.
Our RE curriculum will promote inquisitive minds, respect, tolerance and understanding of those around them and themselves.
Teacher assessments, pupil voice and work scrutiny records the impact of the teaching in RE and is reported to the subject leader. As in all subjects, teachers have high expectations, which can be seen through the correct use of vocabulary, explanations and respectful opinions.
‘RE lessons give a key and unique contribution to understanding British Heritage.’
The world is shrinking as people now travel further, meet people from a wide variety of cultures and backgrounds. Technology also connects us to others around the world. Children need to embrace the changing world around them, understand and respect the beliefs and backgrounds of the people they will meet throughout their lives and develop their own set of beliefs and values.
RE is a statutory subject and we at Oughton Primary and Nursery School strive to provide the children with a broad and balanced RE curriculum that is meaningful and thought- provoking.
Our RE lessons should be engaging, ignite the imagination and give the children plenty to think about. Studying sacred stories, exploring artefacts, symbols and art, whilst spotting similarities and differences, meeting people from our community, visiting places of worship and debating ‘big’ questions help the children to become well-informed and thoughtful citizens.
Our Intent
As in all subjects, we aim to fulfil our school vision. In doing so, we aim to provide a progressive and sequenced curriculum evidenced by the learning intentions in our medium term planning and knowledge sheets. We promote an environment where all children feel known, accepted and valued as individuals in a caring environment.
Our aims for all children in RE are:
- To develop child’s knowledge and understanding of the six main world religions, religious traditions and views, which offer answers to ultimate questions.
- To encourage children to develop their sense of identity and belonging, in order to flourish within communities as responsible citizens.
- To teach children to develop respect for others and their beliefs and help to challenge prejudice.
- Ask and offer possible answers to challenging questions about the meaning of life, beliefs.
- Have a secure understanding and knowledge of the religions studied and be confident to answer questions.
- Have a sense of self-identity and belong to flourish within the community and be responsible citizens.
- Show respect, tolerance, and understanding of all religions and beliefs.
- Have a strong understanding of how beliefs, values, practices and ways of life within any religion come together.
Implementation
Our whole curriculum is shaped by our school vision, which aims to enable all children, regardless of background, ability, additional needs, to flourish to become the very best version of themselves they can possibly be.
In Nursery and Reception (Early Years), we follow the Early Years Curriculum which incorporates aspects from the Hertfordshire Agreed Syllabus alongside aspects of Understanding of the World.
We use the Hertfordshire Agreed Syllabus in Year 1 to Year 6, which informs our teaching. The agreed syllabus provides the statutory requirements for RE in Maintained schools and Voluntary Controlled schools, and is recommended for Voluntary Aided schools, Academies and Free Schools to ensure consistency and coherence in the entitlement of all Hertfordshire pupils.
The syllabus ensures children are given opportunities to explore a wide range of different religions, providing a holistic and balanced RE curriculum, throughout their time in our school.
Our RE curriculum contains two main elements – Learning about the Religion and Learning from the Religion. Each year group’s units of work build on the previous year’s learning of knowledge of stories, celebrations, beliefs, practices, symbols, worship and rituals. We investigate the similarities and differences between different religions and the role religion plays with in the wider community today.
Teachers at Oughton are confident in their own subject knowledge and provide engaging teaching materials and resources. Teachers know how our children learn and are willing to let children explore and ask questions of their own.
Teachers use a wide range of child centred activities, including art, music, discussion, drama, the use of artefacts, pictures, stories and the use of reflection, ensuring that the learning is enjoyable. We hold regular ‘WOW’ Assemblies to enhance the children’s learning and recall.
Impact
We believe that the impact of our RE teaching will be for the children to have a better understanding of the religions of the world and how they can learn from and work beside each other to create a community cohesion.
Our RE curriculum will promote inquisitive minds, respect, tolerance and understanding of those around them and themselves.
Teacher assessments, pupil voice and work scrutiny records the impact of the teaching in RE and is reported to the subject leader. As in all subjects, teachers have high expectations, which can be seen through the correct use of vocabulary, explanations and respectful opinions.
| RE Overview EYFS to Year 6 |