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Newton Burgoland Primary School

Newton Burgoland Primary School

Together We Can Achieve Excellence

RE

Together We Make Learning A Memorable, Unmissable Adventure

Principal aim (Leicestershire agreed syllabus)

The principal aim of RE is to engage pupils in systematic enquiry into significant human questions which religion and world views address, so that they can develop the understanding and skills needed to appreciate and appraise varied responses to these questions, as well as develop  responses of their own. 

 

  • Religious Education contributes dynamically to children and young people’s education in schools by provoking challenging questions about meaning and purpose in life, beliefs about God, ultimate reality, issues of right and wrong and what it means to be human.
  • In RE they learn about and from religions and world views in local, national and global contexts, to discover, explore and consider different answers to these questions.
  • They learn to weigh up the value of wisdom from different sources, to develop and express their insights in response, and to agree or disagree respectfully.
  • Teaching therefore should equip pupils with systematic knowledge and understanding of a range of religions and world views, enabling them to develop their ideas, values and identities.
  • It should develop in pupils an aptitude for dialogue so that they can participate positively in our society, with its diverse religions and world views.
  • Pupils should gain and deploy the skills needed to understand, interpret and evaluate texts, sources of wisdom and authority and other evidence. They should learn to articulate clearly and coherently their personal beliefs, ideas, values and experiences while respecting the right of others to differ. (Leicestershire agreed syllabus)

Our RE curriculum was reviewed in 2021/22. We have adopted the Leicestershire greed syllabus 2021 and use the Understanding Christianity materials to support planning and subject knowledge in that area. Now, in the academic year 2022/23 we continue to review our long term planning as teachers become more skilled and familiar with the documents and resources.

RE at Newton Burgoland

As Newton Burgoland Primary School is largely mono-cultural, we have designed our curriculum, including RE, to prepare pupils to live and work in a global community. We want learners to respect, appreciate and celebrate difference, to uphold British Values and to discover and embrace their own spirituality. We want learners to be proud to be themselves and proud of their heritage and culture.

RE exhibition flyer

We hold RE in high value. We ensure that teaching staff are equipped with the subject knowledge necessary to teach this challenging subject well by ensuring they have access to high quality CPD.

Approximately 35 hours annually, across at least two terms, is allocated to RE. This is the same in both key stages. 50% of our RE curriculum is teaching about Christianity, the other 50% concentrates on thematic questions, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and the non-religious world view of Humanism.

Below is the Long Term Plan for RE at Newton Burgoland Primary School:

Year A 21/22

 

Autumn

Spring

Summer

Class 1

 

F4 - Thematic

Being Special – Where do we belong?

F2 - Incarnation

Why is Christmas special for Christians?

F5 - Thematic

Which places are special and why?

F3 - Salvation

Why is Easter special for Christians?

1.7 – God/Torah/People

Who is Jewish and how do they live?

Class 2

1.1 and 1.2 – God and Creation

What do Christians believe God is like and who do Christians say made the world?

1.4 - Gospel

What is the ‘good news’ Christians believe Jesus brings?

1.3 - Incarnation

Why does Christmas matter to Christians?

1.10 - Thematic

What does it mean to belong to a faith community?

1.5 - Salvation

Why does Easter matter to Christians?

1.6 – God/ Tawhid/ibadah/iman

Who is a Muslim and how do they live?

1.9 - Thematic

How should we care for others and the world, and why does this matter?

Class 3

L2.1 – Creation/Fall

What do Christians learn from the creation story?

L2.7 – Brahman/Atman

What do Hindu’s believe god is like?

L2.2 – People of God

What is it like for someone to follow god?

L2.9 - Ibadah

How do festivals and worship show what matters to a Muslim?

L2.3 – God/Incarnation

What is The Trinity and why is it important to Christians?

L2.10 – God/Torah/People/the land

How do festivals and family life show what matters to Jewish people?

Class 4

U2.1 – God

What does it mean if God is holy and loving?

 

U2.7 - Karma/dharma/ samsara/ moksha

Why do Hindus want to be good?

U2.2 - Creation/Fall

Creation and science: conflicting or complementary?

