Religious Education
Intent:
At Freeland CE Primary School, we believe that the teaching of RE should nurture pupils’ curiosity and inspire a fascination about religions and people of faith that will enable them to develop empathy and a true spiritual understanding of what it is like to be part of, and share in, a faith and its practices. At the heart of our RE curriculum is experiential learning. Every year, the children will visit a place of worship and have a visitor of faith come in and share their experiences with the children. They explore religious traditions and artefacts to further develop their understanding and curiosity. RE is taught in a cross curricular way giving the children opportunities to explore each religion through relevant subjects such as drama, art and music.
As recommended by The Oxfordshire Agreed Syllabus for RE, Key Stages 1 and 2 study Christianity plus one other religion in each year group, which means both religions have multiple enquiries (or 6-week units) per year. This ensures that the children revisit prior learning for both religions throughout the year to build on their previous enquiries. Christmas and Easter enquiries are built on year-on-year throughout the child’s primary school journey.
The children start from their own experience to ensure understanding of the concept being studied and then move into investigating that question in depth from the point of view of the chosen religion. Over a series of carefully planned lessons involving investigation and discussion throughout, subject knowledge is embedded. These lessons not only support the children with embedding their RE knowledge but also contribute to their oracy and critical thinking skills. Exposure to and analysis of religious texts also enhance the children’s reading, comprehension and inference skills. In all lessons pupils have the opportunity to describe, discuss and debate the Big and Key Questions. This enables them to use and understand the key vocabulary for each religion.
Knowledge is structured using the Big Question and a key question for each lesson. At the end of each unit pupils use what they have learned and draw upon prior learning to answer the Big question.
When studying Christianity, the children visit the local churches and speak to local clergy and members of the community to support the exploration of the Big Question. In collective worship members of the local clergy lead and share Christian beliefs, stories and prayer to further develop the children’s understanding of what it means to believe and practice a faith.
Implementation:
Our RE curriculum is based on Discovery RE alongside Understanding Christianity. Both use an enquiry led approach as the basis for implementation. Every unit (enquiry) is based around a Big Question. The Big Question for the enquiry is such that it demands an answer that weighs up ‘evidence’ (subject knowledge) and reaches a conclusion based on this. This requires children to use their subject knowledge and apply it to the Big Question, rather than this knowledge being an end in itself. RE teaching focuses on critical thinking skills, on personal reflection into the child’s own thoughts and feelings, on growing subject knowledge and nurturing spiritual development.
Curriculum coverage and topic focae:
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Autumn 1 |
Autumn 2 |
Spring 1 |
Spring 2 |
Summer 1 |
Summer 2 |
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EYFS |
Special People Christianity/Multi-faith |
Christmas/What is Christmas? Christianity |
Celebrations - How do people celebrate? Multi-faith |
Easter Christianity |
What can I learn from stories? Multi-faith |
What makes places special? Multi-faith |
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Sparrows A |
Creation Story Do Christians think God wants them to look after the world? Christianity |
The Christmas Story Christianity |
Jesus as a friend Christianity |
Easter - Palm Sunday Christianity |
Shabbat Judaism |
Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah Judaism |
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Sparrows B |
What did Jesus teach? Christianity |
Christmas/ Is Jesus a gift from God? Christianity |
Passover Judaism |
How important is it to Christians that Jesus came back to life after His crucifixion? Christianity |
What is the best way for Jew to show commitment to God? Judaism |
Does going to mosque give Muslims a sense of belonging? Islam |
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Autumn 1 |
Autumn 2 |
Spring 1 |
Spring 2 |
Summer 1 |
Summer 2 |
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Red Kites A |
Would Celebrating Diwali at home and in the community bring a feeling of belonging to a Hindu child? (Disc) Hinduism |
