Staffordshire Agreed Syllabus
According to the R.E. Council, ‘the ability to understand the faith or belief of individuals and communities and how these may shape their culture or behaviour, is an invaluable asset for children in modern day Britain.’ At Redhill, in line with the Staffordshire Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education, R.E. lessons will provoke 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.
We will encourage pupils to learn about religious and non-religious worldviews in order to discover, explore and consider different answers to these questions. They will learn to interpret, analyse, evaluate and critically respond to the claims that religious and non-religious worldviews make. Pupils will learn to express their insights and to agree or disagree respectfully.
Parents and carers have the right to withdraw their child from all, or part of the school's Religious Education (RE) curriculum. If you wish to withdraw your child from RE, please email Mr Phillips, Head of School, outlining which elements of the RE curriculum you wish for your child to be withdrawn from.
Intent
At Redhill we understand that we play a crucial part in the development of our children’s worldview and our curriculum will develop a deep understanding of faith as they explore key figures, stories and practices.
Our RE curriculum covers a range of cultural, historical and ethical backgrounds and offers purpose and meaningful experiences to develop their knowledge. Children at Redhill will have a secure understanding of key beliefs and practices in world faiths as they study across the key stages.
Children will foster curiosity in religious education by exploring questions which they will reflect upon. Children will also learn about and visit, where possible, places of worship so they can engage with religious people to further their understanding of faith and religious practices.
Through key stage two, storytelling is used to develop and enrich our learners. We will encourage curiosity, critical thinking and reflection and encourage the children to embrace the diverse world in which we live.
Implementation
In EYFS, as part of the Understanding the World strand, children are required to learn similarities and differences between religious and cultural communities.
We follow the agreed Staffordshire syllabus in Reception and Key Stage One. We teach this through two different schemes. Discovery RE uses an enquiry based approach with a key question for each topic and four stages to each topic - engagement, investigation, evaluation and expression.
In Key Stage Two, we use the Opening Worlds programme. The religion programme is compatible with the objectives of the Staffordshire agreed syllabus but substantially exceeds the knowledge-base and the resourcing that it offers. The programme is characterised by strong vertical sequencing within subjects (so that pupils gain security in a rich, broad vocabulary through systematic introduction, sustained practice and deliberate revisiting) and by intricate horizontal and diagonal connections, thus creating a curriculum whose effects are far greater than the sum of their parts.
It provides global and cultural breadth of knowledge embracing diversity across ethnicity, gender, religion and community.
Impact
Through our curriculum, Redhill children will have learned about fundamental belief, practices and values within a range of world faiths. They will develop into children with inquisitive minds, respect, tolerance and an understanding of the world around them.
Children will acknowledge the diversity, religions and beliefs of their local community and know their value in adding to this.
Children will be confident in discussing philosophical questions and know how to be respectful as a listener. They will be sensitive to the views and beliefs of others and understand how religious education has an impact on the future evolution of society.