What is our vision for RE?  

At The Growth Learning Collective, our RE curriculum embodies the aims of the National Curriculum. Ensuring that all children: 

• Have a broad and diverse curriculum offer, with enriching experiences
• Achieve high academic outcomes with an emphasis on fundamental knowledge and skills
• Meet their full potential through a nurturing ethos

Religious Education (RE) is fundamental to understanding, appreciating and responding to the world in which we live. It is a subject that will be essential to pupils beyond their school education as they navigate their own lives and encounter ways of life and beliefs that are different from their own.

The principal aim of RE is to engage pupils in an enquiry approach where they can develop an understanding and appreciation for the expression of beliefs, cultural practices and influence of principle religions and worldviews in the local, national and wider global community. It is through RE that opportunities can be created for children to begin the journey towards broadening their cultural experiences. This is a significant element of our school curriculum which outlines how, as a Federation, we aim to provide ‘A broad and diverse curriculum offer, with enriching experiences’.

Our RE curriculum has a significant role in the development of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development both in our local community and the wider world, bringing a deep sense of community cohesion. It provides a space for children to share their own cultural and religious experiences as well as learning about other people’s cultures and faiths. Most importantly, it promotes respect and open-mindedness towards others with different faiths and beliefs, celebrating difference and encourages children to develop their sense of identity and belonging through self-awareness and reflection providing them with a stronger cultural capital. 

It is very important that children are provided with subject specific knowledge regarding a variety of religions and non-religions, so that they have a strong foundation of key concepts, beliefs practices and vocabulary associated with each.

 

What do RE lessons look like in our school and how do we plan lessons?  

Our RE curriculum is carefully sequenced so that children revisit and embed key learning before building on it. Our schools follow the agreed syllabus developed by the National Association of Teachers of Religious Education (NATRE) which has been created by the Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE) and approved by Islington council.

The curriculum is organised in half termly blocks, each consisting of 6 lessons for each year group. An inquiry-based approach is used, with each block beginning with a thought provoking ‘big question’ and through each 60-minute lesson, the ‘big question’ is broken down and explored in finer detail.

In addition to what is taught through the scheme of work, each year group aims to visit a place of worship and the whole school celebrate and acknowledge key religious events e.g. Christmas, Diwali, Eid and Easter. Pupils are also given opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge and learning through class assemblies.

Through the high-quality planning, resourcing and delivery of RE, pupils will develop in their substantive, disciplinary and personal knowledge.

Substantive – this is the subject knowledge and explicit vocabulary used to learn about the content.

Disciplinary – different ‘ways of knowing’ that enables pupils to understand and use some of the methods and techniques associated with studying religious and non-religious worldviews.

Personal knowledge – enables pupils to better understand and question their own position, assumptions, and values about the religious and non-religious traditions they study.

A condensed version of our school curriculum map (shown below) outlines the topic areas covered from Year 1 – Year 6.

What can you do to help your child at home?  

Helping your child with RE at home is all about noticing and wondering about the world around you. This can be done through helping your child to find good sources of information (including people and places). Modelling curious thinking and asking questions you’d like to find the answer to, such as: ‘What can we do to make sure everyone feels included?’.  Parents and carers are also welcome to share beliefs and practices in class and are actively encouraged to participate and share their experiences and knowledge in whole school celebrations.