 

U2.8 - Tawhid/iman/ibadah

What does it mean to be a Muslim in Britain today?

U2.3 - Incarnation

Why do Christians believe Jesus was the Messiah?

 

U2.9 – God/Torah

Why is the Torah so important to Jewish people?

 

Year B 22/23

 

Autumn

Spring

Summer

Class 1

F6 - Thematic

Which stories are special and why?

F1 - God

Why is the word ‘God’ so important to Christians?

1.8- Thematic

What makes some places special to believers?

Class 2

1.1 and 1.2 – God and Creation

What do Christians believe God is like and who do Christians say made the world?

1.4 - Gospel

What is the ‘good news’ Christians believe Jesus brings?

1.3 - Incarnation

Why does Christmas matter to Christians?

1.10 - Thematic

What does it mean to belong to a faith community?

1.5 - Salvation

Why does Easter matter to Christians?

1.6 – God/Tawhid/ibadah/iman

Who is a Muslim and how do they live?

1.9- Thematic

How should we care for others and the world, and why does this matter?

Class 3

L2.4 - Gospel

What kind of world did Jesus want?

L2.8 - Dharma

What does it mean to be Hindu in Britain today?

L2.5 - Salvation

Why do Christian’s call the day Jesus died ‘Good Friday’?

L2.11 - Thematic

How and why do people mark the significant events of life?

L2.6 – Kingdom of God

For Christian’s, what was the impact of Pentecost?

L2.12- Thematic

How and why do people try and make the world a better place?

Class 4

U2.4 - Gospel

How do Christians decide how to live? What would Jesus do?

 

U2.10 – Non-religious Worldviews

What matters most to Humanists and Christians?

U2.11 - Thematic

Why do some people believe in God and some people not?

 

U2.5 – Salvation

What do Christians believe Jesus did to save human beings?

U2.6 - Kingdom of God

For Christians, what kind of king is Jesus?

 

U2.12- Thematic

How does faith help when life gets hard?

 

These units may be moved round if class teachers deem it appropriate.

Learning outcomes specific for each of the units can be found in the Leicestershire Agreed Syllabus 2021 document below.

Assessment, recording and  reporting progress in RE

In all subjects there are three broad areas for assessment:

  • Children’s knowledge and understanding
  • How well children can use  and apply their knowledge, understanding and skills at the end of a unit of work to complete an independent (of an adult) task or challenge
  • How well learners are developing habits for learning and character

Teachers assess learner’s work, their attitudes, increasing skills, knowledge and understanding, by making informal judgements as they observe them during lessons. This assessment enables planning to be tailored to meet learners' needs. Assessment encompasses teacher, peer and self-assessment. In all subjects, opportunities for both Assessment for Learning and Assessment of Learning are built into provision. There are many opportunities for this to happen informally; for example, KWL grids, quizzes, finding the odd one out, exit questions and self-assessments. Learners are supported to reflect on their own learning and, age appropriately, to make judgements about their strengths and needs, beginning to plan how to make progress and set personal targets.

Baseline assessment, in order to understand pupils’ prior learning, is an essential part of planning to ensure new learning is relevant and progress can be assessed. While we are still embedding the new curriculum, teachers will often make the decision to start a new unit by pre-teaching some key concepts in order to ensure that they can access the challenging content and rigorous pace expected.

The children's work, including baseline assessments (where appropriate) and end of unit assessments are recorded in their books. These are all used to make decisions at the end of each unit, and at the end of each year, as to next learning steps and whether or not learners are making strong progress and are on track for end of key stage expectation.

Progress is recorded and reported to parents as part of the child’s annual school report

RE in early years foundation stage

Children in EYFS encounter religious and non-religious Worldviews through special people, books, times, places and objects and by visiting places of worship. They listen to and talk 
about stories. Children are introduced to subject-specific words and use all their senses to explore beliefs, practices and forms of expression.

They ask questions and reflect on their own feelings and experiences. They use their imagination and curiosity to develop their appreciation of, and wonder at, the world in which they live.
In line with the DfE’s new 2020 EYFS Profile schools, we plan RE which, through purposeful play and a mix of adult led and child-initiated activity, provides these opportunities
for pupils.

