At Blakehill, we cover the aims of the Believing and Belonging Agreed Syllabus for West Yorkshire. We believe that Religious Education is vital in creating a ‘whole’ human being. We make sure it encourages pupils to learn from different religions, beliefs, values and traditions while exploring their own beliefs and questions of meaning
Through their R.E. learning, the children are able to make links between their own lives and those of others in their community and in the wider world. It challenges pupils to reflect on, consider, analyse, interpret and evaluate issues of truth, belief, faith and ethics and to communicate their responses.
Through R.E. our children are developing an understanding of other people’s cultures and ways of life, which they are then able to communicate to the wider community.
Coverage of Specified Religions
To ensure progression and rigour, the Believing and Belonging syllabus defines the core religions through which RE should be taught at each key stage. This requirement does not preclude study of aspects of other faiths and world views. At Blakehill we respond to local needs and circumstances by including teaching through other faiths as appropriate.
Early Years Foundation Stage
Early Years and Foundation Stage Pupils should encounter religions and worldviews through special people, books, times, places, and objects and by visiting places of worship. They should listen to and talk about stories from a range of different religions and world views. Pupils should be introduced to subject specific words and use all their senses to encounter beliefs and practices. They should be encouraged to ask questions and talk about their own feelings and experiences. Pupils should use their imagination and curiosity to develop appreciation of, and wonder at, the natural world. They should learn to appreciate and value human beings, recognising and encountering diversity. Material should be drawn from Christianity and at least one other religious tradition.
Key Stage 1
Pupils should develop their knowledge and understanding of religions and world views, recognising local, national and global contexts. They should use basic subject specific vocabulary. They should raise questions about beliefs and find out about questions of right and wrong and begin to respond with their own views. Teaching and learning should be focused around Christianity and Islam, alongside understanding of non-religious approaches to life. Aspects of other faiths may be included as appropriate, such as teaching about specific festivals or rituals.
Key Stage 2
Pupils should extend their knowledge and understanding of religions, beliefs and values, recognising personal, 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 and discuss increasingly challenging questions about beliefs, values and human life, drawing on the insights of religions and other worldviews. Pupils should respond with their own ideas, identifying relevant information, selecting examples and giving reasons to support their ideas and views. At Key Stage 2, teaching and learning should build on the Key Stage 1 focus around Christianity and Islam, and be extended to the study of Judaism and Sikhism, alongside developing understanding of nonreligious approaches to life. Aspects of other faiths may be included as appropriate, such as teaching about a specific concept, festival or practice. Systematic teaching of Buddhism and Hinduism should be reserved for KS3 in order to ensure effective progression. However, the curriculum at KS2 may include aspects of other faiths and world views.
Intent
By teaching a robust and diverse RE curriculum we aim:
- To help pupils to acquire and develop knowledge about Christianity and the other principle religions.
- To enrich opportunities for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development.
- To give opportunities for pupils to reflect on and respond to the values, beliefs and practices of religions and philosophies.
- To encourage pupils towards an understanding of people’s beliefs, values and practices.
- To develop within pupils, respect and sensitivity towards other people and their beliefs and philosophies.
- To enable pupils to develop their own insights.
Implementation
At Blakehill, it has been agreed that having taken into account the requirements and guidelines presented in the Agreed Syllabus, the following religions have been selected for study:
- Christianity
- Islam
- Judaism
- Sikhism
There are no presumptions made as to the religious backgrounds and beliefs and values of the children and the staff. We value the religious background of all members of the school community and hope that this will encourage individuals to share their own experiences with others freely. All religions and their communities are treated with respect and sensitivity and we value the links, which are, and can be made between home, school, and a faith community. We acknowledge that each religion studied can contribute to the education of all our pupils. We promote teaching in Religious Education that stresses open enquiry and first-hand experiences wherever possible for both staff and children.
Impact
The children at Blakehill enjoy learning lots about other religions and why people choose or choose not to follow a religion. Through their R.E. learning, the children are able to make links between their own lives and those of others in their community and in the wider world. Through R.E. our children are developing an understanding of other people’s cultures and ways of life, which they are then able to communicate to the wider community.
R.E. offers our children the means by which to understand how other people choose to live and to understand why they choose to live in that way. As such, R.E. is invaluable in an ever-changing and multicultural world.