Religious Education

Religious Education Vision Statement for Manor Primary School

Intent:

Life provokes many challenges concerning our beliefs, customs and traditions. At Manor Primary School we believe that Religious Education and the study of world views enables children to acquire knowledge and understanding in order for them to make sense of the world around them. Within our RE curriculum we have an enquiry approach to promote and facilitate children to learn about world faiths as well as non religious world views, ask challenging questions and develop respect and sensitivity towards others. Religious Education will enable children to explore their own beliefs, values and traditions and those of others in engaging ways.

Religious Education should allow children to share their experiences, learn from one another and the religions and beliefs within the local community to develop their own wellbeing and community cohesion. We aim to provide a safe and nurturing environment to enable children to enquire and ask questions in order to explore their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

Implementation

At Manor Primary School the principle aim of the East Sussex Agreed Syllabus 2022 is at the forefront of all our RE teaching and learning. ‘The Principle 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.’

Religion and non-religious worldviews education is taught within a spiral curriculum with three key elements in each unit of study; making sense of beliefs, understanding the impact and making connections. Progression of key skills and concepts is vital and is achieved through a coherent curriculum designed for pupils to revisit with increasing sophistication. We strive to reflect the pupil community by sharing diverse family experiences of faith, beliefs and traditions.

All pupils have access to high-quality teaching across the key stages. Multiple strategies are implemented to ensure learning is focused and meaningful. Teachers are able to use religious leaders within the local community as a source of subject knowledge and they play a significant role in supporting RE during organised visits, whole school assemblies and festivals.

The use of discrete questioning requires children to repeat and recall RE -specific information, whilst also offering some of their own ideas and thoughts. Pupils are taught knowledge at an age-appropriate level, understanding is built up over time so connections can be made and a rich complex depth of understanding is acquired.

Impact

At Manor Primary School the attainment in R.E is ascertained through targeted questioning. Children are encouraged to show what they know through discussion and debate as well as written or pictorial recording methods. The use of formative assessment as well as self assessment indicates what the children have already learnt and what their next steps will be. The learning outcomes will demonstrate the specific knowledge and skills related to the RE concepts studied each term. These will enable pupils to explore these concepts and ideas in such a way as to enable them to make informed conclusions of their own.