Intent

At Lilleshall Primary School, we believe that it is important for all our pupils to learn from and about religion, so that they can understand the world around them. The aim of Religious Education in our school is to help children to acquire and develop knowledge and understanding of Christianity and the other principal religions represented in Great Britain; to appreciate the way that religious beliefs shape life and behaviour, develop the ability to make reasoned and informed judgements about religious and moral issues and enhance their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

Religious Education is taught throughout the school in such a way as to reflect the overall aims, values, and philosophy of the school, through topics such as in everyday life.

It plays an important role, along with all other curriculum areas, particularly PSHE, in promoting social awareness and understanding in our children. We encourage our pupils to ask questions about the world and to reflect on their own beliefs, values and experiences. We include and promote British values, ensuring that children are aware of their rights and responsibilities as UK citizens.

Our curriculum is designed to encourage creativity, imagination, enquiry, debate, discussion and independence.

Implementation

We use the Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education developed by Telford and Wrekin (currently under review as of May 2020) and the Discovery Scheme of Work as the basis for our curriculum.

At Lilleshall Primary School, 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
• Hinduism  
• Buddhism
• Sikhism
• Humanism

Experiences and enrichment opportunities at Lilleshall Primary School

• handling artefacts
• exploring scared texts
• using imaginative play or drama to express feelings and ideas
• responding to images, games, stories, art, music and dance
• meeting visitors from local religious communities
• making visits to religious places of worship where possible, and where not, making use of videos and the internet
• taking part in whole school events- (multi-faith days, Harvest Festival, school performances)
• participating in moments of quiet reflection
• participating in assemblies
• using ICT to further explore religion and belief globally
• comparing religions and worldviews through discussion
• debating and communicating religious belief, worldviews and philosophical ideas and answering and asking ultimate questions posed by these

Early Years Foundation Stage

Pupils are introduced to Christianity as the ‘heritage religion’ and the one that most influences school and community life. They are taught about traditions, beliefs and world views outside of their own experiences through exploring other cultures and practices in the wider world.

Learning about religion and belief

Pupils should be taught to:

• Talk about religious stories, including Bible stories and the stories behind Christmas and Easter
• Recognise some religious beliefs or teachings
• Identify simple features of religious life and practice
• Recognise some religious words
• Name and recognise some religious symbols
• Recognise some Christian religious artefacts, including those in cultural and religious use (e.g. Christmas cards, Easter eggs and hot cross buns)

Learning from religion and belief

Pupils should be taught to:

• Recognise their own experiences and feelings in religious stories and celebrations
• Recognise there are similarities and differences between theirs and other’s lives
• Identify what they find interesting about religious events
• Question what they find puzzling in religious stories
• Say what matters to them and to talk about how to care for others

Key Stage One

During this key stage, pupils are taught the knowledge, skills and understanding through religion and belief as well as wider learning themes. They are introduced to other principle religions and can reflect on prior learning as they progress through the units.

Learning about religion and belief

Pupils should be taught to:

• Explore a range of religious stories and religious texts and talk about their meaning
• Explore a range of celebrations, teachings and traditions in religions, noting similarities and differences
• Recognise how belonging to a religion is important to people and the impact it has on their lives
• Explore how religious beliefs and ideas are expressed
• Begin to establish a religious vocabulary and suggests meanings for religious symbols

Learning from religion and belief

Pupils should be taught to:

• Reflect on what matters to them and others who hold religious views
• Reflect on moral values of right and wrong
• Recognise there are similarities and differences between theirs and others lives
• Communicate their ideas and ask and respond to questions
• Recognise how religious ideas and beliefs impact people’s lives personally and socially

Key Stage Two

During this key stage, pupils are taught the knowledge, skills and understanding through deeper enquiry into known religions and in Year 6, encounter secular world views. Pupils in Year 5 and Year 6 consider the impact of beliefs and practices in greater detail and respond to more philosophical questions.

Learning about religion and belief

Pupils should be taught to:

• Explore and comment on the key aspects of religions, believer’s lives, their stories and traditions and their influence
• Explore how practices are related to beliefs and teachings
• Interpret information about religion and religious beliefs through a range of sources
• Recognise similarities and differences within and between religions
• Consider how religious and spiritual ideas are expressed
• Describe and begin to encounter religious and other responses to ultimate questions and ethical or moral issues
• Use a developed religious vocabulary when discussing and expressing their knowledge and understanding

Learning from religion and belief

Pupils should be taught to:

• Reflect on what it means to belong to a faith community and how this relates to them and others’ lives
• Recognise how religious practice is conducted in a variety of ways
• Discuss their own and other’s views of religious truth and belief
• Reflect on morality and how people respond to decisions they are faced with
• Reflect on sources of information and what they find value in in their own and other’s lives

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 are extremely lucky that the vicar from the local church, St Michael’s, regularly visit our school to carry out assemblies.

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 Lilleshall Primary School enjoy learning 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
• develop an understanding of other people’s cultures and ways of life
• extend their knowledge and understanding of religions and beliefs
• develop a religious vocabulary and interpret religious symbolism in a variety of forms
• reflect on questions of meaning, offering their own thoughtful and informed insights into religious and secular world-views
• explore ultimate questions of beliefs and values in relation to a range of contemporary issues in an ever-changing society

As such, R.E. is invaluable in an ever changing and shrinking world.

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