Subject Leaders: Mrs J Webb and Mr P Floyd

“Responsibility and respect of others and their religious beliefs

are also a part of freedom.”

Horst Koehler

“Differences were meant not to divide but to enrich.”  

J. H. Oldham

What is Religious Education?

Our definition for Foundation and KS1:

Religious Education is learning about and understanding world views and beliefs.

Our definition for KS2:

Religious Education is learning about, understanding and reflecting on spiritual, moral, cultural and social views and beliefs.

Religious Education equips children with the knowledge and understanding about different religious communities and their beliefs. Through RE children are given the opportunities to learn about different views and beliefs and how these beliefs are reflected in the lives of others. It provokes questions about purpose of life, beliefs about God and issues of right and wrong allowing children to gain a greater understanding of the world around them, their own communities and the wider world, nationally and globally.

Through quality and meaningful Religious Education, promoting enquiry and discussion, children are given the tools to reflect on and articulate their own beliefs and values whilst respecting and understanding the rights, values and beliefs of others. The teaching of RE allows the children in our school to reflect on our school’s Christian Values, how we can “shine our light” as well as the British Values of tolerance and respect. As a Church of England school we also recognise The Lincoln Diocesan Board of Education’s understanding of the driving purpose of RE being the development of secure religious literacy so that our pupils are able to hold informed and balanced conversations about religions and beliefs.

Intention

Through our Religious Education curriculum, we aim to enhance our children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural knowledge through the understanding of a range of religious and world views. We aim for our children to have an understanding of lives different to their own and their own experiences, having an awareness of the wide range of diversities and cultures beyond that of their own community.

As our vision statement states: “We are a community in which wellbeing and consideration for others is at the heart of the choices we make.”

We want to make a difference in the lives of our children, enabling them to become respectful, understanding and considerate individuals. Through high quality Religious Education, we aim to provide children with religious literacy, enabling our children to have informed and balanced conversations about a range of different practises and beliefs whilst considering their own idea, views and identity.

Through our teaching of Religious Education, we aim to raise an awareness of RE as a subject and inspire our children with the curiosity to learn more about understanding the lives of others. We aim for our children to question and challenge views in a respectful and understanding manor, developing a positive attitude towards other people, respecting their right to hold beliefs different from their own and towards living in a world of diverse religious beliefs.

Implementation

Where appropriate, children will be exposed to a variety of resources such as special people, books, places, objects, images and visiting places of worship. There should be purposeful displays including key facts they have learn about the religion, questions they have raised and representations of their own views. Each classroom has a copy of “The Big Frieze” as part of our Understanding Christianity resource to allow the children to reference and understand the Christian story in greater depth. Throughout the school, children will have access to books and materials from our diverse world, our library is equipped with a range of books about different religious and cultures and displays contain images, which reflect our diverse world. Within our foyer a collection of bible stories and prayers are displayed – these support Collective Worship and RE teaching across school

Organisation and Planning

How do we teach RE?

At North Somercotes we follow a combination of The Lincolnshire Agreed Syllabus for RE (LASRE) and units from the Understanding Christianity teaching resource.  We ensure that the topics studied in religious education build upon prior learning.  We offer opportunities for children of all abilities to develop their skills and knowledge in each unit, and we ensure that the planned progression built into the scheme of work offers the children an increasing challenge as they move through the school. The LASRE requires a minimum 5% curriculum time for RE. As a Church school, we make sure that this is fulfilled. RE is taught for 1 hour a week across school with additional time allocated for discussion and reflection time.

Throughout our school, we use an enquiry-led approach to teaching RE, where children are able to learn about a belief and then ask questions as to how that belief has an impact on followers’ life, practices actions. Children are given the opportunity to use their knowledge and understanding to discuss, question and form their own opinions (and be willing to change them). Through our RE lessons, we provide children with a safe space for discussion and provide opportunities to reflect on what is learnt. Where possible we want our pupils to have opportunities to encounter local faith communities through visits to local places of worship or visit from members of local faith communities.

RE Curriculum Long Term Plan

LAS – Lincolnshire Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education

U/C – Understanding Christianity

Inclusion

Our RE curriculum, lessons and materials will support equality of opportunity and an inclusive attitude to all learners. We will ensure that children are provided with a broad and balanced curriculum.

All pupils will have equal opportunity to reach their full potential across the RE curriculum regardless of their race, gender, cultural background or ability. Class teachers will be responsible for planning activities that are differentiated and suitably challenging to meet the needs of all children.

We will ensure our Bottom 20% readers are able to fully access all aspects of the RE curriculum through adapting of resources, additional adult support and other means of quality first teaching support.

Further information can be found in our SEND Policy

Impact:

The teaching of RE is an integral part of our school community. Our children leave North Somercotes, knowing and understanding religions and worldviews, having the confidence to express their own ideas and the compassion to show understanding and consideration to the beliefs and lives of others. Throughout our full curriculum there will have been many opportunities to “Shine a Light” on inspirational figures from a religious background. Our children will have learnt knowledge and skills, through high-quality teaching, which can support them through later life. Having an understanding of other cultures and knowing there are many similarities as well as differences between people is integral in becoming “reflective, thoughtful, resilient individuals” we aim to inspire through our school’s vision.