Religious Education
In November 2020, schools in both Nottinghamshire and the city of Nottingham were issued with the Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education, ‘RE for All’ 2021-2026
Through the use of the Syllabus we use RE to enable our pupils to gain insight and knowledge to equip them as responsible members in our society. The Syllabus we follow encourages pupils to discover more about religion and world views on a range of topics. They are encouraged to express ideas and insights into key questions which face all human beings as we travel through life. They will take part in in-school lessons, visits and trips (including trips to places of worship).
The three fold aims of RE in Nottinghamshire will ensure that our pupils:
- Know and understand a range of religions and world views which will allow them to recognise the diversity which exists in our society.
- Can express ideas and insights about the nature, significance and the impact of religions and world views as they develop their own personal views on a range of issues
- Develop and use skills which will assist them to engage seriously with religions and world views
By following the Agreed Syllabus, RE will contribute to a whole range of school priorities. Their study will promote spiritual, cultural, social and moral development, as well as enabling them to consider British Values such as tolerance and respect for other who hold different world views.
If you would like to know more about the Nottinghamshire and Nottingham City Agreed Syllabus a copy is available for you to read in the school.
Religious Education Vision
Intent At the Lanes, we want to ensure every pupil accesses a RE curriculum that helps them to understand a range of religions and world views in local, national and global contexts. It should encourage them to express ideas and insights and challenges them to question. The effective teaching of RE should equip pupils with knowledge and understanding to develop their own ideas and allow them to participate positively within the diverse community. We aim for all our children to:
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Implementation The curriculum is designed to allow children to discover, explore and consider many different answers to thought provoking questions. They are provided time to investigate and share their own views and listen to others. It promotes SMSC throughout and makes links to the wider community, preparing them for opportunities, responsibilities and experiences in later life. Lessons are planned and prepared to encourage children to investigate RE in many different forms. For example, through artefacts, conversations, artwork and evidence. Teachers prompt children to ask questions and listen to a wide variety of views. They learn to debate and discuss, developing an understanding that people have different views. They tolerate this and can disagree respectfully and recognise this through insights in to their own and others’ lives. We help children to develop the skills to interpret and evaluate evidence. The steps in learning are progressive and enable deepening of learning through a sequence of lessons based on a key area of the RE curriculum. Children are develop a deeper understanding and teachers are reflective on the children’s interests and assessment when planning the next lesson. |
Religious Education Knowledge Planner
Principles and Rationale
The RE curriculum encourages:
- Children to know about and understand a range of religions and world views.
- Express ideas and insights about the nature, significance and impact of religions and world views.
- Gain and deploy the skills needed to engage seriously with religions and world views.
- Children to recognise the diversity that exists within/between the communities and be respectful of this, understanding their own responsiblilities.
- Children to explore their own beliefs through thought provoking questions.
- Build their sense of identity and belonging.
We expect children to be able to describe, explain and analyse beliefs and practices. As a result children investigate and respond to key questions, they are appreciative of the different ways of life and understand their significance. Children are given opportunities to be reflective and the independence to enquire into different religions.
We split the knowledge into six key strands. These are:
- Key questions: To enable children to answer a question/s through investigating and analysing a range of information.
- Key themes: This is a generic theme/value that all children can engage with whether religious or not.
- Big questions: These are thought provoking questions which are designed to encourage children to think more deeply or debate/discuss.
- Vocabulary: Key vocabulary related the topic and symbols/artefacts are highlighted within this.
- Key events/stories: Key stories from religion for example the Bible or Torah. Understanding the importance of certain events and the influence on religion.
- Experiences/visits: This may be an external visit or a visitor within school. This also encompasses whole school events.
The children build on their knowledge in each of the key strands during each year of school. Key knowledge is organised into these strands. This does not represent the entirety of the knowledge covered during a topic, but rather the knowledge most children should know by the end and will therefore be focused on across a series of lessons.
The knowledge planners allows progression in learning through the school. It is good practice for pupils to progress their skills by learning from a religion over a period of years, for example across a key stage.
Religious stories are in purple