Religious Education

Curriculum Intent

Subject Curriculum Vision

At Birley Primary Academy, we aim to engage children in sustained shared thinking about significant human questions which are addressed through different religions and worldviews. We support children to develop the understanding and skills they need to consider varied responses to these questions and develop their own views and ideas over time.

By building on from Early Years work about understanding the world, we aim to support children to develop their knowledge of different religions and understanding of different worldviews. We support them to develop the skills they need to question, debate, compare and critically assess different answers to ‘big’ human questions. We believe that the skills we equip children with at this age will enable them to go into the world as curious, independent thinkers who are able to appraise and consider any views they are exposed to.

At Birley Primary Academy, we believe that RE should be active, creative and fun. RE provides an opportunity for children to explore and test out different ideas about the world that we are living in. We believe that these opportunities should be clearly rooted in understanding about different religions. This understanding then underpins the children’s confidence to question ideas and make links to their own experiences and opinions. We believe that these opportunities and experiences provide children in our school with the understanding of why RE is relevant to their lives now and how it will continue to be relevant in the future.

Curriculum Implementation

Aims of the National Curriculum

We deliver RE in accordance with the Church of England Education Office’s Statement of Entitlement. Within this framework, our aims in R.E. are for pupils to:

Acquire and develop knowledge and understanding of Christianity and a range of world faiths and worldviews;
Develop an understanding of the ways in which religious and non-religious beliefs, teachings, practices, values and traditions influence individuals, communities, societies and cultures, from the local to the global contexts;
Develop the ability to make reasoned and informed judgements about religious and moral issues, with reference to the beliefs, teachings, practices, sources of authority and ways of living associated with the principle religions represented in the UK;
Develop positive attitudes of mutual respect for and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs;
Enhance their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development by:
- Considering the ‘big questions’ raised by human experience and reflecting on how religious and other traditions respond to them;
- Responding to such questions with reference to religious beliefs, teachings, practices, values and traditions, relating them to their own understanding and experience;
- Reflecting on their own beliefs, values and experiences in light of their study of religious and other traditions.

Teaching of the Curriculum

At Birley Primary Academy, Religious Education (RE) is taught in accordance with the Lincolnshire Agreed RE Syllabus. Through R.E., our children will be able to:

Learn about Christianity and about other principal religions represented in the United Kingdom
Reflect on a range of human questions and experiences
Ask, analyse and respond to deep questions about human life
Explore the meaning of ‘authority’, ‘celebration’ and ‘sacred’
Be aware of the ways in which religion influences the lives of individuals and communities
Prepare for life as citizens

Details about how Birley Primary Academy deliver our RE Curriculum can be found in the information below:

Over the course of the academic year, RE is delivered on a weekly basis with timetabled sessions for all year groups.
Using an agreed syllabus detailed above, children will encounter units of work that will develop a strong understanding of three principal religions (Christianity, Islam and Hinduism) whilst also providing learning opportunities to allow them to encounter all of the six major world religions.
It is expected that pupils will also encounter non-religious worldviews, such as Humanism, as part of their RE curriculum.
We have developed a progression of skills across all year groups, which enables pupils to build on and develop their skills each year

Religious Education in the EYFS

The Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum supports children’s understanding of Religious Education through the planning and teaching of ‘Understanding the World – People, Cultures and Communities’. Children are encouraged to use their imagination and curiosity to develop their appreciation of, and wonder at, the world in which they live. Exploring others views, cultures and beliefs supports children in developing their views and beliefs about themselves, their family and community. In finding out about others, young children are encouraged to reflect on belief, culture and practice and explore religion and faith through observing festivals and celebrations, sharing non – fiction texts and reading stories from religious texts, handling artefacts, engaging in roleplay and drama based activities, and through discussions with those around them.

Curriculum Impact

The children at Birley Primary Academy enjoy learning about other religions and why people choose, or choose not to follow a religion. Through their R.E learning, the children are able to make links between their own lives and those of others in their community and in the wider world, developing an understanding of other people’s cultures and ways of life. As a school, we believe that R.E is invaluable in an ever changing world.

How do we monitor the impact of our RE curriculum?

We measure the impact of our curriculum through the following methods:

Pupils’ progress in RE is based on the expected outcomes outlined in the Lincolnshire Agreed Syllabus. This is clearly mapped in our skills and knowledge progression map.
Summative assessments are made by teachers at the end of a unit of work and at the end of each academic year. Teachers can use evidence from pupil discussions, written outcomes, pupil interviews (pupil voice), and other creative outcomes, such as drama, art and music.
Pupils’ books and standards in RE are scrutinised termly by the RE lead. Where appropriate this is followed up by CPD for staff delivering RE lessons.
Progress in RE is reported annually to parents and has a prominent position in the end of year report

Readiness for Next Stage of Education

We endeavour to ensure that the sequence of content enables our children to progress whilst they are with us whilst also providing our pupils with the necessary foundations to build upon as they progress into secondary education and beyond. Further to this, as they head towards secondary education, we are proud of the fact that the ambitious RE curriculum at Birley Primary Academy plays a vital role in equipping each child with the skills and knowledge needed to take advantage of opportunities that life can offer. We aim for pupils to understand the wide range of religious beliefs in their community and how they can be respectful, inquisitive and positive members of their new school’s community.

Promotion of British Values and SMSC

Through our RE curriculum, we ensure that our children are well-equipped for life in modern Britain. Through purposeful subject linkage, such as using argument and discussion texts requiring children to understand different points of view and debates or through embracing literature from different world faiths and cultures, we aim for our pupils develop an excellent understanding of democracy, the rule of law, responsibility and liberty, mutual respect and tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs.

Further to this, our English curriculum is also driven by SMSC development and this can be exemplified in the following ways;

Developing confidence and expertise in language which is an important aspect of individual and social identity enabling pupils to understand and engage with the feelings and values embodied in high quality, fiction, drama, film and television.
Developing pupils awareness of moral and social issues in fiction, journalism, magazines, radio, television and film
Helping pupils to understand how language has changed over time, the influences on spoken and written language and social attitudes to the use of language

As a result of this, pupils thrive – enjoying their lives, learning and wanting to make a difference for others.