Has Christmas lost its true meaning? (Disc) Christianity |
How can Brahman be everywhere and in everything? (Disc) Hinduism |
What is good about Good Friday? (Disc) Christianity |
Can made up stories tell the truth? (SOW) Christianity |
Does Jesus have authority for everyone? (SOW) Christianity |
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Red Kites B |
Does Taking bread and wine show that someone is a Christian? (SOW) Christianity |
Is light a good symbol for celebration? (SOW) Multi-faith |
What’s the best way for a Hindu to show commitment? (Disc) Hinduism |
Should believers give things up? (SOW) Christianity Multi-faith |
Did Jesus really do miracles? (Disc & SOW) Christianity |
Would visiting the River Ganges feel special to a non-Hindu? (Disc) Hinduism |
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Kingfishers A |
Does prayer change things? (SOW) Christianity Multi-faith |
What is the most significant part of the nativity story for Christians? (Disc) Christianity |
Do beliefs in Karma, Samsara and Moksha help Hindus lead good lives? (Disc) Hinduism |
Is forgiveness always possible? (Disc) Christianity |
Are you inspired? (SOW) Christianity Multi-faith |
What’s best for our world? (SOW) Christianity Multi-faith |
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Kingfishers B |
Do people need to go to church to show they are Christians? (Disc) Christianity |
Is the Christmas story true? (Disc) Christianity |
Do Murtis help Hindus understand God? (SOW) Hinduism |
Was the death of Jesus a worthwhile sacrifice? (SOW) Christianity |
Is a Hindu child free to choose how to live? (SOW) Hinduism |
Is a holy journey necessary for believers? (SOW) Hinduism Christianity |
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Golden Eagles A |
Do Muslims need the Qur’an? (SOW) Islam |
Does God communicate with man? (SOW) Multi-faith |
Do clothes express beliefs? (SOW) Multi-faith |
Did God intend Jesus to be crucified? (Disc) Christianity |
Does belief in Akhirah (life after death) help Muslims lead good lives? (Disc) Islam |
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Golden Eagles B |
What’s the best way for a Muslim to show commitment? (Disc) Islam |
Is God made Man (Incarnation) a good way to understand the Christmas story? (SOW) Christianity |
Does the community of the Mosque help Muslims lead better lives? (SOW) Islam |
Is the resurrection important to Christians? (SOW) Christianity |
Can we know what God is like? (SOW) Multi-faith |
Does what you believe about creation matter? (SOW) vbn Multi-faith |
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Sample Pupil tracking:
Notes:
(Disc) refers to units from Discovery Scheme of Work
(SOW) refers to the Oxford Diocesan Scheme of Work
Progression and Sequencing of Skills
Linked to Discovery RE and locally agreed syllabus (Oxfordshire)
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Knowing about and understanding religions and world views. (formerly AT1) |
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EYFS |
Year 1 |
Year 2 |
Year 3 |
Year 4 |
Year 5 |
Year 6 |
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Shows an interest in other people. Understand family customs and traditions. |
Explore and retell the Christian creation story Remember some of the Christmas story Explain that Jesus is special to Christians. Retell a time when Jesus showed friendship Recall the events of Palm Sunday Talk about how Jewish people celebrate the Shabbat. Explain what the Chanukah symbol means. |
Remember something Jesus said or did to be kind. Explain how Jesus’ birth was Good News. Explain what happens when Muslims pray. Understand how Christians view God. Talk about what happens when Muslims go to Mosque. Understand the significance of Hajj for Muslims. . |
Talk about the meaning of Khalsa for Sikhs. Start to explain the Christian belief of the Trinity. Explore viewpoints about the story of Creation in Genesis. Explain why Good Friday is so named by Christians. Explore different ways in which Sikhs share. Discuss the ways Sikhs show commitment to God. |
Explain what makes Jewish people believe they have a special relationship with God. Talk about what it is like to be a Christian. Describe different ways Jewish people show respect to God. Explore forgiveness in a Biblical text. Explain how Jewish people might show their commitment to God. Explain the significance of Pentecost for the Christian Church. |
Explain the ways Hindus show commitment to God. Question why Christians believe Jesus was the Messiah. Understand that for Hindus, Brahman is in everything. Explain why Christians believe Jesus saved Humans. Explore how Karma, Moksha and Samsara help Hindus to lead good lives. Discuss the Christian belief that God is holy and loving.
