At Kingslea Primary School we aim to teach Religious Education in a way that enables children develop their skills and knowledge and allows them to make reasoned and informed judgements on religious and moral issues.
There are two focuses that we work on in RE. One of these is the ‘learning about’ a religion, where children develop knowledge of the people who are important to these religions, their history, where people worship and how their beliefs affect the way they live. The other focus is ‘learning from’ a religion. This is where children are encouraged to see how they can learn from other people’s beliefs. By focusing on a smaller number of the world’s religions in our RE curriculum, children are able to revisit their learning to allow them to fully embed the knowledge they have acquired.
The agreed syllabus follows the legal requirement for Religious Education to reflect the fact that the religious traditions in Great Britain are mainly Christian, while taking into account of the teachings and practises of other principle religions represented in Great Britain.
Culture is an important aspect of the world we live in. People’s values affect the way they live and the decisions they make. In Kingslea Primary School, children gain knowledge of the diverse beliefs that people have. As a result, they have an understanding and respect for people, which is crucial for when they enter the world of work. Throughout their time here, they are encouraged to think about how different beliefs are relevant to them.
Educational visits are arranged to local places of worship to support the children’s learning. In addition we foster strong community links with places of worship some of whom also support the school with assemblies and class-based activities.
As the children progress through the school they also spend more time learning about and discussing important issues such as identity and living alongside one another. During these topics, the pupils are given opportunities to give their own ideas on big questions about life and God and to look at lives of those who choose to follow a life without religion.
Children with SEND have full access to our RE curriculum because we believe that all children can excel in all subjects. We support children with targeted supported to ensure that they can meet the high expectations we hold of all children.
Impact
During their time at Kingslea and by the end of KS2, RE contributes to our children’s ability to personally reflect, heighten respect for other beliefs and help build a diverse but cohesive society, of which Kingslea is a microcosm.
Their work also shows that they learn and remember more over time, and make connections with prior learning.