Religious Education
Intent
At Pear Tree Mead Academy, it is our intent for Religious Education to engage, inspire, challenge and encourage pupils. We want to equip them with the knowledge and skills to answer challenging questions, explore different religious beliefs, values and traditions and develop an understanding of these within our school, local area and our multi-cultural society. We want them to know how Religious Education promotes discernment and enables pupils to combat prejudice, supporting them with preparing for adult life, employment and life-long learning.
Religious Education enables children to investigate and reflect on some of the most fundamental questions asked by people. At Pear Tree Mead Academy, we develop the children’s knowledge and understanding of the major world faiths and belief systems, and we address fundamental questions concerning, for example, the meaning of life and the existence of a divine spirit. We enable children to develop a sound knowledge, not only of Christianity, but also of other world religions and belief systems, especially those that are the main faiths of children within our school. Children reflect on what it means to have a faith, and the impact that this can have on day-to-day life, whilst developing their own spiritual knowledge and understanding. We help the children to learn from religions, as well as about religions.
At Pear Tree Mead Academy, we believe that the following paragraph, from the non-statutory document for RE, encompasses our belief as a school: “The UK has a rich heritage of culture and diversity. Religion and belief for many people forms a crucial part of their culture and identity. Religion and beliefs have become more visible in public life locally, nationally and internationally. The impact of religion on society and public life is constantly brought to public attention through extensive media coverage.” This means that we deem it extremely important to teach the children about different religions and belief systems, as well as how they can both impact and enrich a local community. We like to embrace and celebrate difference and individuality and hope to build the confidence of all children to discuss and be proud of their cultures and individuality. This is closely linked to our PSHE curriculum, particularly the No Outsiders stories that we share across the year groups.
Objectives
The objectives of teaching Religious Education in our school are to help children:
- Develop an awareness of spiritual and moral issues arising in their lives.
- Develop knowledge and understanding of Christianity and other major world religions and belief systems found in Britain.
- Develop an understanding of what it means to be committed to a religious tradition.
- Be able to reflect on their own experiences and to develop a personal response to the fundamental questions of life.
- Develop an understanding of religious traditions and to appreciate the cultural differences in both our local community and Britain today.
- Develop investigative and research skills and make reasoned judgements about religious issues.
- Have respect for other people’s views and celebrate the diversity in society.
Religious Education Curriculum
We plan our Religious Education curriculum in accordance with the Essex SACRE. We ensure that the topics studied in Religious Education build on prior learning. We offer opportunities for children of all abilities to develop their skills and knowledge in each unit, and we ensure that the progression planned into the scheme of work offers the children an increasing challenge as they move through the school.
We ensure that learning about religion is integrated with learning from religion. Each topic studied will fit into one of three categories: philosophy (thinking through believing), theology (thinking through thinking) and human/social sciences (thinking through living). Teachers ensure that pupils have opportunities to explore issues, questions and concepts related to their own and general human experience, particularly those arising from the religious content being covered. Religious Education is made relevant and meaningful to children, whether religious or not, and connects with aspects of their own and other people’s experience that may be termed ‘spiritual’.
Such aspects of experience include:
- The sense of mystery underlying existence
- Feelings of love and connectedness with other people
- Sense of awe, wonder and beauty
- The search for meaning, purpose and fulfilment
- Concerns about right, wrong, justice and fairness
- Awareness of goodness
- Awareness of suffering
- The big questions that we ask about life and death, including the question ‘Why?’
We ensure that the following aspects of experience are linked as appropriate with the religious subject-matter as it is taught:
- The self and human being, e.g. when learning about Bar/Bat Mitzvah, pupils can reflect upon their own identities and sense of belonging; when exploring the Genesis 1 Creation story, pupils can reflect on what the story says about what it means to be a human being.
- Relationships and community, e.g. when listening to stories such as The Prodigal Son, The Good Samaritan, or Rama and Sita, pupils can reflect upon human relationships; when learning about prayer in Islam, pupils can reflect on what it means to be part of a worldwide community of believers.
- The natural world e.g. when analysing the Parable of the Sower, pupils can reflect on the mystery of the growth of the seed; when exploring ceremonies such as Christian Baptism or Hindu Puja, pupils can explore the meaning of symbols derived from the natural world, such as water, fire and light.
- Right and wrong, e.g. when learning about the significance of the Golden Rule for Humanists, pupils can apply the principle ‘do as you would be done by’ to a variety of situations. When learning about the importance of equality in Sikhism, pupils can reflect on continuing inequalities in our own society.
- Big questions and enquiries, e.g. when learning about the Buddha’s life quest, pupils could consider the question ‘Is there a way to end suffering?’; when learning about reincarnation in Hinduism, pupils could reflect on the question ‘What happens to us after we die?’; when learning about the ten commandments or the two greatest commandments, pupils could answer the question ‘By what rules should we live our lives?’.