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Explore how Muslims show commitment to God. Explain the significance of why Mary was chosen as Jesus’ mother. Describe what Christians might learn about creation from Bible stories. Explain how resurrection impacts Christian beliefs. Describe how Muslims might try to lead lives respectful to God. |
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Expressing and communicating personal ideas related to religions and worldviews. (formerly AT2 personal ) |
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EYFS |
Year 1 |
Year 2 |
Year 3 |
Year 4 |
Year 5 |
Year 6 |
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Different things make me unique. Understand that we don’t always enjoy the same things. Talk about the past and present. Understand that we don’t all do the same things. |
Express an opinion about creation Talk about how the world got here. Make links between things that are important to me. Talk about my friends and why I like them. Explore what it means to be a good friend. Explain how belief can affect decision making. |
Explain why we should be kind with reasons. Discuss the significance of Christmas as part of the BIg Story. Understand that prayer can take different forms. Offer and explain my own opinion about ‘What God is like’ Discuss how Muslims feel a sense of belonging when they are praying. Talk about how Muslims might feel after completingHajj. |
Explain how Diwali might bring a sense of belonging to Hindus. Explore how Christmas helps us understand Trinity. Start to explore my own views on what God is like and link to other religions I have learnt about. Begin to tell you if I think sharing is important to Sikhs or not. Empathise with the special feelings a Hindu might experience when at the River Ganges. |
Tell you how Jewish people might express their special relationship with God. Compare different people’s views on being a Christian. Identify how it would feel to keep Kashrut. Ask important questions about how forgiveness is possible. Express opinions on which ways I think are best for Jewish people to show commitment. Understand the importance of worshipping God for Christians. |
Understand that there are different degrees of commitment. Consider whether Jesus was really the Messiah. Recognise what I think about some Hindu beliefs, showing respect. Start to explain why I think some religious practices are more important than others. |
Identify things I find interesting /puzzling about Islam. Make links between the Virgin Birth and Christian beliefs about Jesus (Incarnation). Discuss the conflicts Science creates for the story of Genesis . Ask important questions about belief in eternity and eternal life. Explain why there might be different ways to show commitment. |
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Evaluating/critical thinking in relation to the enquiry question (formerly AT2 impersonal) |
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EYFS |
Year 1 |
Year 2 |
Year 3 |
Year 4 |
Year 5 |
Year 6 |
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Has a sense of their immediate family. Beginning to have their own friends. Understand similarities and differences. |
Use creative ways to express their own ideas about the creation story. |
Ask some questions about believing in God and offer some ideas of their own. Ask and suggest answers to questions arising from stories across more than one faith. Talk about issues of good and bad, right and wrong arising from stories. Respond to examples of cooperation between different people. |
Suggest some ideas about good ways to treat others arising from their learning. Find out about at least two teachings from religions about how to live a good life. |
Ask questions and suggest some of their own responses to ideas about God. Explore and suggest ideas about what is worth celebrating and remembering in religious communities and in their own lives. Discuss their own and others’ ideas about why humans do bad things and how people try to put things right. Discuss their own ideas about how people decide right and wrong. |
Discuss their own ideas about the importance of values to live by, comparing them to religious ideas. |
Express their own understanding of what a religious figure would do in relation to a moral dilemma from the world today. |
Impact:
Assessment in Discovery RE and Understanding Christianity is both formative and summative.
Pupils will be assessed at the start and end of each unit. During the cold task, pupils will answer the Big Question justifying their responses. At the end of each unit, pupils will have gained the knowledge and skills to answer the Big Question, justifying their answers and using key vocabulary. Key questions in each lesson will check prior knowledge and understanding which will inform any pre-teaching or additional consolidation needed.
Clear over-arching learning objectives and assessment elements within each unit enable teachers to pitch and plan subsequent lessons, and the content which can contribute to the overall summative assessment completed at the end of the unit. The three aspects are: personal resonance with or reflection on the subject content in relation to the Big Question; knowledge and understanding of the subject content in relation to the Big Question and evaluation/critical thinking in relation to the Big Question.