Prime area: Communication and Language. RE enables children to:
• Develop their spoken language through quality conversation in a language-rich environment, gaining new vocabulary about religion and worldviews.
• Engage actively with stories, non-fiction, rhymes and poems from the RE field, taking opportunities to use and embed new words in a range of contexts. 
• Share their ideas via conversation, storytelling and role play, responding to support and modelling from their teacher, and sensitive questioning that invites them to elaborate their
thoughts in the RE field.
• Become comfortable using a rich range of vocabulary and language structures in relation to RE content.
• Offer explanations and answers to ‘why’ questions about religious stories, non-fiction, rhymes, songs and poems.

Prime area: Personal, Social and Emotional Development. RE enables children to:
• Observe and join in warm and supportive relationships with adults and learn how to understand their own feelings and those of others.
• Manage emotions and develop a positive sense of self, understanding their own feelings and those of others e.g. through religious story.
• Talk and think about simple values as they learn how to make good friendships, co-operate and resolve conflicts peaceably
• Notice and respond to ideas about caring, sharing and kindness from RE content including stories, sayings and songs.

Prime area: Physical Development. RE enables children to:
• Use and develop their motor skills through RE based arts and craft activities and, for example, small world play, visual representations of their ideas and thoughts, role play

Specific area: Literacy. RE enables children to:
• Build their abilities in language comprehension through talking with adults about the world around them, including the world of religion and belief.
• Engage with stories and non-fiction in RE settings and enjoy rhymes, poems and songs together.
• Build their skills in RE-related word reading, recognising religious words and discovering new vocabulary in relation to religions and Worldviews. 
• Articulate ideas and use RE examples to write simple phrases or sentences that can be read by others.

Specific area: Mathematics. RE enables children to:
• Develop their spatial reasoning skills, noticing shape, space and measures in relation to RE content.
• Look for patterns and relationships and spot connections, sorting and ordering objects simply.

Specific area: Understanding the World. RE enables children to:
• Make sense of their physical world and their community, e.g. on visits to places of worship, or by meeting members of religious communities.
• Listen to a broad selection of stories, non-fiction, rhymes and poems to foster understanding of our culturally, socially and ecologically diverse world.
• Extend their knowledge and familiarity with words that support understanding of religion and belief.
• Talk about the lives of people around them, understanding characters and events from stories.
• Know some similarities and differences between different religious and cultural communities in this country, drawing on their experiences and what has been read and experienced in class.
• Explore the natural world around them making observations of animals and plants, environments and seasons, making space for responses of joy, wonder, awe and questioning.

Specific area: Expressive Arts and Design. RE enables children to:
• Develop artistic and cultural awareness in relation to RE materials in relation to art, music, dance, imaginative play, and role- play and stories to represent their own ideas,
thoughts and feelings.
• Build their imagination and creativity by exploring and playing with a wide range of media and materials using RE content, responding in a variety of ways to what they see,
hear, smell, touch and taste.
• See, hear and participate in a wide range of examples of religious and spiritual expression, developing their understanding, self-expression, vocabulary and ability to communicate through the arts.
• Create work drawing from religions and beliefs with a variety of materials and tools, sharing their creations and explaining the meaning of their work.
• Adapt and recount religious stories inventively, imaginatively and expressively, and sing, perform and learn from well-known songs in RE imaginatively and expressively.

RE in Key stage 1

What do pupils gain from RE at this key stage? 

  • Pupils should develop their knowledge and understanding of religions and worldviews, recognising their local, national and global contexts. They should use basic subject-specific vocabulary. They should raise questions and begin to express their own views in response to the material they learn about and in response to questions about their ideas.

What is the aim of RE at this Key Stage?

  • The principal aim of religious education is to explore what people believe and what difference this makes to how they live, so that pupils can gain the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to handle questions raised by religion and belief, reflecting on their own ideas and ways of living.

