Religious Education

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RE Statement of Entitlement for Church Schools

Religious Education Intent 

Vision for RE

To appreciate the way that religious beliefs shape life and behaviour. Develop the ability to make reasoned and informed judgements about religious and moral issues. Enhance their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

At All Saints, Religious Education (R.E) plays an important role in our curriculum and school life which is taught either weekly or as a block each term.  R.E. enables our children to explore and question spiritual and religious experience and search for a sense of belonging, meaning and purpose in life and aims to develop religious literacy. Our R.E. curriculum is centred around using a termly ‘big question.’  These help to spark the children’s curiosity and give them the opportunity to discover, explore and consider different answers to these questions. They learn to develop and express their own insights and beliefs in response, and to agree or disagree respectfully with the views and beliefs of others. They will learn about different religious and non-religious beliefs and practices that influence and shape our community and culture today. We aim for a good balance between theology, philosophy and human science. As children progress, they will be able to talk about and understand a range of religions and worldviews which will enable them to explain and analyse beliefs and practises, recognising and valuing the diversity which exists within our community.  To provide enrichment opportunities alongside our R.E. curriculum, we visit churches in our local community to explore the different features and have visits from local clergy to broaden our understanding of church practices.

At All Saints School, there is an emphasis on the teaching of Christianity as a world faith. Our curriculum draws pupils into deeper understanding of the Bible, explores how Christian belief and practice are shaped, makes connections with other areas of belief and understanding, and encourages reflection, evaluation and application. The resource ‘Understanding Christianity’ provides a framework that builds on skills and knowledge as well providing exciting and engaging teaching and learning opportunities. Using a frieze that is displayed in school, the core concepts of God, creation and the fall, the people of God, incarnation, gospel, salvation and the kingdom of God are explored. The core concepts fit into a spiral curriculum, whereby concepts are revisited and explored in greater depth as pupils move through the school. For example, thinking about the concept of incarnation, in the EYFS pupils learn about the first Christmas and that Christians believe that Jesus was a special baby. By the end of KS1, pupils understand that  Christians believe that Jesus’s birth was unique and that he is God, come in human form. In Year 3, pupils learn about the Trinity (one God who has three persons the Father, Son and Holy Spirit) and by the end of KS2 that Christians believe that Jesus was the Messiah promised by God to restore the relationship between God and mankind that had been broken by the fall of Adam and Eve. Questions are explored in relation to the Bible, the Christian community and wider Christian living. Units of work comprise a ‘core learning’ section, approximately 6–8 hours of teaching and learning, and an optional ‘digging deeper’ section, with ideas and resources for another 4–6 hours. The Oxfordshire Diocese Scheme of Work provides us with a framework of units that support the teaching of other religions and worldviews. In key Stage 1, Judaism is taught alongside Christianity and in Key Stage 2 Islam and Hindusim are explored, along with non-religious worldviews. Again children have the opportunity to investigate core concepts, beliefs and practices, make connections and reflect and develop an understanding, appreciation and respect for beliefs, values and customs that may differ from their own. At All Saints School the RE curriculum is ambitious and designed to give all pupils, particularly disadvantaged pupils and including pupils with SEN and/or disabilities, the knowledge and cultural capital they need to succeed in life. We use various strategies to support the teaching and learning of RE such as; using simpler texts and visuals, overlays, enlarging print, pairing children, breaking learning into smaller chunks and using simplified instructions. RE is assessed at the end of every unit and  through children’s oral and written responses in lessons and their engagement in activities that provide evidence of their growing knowledge and understanding. A summative assessment is recorded in reports at the end of the school year.

Supporting your child in RE

Talk to your child about what they are learning in RE, encouraging them to reflect on what they have learnt and develop their own views and beliefs.. Encourage curiosity about the cultures and beliefs that they come across, for example through the news. Value their own ‘big questions’ and together search for and talk about possible answers, acknowledging that people will have different points of view but that we respect and value our differences. BBC Bitesize https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/zmyb4wx  have useful videos to help learn about different religious and non-religious beliefs.