Teaching and Learning Styles
We base our teaching and learning style for Religious Education on the key principle that good teaching in Religious Education allows children both to learn about religious traditions and to reflect on what the religious ideas and concepts mean to them. Our teaching enables children to extend their own sense of values and promotes their spiritual growth and development. We encourage children to think about their own views and values in relation to the themes and topics studied within the Religious Education curriculum.
Our teaching and learning styles in Religious Education enable children to build on their own experiences and to extend their knowledge and understanding of religious traditions. We use their experiences of religious festivals such as Easter, Diwali, Passover etc. to develop their religious thinking. We work closely with our local church (Saint Stephens) and are beginning to make links with other local places of worship e.g. Holy Cross. We are starting to organise visits to these and invite representatives of local religious groups to come into school and talk to the children.
Children carry out research into religious topics. They study a variety of religions and belief systems and compare the religious views of different faith groups on various topics, including rites of passage or festivals. Children investigate religious and moral issues either individually or in groups, with the support and guidance of staff.
We recognise the fact that all classes in our school have children of widely differing abilities, so we provide suitable learning opportunities for all children by matching the challenge of the task to the ability of the child. We achieve this in a variety of ways. For example, by:
- Setting tasks which are open-ended and can have a variety of responses.
- Setting tasks of increasing difficulty, whilst not expecting all children to complete all tasks.
- Providing resources of different complexity, adapted to the ability of the child.
- Using classroom assistants to support the work of individuals, or groups of children.
- Using practical resources, where appropriate, to support the learning.
The Early Years Foundation Stage
We teach Religious Education to all children in the school, including those in the Reception classes.
In Reception, Religious Education is an integral part of the topic work covered during the year. As the Reception class is part of the Early Years Foundation Stage of the National Curriculum, we relate the Religious Education aspects of the children’s work to the objectives set out in the Early Learning Goals, which underpin the curriculum planning for children aged three to five, in particular Understanding the World.
Assessment of RE
Children demonstrate their ability in Religious Education through a variety of different ways. Younger children might, for example, act out a famous story from the Bible, whilst older pupils might produce a PowerPoint presentation based on their investigation of sacred texts. Teachers will assess children’s work in Religious Education by making informal judgements as we observe them during lessons. On completion of a piece of work, the teacher assesses the work and gives the child written or verbal feedback to help guide progress. Children are encouraged to make judgements about how they might improve their work in the future. At the end of each topic, children complete a Self-Reflection Page, whereby they go back over the work and lessons they have previously completed, commenting on both their understanding and the content they have retained. The teachers will also make an overall comment about the topic on the same page.
RE and Inclusion
At our school, we teach Religious Education to all children, whatever their ability and individual needs. Religious Education forms part of the school’s curriculum policy to provide a broad and balanced education to all children. Through our Religious Education teaching, we provide learning opportunities that enable all pupils to make good progress. We strive hard to meet the needs of those pupils with special educational needs, those with disabilities, those with special gifts and talents, and those learning English as an additional language, and we take all reasonable steps to achieve this. For further details see separate policies: Special Educational Needs; Disability Non-Discrimination and Access; Exceptionally Able; English as an Additional Language (EAL).
We enable all pupils to have access to the full range of activities involved in Religious Education. Where children are to participate in activities outside the classroom, (a visit to a Sikh temple, for example, that involves a journey) we carry out a risk assessment prior to the activity, to ensure that the activity is safe and appropriate for all pupils.
Contribution of RE to the teaching in other curriculum areas
English
Religious Education contributes significantly to the teaching of English in our school by actively promoting the skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening. Some of the texts that we use in school have religious themes or content, which encourages discussion, and this is a way of promoting the skills of speaking and listening. We also encourage the children to write letters and record information, in order to develop their writing ability.
Personal, social and health education (PSHE) and citizenship
Through our Religious Education lessons, we teach the children about the values and moral beliefs that underpin individual choices of behaviour. We promote the values and attitudes required for citizenship in a democracy by teaching respect for others and the need for personal responsibility. In general, by promoting tolerance and understanding of other people, we enable children to appreciate what it means to be positive members of our pluralistic society.
Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development
Through Religious Education in our school, we provide opportunities for spiritual development. Children consider and respond to questions concerning the meaning and purpose of life. We help them to recognise the difference between right and wrong, through the study of moral and ethical questions. We enhance their social development by helping them to build a sense of identity in a multicultural society. Children explore issues of religious faith and values and, in so doing, they develop their knowledge and understanding of the cultural context of their own lives.
Help from Home
Much can be done at home by parents in order to help children further develop the skills needed to be successful in this area of the curriculum. Encouraging children to be reflective on events that happen in their lives, as well as think about special places/people they encounter will help children to start to develop some sort of spiritual understanding. Modelling tolerance of others and respect for the views of others will also have a hugely positive effect on the spiritual and social development of children.