RE teaching and learning enables pupils to: 

  • make sense of a range of religious and nonreligious beliefs 
  • understand the impact and significance of religious and nonreligious beliefs
  • make connections between religious and non-religious beliefs, concepts, practices and  ideas studied

What are the End of Key Stage Outcomes?
RE should enable pupils to:

  • identify the core beliefs and concepts studied and give a simple description of what they mean
  • give examples of how people use stories, texts and teachings to guide their beliefs and actions
  • think, talk and ask questions about whether the ideas they have been studying have something to say to them
  • give examples of how stories show what people believe (e.g. the meaning behind a festival)
  • give examples of ways in which believers put their beliefs into action 
  • give a good reason for the views they have and the connections they make 
  • give clear, simple accounts of what stories and other texts mean to believers

RE in Key stage 2

What do pupils gain from RE at this key stage?

  • Pupils should extend their knowledge and understanding of religions and Worldviews, recognising their local, national and global contexts. They should be introduced to an extended range of sources and subject-specific vocabulary. They should be encouraged to be curious and to ask increasingly challenging questions about religion, belief, values and human life. Pupils should learn to express their own ideas in response to the material they engage with, identifying relevant information, selecting examples and giving reasons to support their ideas and views.

What is the aim of RE at this Key Stage?

  • The principal aim of religious education is to explore what people believe and what difference this makes to how they live, so that pupils can gain the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to handle questions raised by religion and belief, reflecting on their own ideas and ways of living.

RE teaching and learning enables pupils to:

  • make sense of a range of religious and nonreligious beliefs
  • understand the impact and significance of religious and nonreligious beliefs
  • make connections between religious and non-religious beliefs, concepts, practices and ideas studied

What are the outcomes for the end of lower Key Stage 2?
RE enables pupils to:
• identify and describe the core beliefs and concepts studied
• make simple links between stories, teachings and concepts studied and how people live, individually and in communities
• make links between some of the beliefs and practices studied and life in the world today, expressing some ideas of their own clearly
• make clear links between texts/sources of authority and the key concepts studied
• describe how people show their beliefs in how they worship and in the way they live
• raise important questions and suggest answers about how far the beliefs and practices studied might make a difference to how pupils think and live
• offer suggestions about what texts/sources of authority can mean and give examples of what these sources mean to believers
• identify some differences in how people put their beliefs into action
• give good reasons for the views they have and the connections they make 

What are the outcomes for the end of upper Key Stage 2?
RE enables pupils to:
• identify and explain the core beliefs and concepts studied, using examples from sources of authority in religions
• make clear connections between what people believe and how they live, individually and in
communities
• make connections between the beliefs and practices studied, evaluating and explaining
their importance to different people (e.g. believers and atheists)
• describe examples of ways in which people use texts/sources of authority to make sense of core beliefs and concepts
• using evidence and examples, show how and why people put their beliefs into action in different ways, e.g. in different communities, denominations or cultures
• reflect on and articulate lessons people might gain from the beliefs/practices studied, including their own responses, recognising that others may think differently
• give meanings for texts/ sources of authority studied, comparing these ideas with ways in which believers interpret texts/sources of authority
• consider and weigh up how ideas studied in this unit relate to their own experiences and
experiences of the world today, developing insights of their own and giving good reasons for the views they have and the connections they make

SEND

RE is taught to all children, whatever their ability, in accordance with the school curriculum policy of providing a broad and balanced education to all children. Teachers provide learning opportunities matched to the needs of children with learning difficulties.

excellent work in re

This piece of artwork shows an understanding of how Christians use images to show how powerful God is:

 

excellent work in re

These creative diagrams show how the children understand the Hindu concepts of Samsara, Atman, Moksha and Karma:

excellent work in re

This piece of writing forms part of a unit of work where the children developed an understanding that many Christians believe the Christian Creation story is not a factual account of creation. We also investigated scientific explanations and heard from a Christian scientist about how creation and science can be complementary:

excellent work in re

These two examples show that the children have an understanding that faith can be challenging and that it may have an impact on the individual and their community:

excellent work in re

These pieces of work show how the children are thinking hard about difficult questions towards the end of a unit on Christianity and Humanism.

 

 

The following pictures show work done by Class 1 to answer the question, 'What do Christians think God is like?' And their RE floor book is full of other delightful pieces of work!