Religious Education
Intent
At Bede Community Primary School, our Religious Education (R.E.) curriculum is designed to engage and challenge all learners in alignment with the 2014 National Curriculum and the locally agreed Gateshead syllabus. We use the Jigsaw RE online programme to support the delivery of our R.E. curriculum.
We aim to:
- adopt an enquiry- based approach by beginning with the children’s own life experiences before moving into learning about and from religion.
- provoke challenging questions about the meaning and purpose of life, beliefs, the self, and issues of right and wrong, commitment and belonging. We will develop pupils’ knowledge and understanding of principal religions and religious traditions that examine these questions, fostering personal reflection and spiritual development.
- encourage pupils to explore their own beliefs (religious or non-religious), in the light of what they learn, as they examine issues of religious belief and faith and how these impact on personal, institutional and social ethics, and to express their responses.
- enable pupils to build their sense of identity and belonging, which helps them flourish within their communities and as citizens in a diverse society.
- teach understanding and respect for the diverse range of religions and worldviews represented in our school and wider community. Through RE, pupils gain a deeper understanding of different beliefs and cultures, helping to promote inclusivity and combat prejudice.
- promote a positive and inclusive school ethos, which champions democratic human and British values.
- prompt pupils to consider their responsibilities to themselves and to others, and to explore how they might contribute to their communities and to wider society. It encourages empathy, generosity and compassion.
Implementation
Our R.E. curriculum is carefully planned and sequenced to ensure that pupils develop a broad and balanced understanding of religions and worldviews, as outlined in the 2014 National Curriculum and the Gateshead Agreed Syllabus. The key aspects of implementation include:
- Curriculum Structure: R.E. is taught in line with the Locally Agreed Syllabus, covering religious and non-religious worldviews. Each year group explores key aspects of beliefs, practices, and festivals through thematic or systematic studies, building on prior knowledge.
- Progressive Learning: Lessons are planned to build cumulatively from Early Years to Year 6, ensuring pupils progressively deepen their understanding. This includes exploring religious stories in Early Years, key practices and beliefs in KS1, and more complex ethical and philosophical questions in KS2.
- Enquiry-Based Learning: Pupils learn through enquiry-based methods that encourage questioning, critical thinking, and personal reflection. Lessons often involve discussing big questions like “How do Jews/Muslims/Christians etc show commitment to God?
- Cross-Curricular Links: RE lessons are linked with other areas of the curriculum such as history, PSHE, and literacy. For example, pupils may explore religious festivals in conjunction with cultural celebrations or study religious figures in historical contexts.
- Cultural Experiences: We enhance learning through trips to places of worship, visits from religious leaders, and celebration of festivals. These experiences provide real-life contexts to reinforce classroom learning.
- Inclusive Teaching: Lessons are designed to be inclusive, catering to all learners, including those of a faith and no faith, through differentiated activities and discussions that respect diverse viewpoints.
In the early years, the learning is closely matched to Development Matters to contribute meaningfully to the children’s holistic development.
Each enquiry lasts for half a term and begins with a “big” question. The children then start discussing the theme of the enquiry from their own experience. Only when the children fully understand the concept they are considering, do they then move on to investigating what the people following the studied religion or worldview believe about it. The final lesson in every enquiry gives the children time to reflect on what they have learnt about the concept and apply to it their own lives, thus allowing them to form their own beliefs and identity.
Our R.E. curriculum promotes an ethos of respect for others, challenges stereotype and builds an understanding of other cultures and beliefs.
Our local community is strongly reflected within our curriculum, which has been designed with our specific circumstances in mind. Each year group will learn about Judaism and Islam as well as Christianity. Gateshead has a large and important Jewish community, which is very near to our school. We want to build an understanding of who the people are, why they look as they do and what they believe consistently over time to help break down prejudices and misunderstandings and to help create a sense of welcome in our school and community. Our own school population has a large percentage of Muslim children and families, so we feel that it is vital for them to be represented in each year group also in order to see that their beliefs are valued and, at times, that they are the holders of knowledge, which they can impart to others.
We aim for our R.E. lessons to be engaging and to promote critical thinking and discussion. In order to help facilitate this, work is often collaborative and oracy based. Reflections and learning are recorded in class floor books with representative work from lessons that children can regularly look back on.
The children are assessed over three aspects of learning:
- a personal reflection on the material/religion being studied.
- knowledge and understanding of the material/religion being studied
- critical thinking in relation to the enquiry question
These three aspects of learning are linked to the Gateshead Agreed Local Syllabus aims which are exploring, engaging and reflecting. The children are given a grade of At Age Related Expectations, above or below for each unit of study covered. This is determined by teachers’ professional judgements of them across the three aspects.
Impact
As with all of our subjects, our Super Learning Powers are intertwined throughout our R.E. curriculum, ensuring that our children are curious, empathetic and motivated learners. The impact of our R.E. curriculum is measured by:
- Knowledge and Understanding: By the end of Year 6, pupils will have a well-rounded knowledge of religious and non-religious worldviews. They will be able to articulate key beliefs, practices, and traditions of these faiths and understand their significance in a contemporary and historical context.
- Critical and Reflective Thinking: Pupils will demonstrate the ability to ask meaningful questions, critically evaluate religious and philosophical ideas, and reflect on their own beliefs and values. They will be confident in discussing religious and moral issues with respect and empathy for differing views.
- Cultural Awareness and Respect: Pupils will leave primary school with a deepened respect for people of all faiths and none, recognizing the importance of diversity in shaping communities and the world around them. They will be prepared for life in modern Britain, promoting harmony and understanding.
- Personal Development: R.E. contributes to the overall spiritual, moral, social, and cultural (SMSC) development of pupils. Children will develop a strong sense of moral responsibility and the ability to reflect on their own behaviour and choices.
- Assessment of Progress: We assess pupils’ progress through formative and summative assessments, using tools such as discussion, written work, and reflective tasks. Regular reviews of pupils’ work help teachers plan future lessons to address gaps in knowledge and skills.
Our R.E. curriculum ensures that all pupils are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and values to navigate and contribute to the diverse world they inhabit.