Religious Education

Religious Education Leader: Mrs Marsden (Hinchliffe Mill School)

Vision

Aspirational: We believe that every child has the potential to achieve a profound understanding of religion and worldviews. Our Religious Education programme is designed to inspire ambition and set high expectations for our learners. We encourage our pupils to explore the depths of religious knowledge and provide them with the tools and support they need to reach their aspirations in understanding and appreciating the diverse beliefs that shape our world.

Adventurous: Religious Education is an adventure waiting to be explored. We encourage our pupils to embrace the challenge of discovering various religious and non-religious worldviews. We foster a sense of curiosity and a willingness to take risks in their educational journey, encouraging them to step out of their comfort zones and explore uncharted territories of faith and belief.

Creative: Religious Education is not a rigid set of doctrines but a playground for creative thinking. We promote an environment where pupils can express their creativity through exploring and understanding different religious narratives and practices. We believe that there are multiple pathways to understanding complex religious concepts, and we encourage our pupils to explore these diverse approaches.

Resilient: The path to understanding religion and worldviews is often filled with challenges. We teach our pupils the importance of resilience and persistence in the face of these challenges. We believe that encountering and overcoming misunderstandings and difficulties is a valuable part of the learning process, and we encourage our pupils to view setbacks as opportunities for growth.

Respectful: Religious Education fosters respect for the traditions, beliefs, and practices of others. We teach our pupils to approach religious and non-religious worldviews with respect, both for the subject itself and for their fellow learners. We value collaboration, teamwork, and a respectful exchange of ideas in our Religious Education community.

Independent: We empower our pupils to become independent thinkers and learners. We provide them with the skills and knowledge to explore and understand religious and non-religious worldviews on their own, instilling confidence in their abilities and fostering a sense of self-reliance.

Our vision is to cultivate learners who are not only knowledgeable about religious education but who also embody these values. We aim to develop learners who are aspirational in their understanding of religions, adventurous in their exploration of worldviews, creative in their interpretations, resilient in the face of challenges, respectful of diverse beliefs, and independent thinkers who are well-prepared for a future where religious literacy and sensitivity to diversity are essential.

Through these values, we aspire to equip our pupils with the confidence and competence necessary to excel in the 21st century and make a positive impact on the world by fostering understanding and respect for all.

Implementation

Long Term Plans

Impact

We pupils' skills and knowledge against our own curriculum design, ensuring clarity in what and how pupils are learning on a day-to-day basis.

To measure the impact of our teaching and learning for each child, we focus on three key areas of assessment:

• Substantive Knowledge: What do they know and understand about religious education?
• Disciplinary Knowledge: What skills have they learned in exploring religious concepts and practices?
• Personal Knowledge: How has religious education shaped their personal views and expressions?

Each unit of work is developed through careful curriculum planning, allowing pupils to make progress through key stages of learning: Remembering, Understanding, Applying, Analysing, Evaluating, and Creating.

As pupils advance through these stages, teachers conduct day-to-day formative assessments to build a comprehensive picture of each pupil's progress.

At the end of each unit, teachers make a summative assessment based on these key stages. Our exemplar planning, supporting the syllabus, uses a mastery model including:

• Expected Standard: Pupils meeting the expected level of understanding and skill.
• Working Towards the Expected Standard: Pupils developing towards the expected level.
• Working Deeper Within the Expected Standard: Pupils exceeding the expected level with deeper understanding and skills.

This model helps in reporting progress and achievement to the next teacher or key stage. The table below outlines the skills and key outcomes required to achieve end-of-key-stage expectations. This serves as a helpful tool in assessing progress and supporting teachers in developing learning objectives, ensuring that each sentence stem is applied to a specific task or knowledge content.

Through this structured approach, we ensure that every child at Holme Junior and Infant School experiences meaningful and impactful Religious Education, tailored to their individual learning journey.

RE Syllabus

At the heart of our Religious Education curriculum are our six 'Shine Bright Values,' which underpin all aspects of our school community. Our Religious Education curriculum is deeply rooted in our commitment to cultivate a learning environment where every child is empowered to thrive and develop a profound understanding and respect for diverse religions and worldviews.