RE

At Park Junior School, our RE curriculum encourages our children to become religiously literate; to enable our children to develop the knowledge and understanding around a range of religious and worldwide views so that they can describe, explain, analyse and investigate allowing them to appreciate the beliefs, practices and spiritual insights of others, including non-religious believers.  We aim to offer rich, vibrant and meaningful opportunities that, through discussion and a range of learning activities, will enable our children to develop local, national and global awareness; preparing our children for life in modern Britain. Children are growing up in a world where there is an increasing awareness of diversity of religious and non-religious world views. It is therefore vital that the RE curriculum provides a rigorous and rich study of religious and non-religious worldviews. A quality RE curriculum creates another space for respect, exploration and understanding of the diversity of world views and belief systems. “RE is an important curriculum subject. It is important in its own right, and it also makes a unique contribution to the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils and supports wider community cohesion.” (Religious Education in English Schools: Non-statutory guidance 2010). Learning about religion and worldviews will help the children to develop respect, understanding and empathy for others. They will be provided with a safe space in which to have deep, meaningful discussions during which they learn to respectfully understand, challenge and accept differing viewpoints, to reflect critically and responsibly on their own spiritual, philosophical and ethical convictions. 

EYFS and KS1, we will be building on the prior learning in EYFS and KS1 with our KS2 curriculum.

During KS2, the RE curriculum provides opportunities for children to make connections between their knowledge and understanding of Christianity and the religious traditions and beliefs in Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism and those of no faith, including spiritualism around the world. They will be provided with learning opportunities to make connections between the beliefs of others and their own lives and their way of understanding the world. They will build on the learning that has taken place in EYFS and KS1.

During Lower KS2, the following areas of focus have been selected: Light and Dark: What do these symbols mean? People of God: What is it like to follow God?

Stories of Faith – What can we learn from stories shared by Christians, Jews and Muslims, and their Holy books. Why do we have celebrations - Differences between tradition, faith and non-believers.  Christianity: ‘Salvation: Why do Christians call the day Jesus died ‘Good’ Friday?’ Islam – Keeping the Five Pillars – what difference does it make?

During Upper KS2, children continue to make connections in the following areas of focus that have been selected: Sikhism in Britain – What is important to a Sikh in Britain today? Judaism and Christianity: How do religious passages inform the way you live? Faith in Action: How do religions serve the community? Buddhism around the World: How Buddhists live their life? Hinduism: What can we learn from some aspects of the Hindu religion? Other beliefs around the world: What religion is the right religion?

The following high dividend concepts have been identified as part of the Park (NPAT) RE curriculum:  belief, worship, festivals and community. These will form the ‘Big Ideas’ through which all RE will be taught. Teachers will make explicit reference to where children have met these concepts before in the curriculum. As a child progresses through school, core concepts are expanded upon and explored in greater depth. Most units are thematic and make links across religious beliefs; referring to more than one religion to explore a religious concept such as rules, sacred books, worship or their way of life. The RE curriculum has been carefully constructed to ensure children acquire a rich deep knowledge and understanding of belief and practice. Children are given opportunities to use reasoned arguments and debate to explore differing controversial views in a familiar and supportive environment. They explore current social injustice which exists in the world. Thus, enabling children to make connections between differing faiths and beliefs and their own lives, and ways of understanding the world.

The curriculum has been carefully sequenced to ensure a progression in substantive and disciplinary knowledge and to reveal the interplay between them. The content is specified in detail and is taught to be remembered, not just encountered. Disciplinary knowledge is embedded within the most appropriate substantive context. Teachers will make explicit reference to prior learning and planning will identify relevant links throughout the curriculum:

Horizontal links will be explicitly made e.g. In Year 3, children learn about how light and dark are portrayed in different religions.  They learn about the Jewish festival of Hanukah and what this means to Jewish people and freedom.  Later they learn about promises and following rules to continue to be free in the story of Noah.

Vertical links will be made where knowledge and understanding are built upon from previous RE units e.g., in Year 5 spring term, the children continue to build upon the knowledge and understanding from the Year 3 units about freedom.

Diagonal links will be made, particularly where this is cross-curricular. e.g., links between RE, Geography, History and PSHE such as emotions and feelings with how people live their lives through their beliefs, Geography where places and pilgrimages are, and history the origins of religions.

Key RE vocabulary is specified and explicitly taught as part of the Park (NPAT) RE Curriculum. The development of vocabulary progresses throughout the RE curriculum.