Religious Education (R.E.)

Intent

At Pear Tree Primary, our RE teaching offers a broad and rich RE curriculum. Our curriculum allows for a variety of ways to explore religions, the Pear Tree community and their personal development and wellbeing. The lessons intend to provide a high quality, coherent and progressive experience of the subject, and offers scope for cross-curricular learning. Children will learn about a range of religions and world views. They will be able to identify, investigate and respond to a variety of issues. SMSC, personal growth and community cohesion are featured throughout each non-statutory strand and are there to ensure opportunities for children to develop positive attitudes and values and to reflect on and relate their learning in RE to their own experiences. The intent is to make sure that children understand the relevance of RE in today’s modern world and how it affects our lives.

Implementation

At Pear Tree, we follow the Handbook to Religious Education in Cheshire East and Diocese of Chester planning too. In KS1, children begin to look at other religions, focusing on celebrations and rituals. In KS2, we look at a wider range of learning opportunities about the world’s religions including a deeper understanding of the origin of these religions and their key stories and teachings. Throughout both key stages, emphasis on personal growth and community cohesion is evident, allowing for personal development for the children from KS1 to KS2.

In accordance with 1988 Education Act, parents have the right to withdraw their children from religious education.  This should be done in consultation with the Headteacher and with regard to the specific elements of the programme of study from which they should be withdrawn.  Provision will be made for the supervision of such children.

Impact

We believe that the impact of using the Handbook to Religious Education in Cheshire East and the Diocese of Chester planning as the basis of our RE curriculum will be for children to have a better understanding of the religions that make up the UK landscape and how they can learn from and work alongside each other to create community cohesion. All children will be more informed about their position in the world and the decisions they can make that influence their future. All children in school will be able to talk confidently about their well-being, moral and cultural development for the society in which they live. The RE curriculum will promote inquisitive minds, respect, tolerance and understanding for all those around them including themselves. Our plans enable high quality work to be produced and evidenced, showcasing a deep understanding of the main religions of the world, their community and their future. This evidence will be seen through using the correct vocabulary, explanations and respectful opinions, as well as cross curricular evidence, for example, religious and cultural art work, drama, craft and presentations. Impact will be seen by all teachers and children enjoying the experience of teaching and learning RE and understanding how it can help them in their future.

Expectations

Level Expected at the End of EYFS

We have selected the Early Learning Goals that link most closely to the RE National Curriculum.

Government Guidance

Religious Education is not a statutory part of the National Curriculum but state-funded, local authority schools must provide a basic curriculum. Schools designated as having a religious character are free to make their own decisions in preparing their syllabuses. ‘The curriculum for a maintained school must be a balanced and broadly based one which ‘promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils and of society, and prepares pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life’.’ Section 2 79 (1) School Standards and Framework Act. Breadth and depth can be achieved in RE, if the following are taken into account:

RE should provide opportunities for pupils to develop positive attitudes and values and to reflect and relate their learning in RE to their own experience.

• Building on the statutory requirements, it is recommended that there should be a wide- ranging study of religion and belief across the key stages as a whole.
• Not all religions need to be studied at the same depth or in each key stage, but all that are studied should be studied in a way that is coherent and promotes progression.
• Pupils should have the opportunity to learn that there are those who do not hold religious beliefs and have their own philosophical perspectives, and subject matter should facilitate integration and promotion of shared values. 
• The study of religion should be based on the legal requirements and provide an appropriate balance between and within Christianity, other principal religions and, where appropriate, other religious traditions and worldviews, across the key stages as a whole, making appropriate links with other parts of the curriculum and its cross-curricular dimensions

Taken from: Religious Education in English Schools: Non-statutory guidance 2010

Areas to Cover in the Non-Statutory Guidance

Each Local Authority will have an agreed syllabus so it is important that RE subject leaders are aware of the agreed syllabus to allow for the correct coverage in their school. Pear Tree Primary School follows the SACRE guidance. These three areas should underpin the breadth of coverage of RE in schools:

• SMSC
• Personal Growth and Development
• Community Cohesion

RE coverage should aim to:

• provoke challenging questions;
• encourage pupils to explore their own beliefs;
• enable pupils to build their sense of identity and belonging; teach pupils to develop respect for others;
• prompt pupils to consider their responsibilities.