Subject Lead: Mrs Ashmore
Intent
Religious Education at Sheldwich Primary School seeks to enable learners to become aware of their own beliefs and values and to develop a positive attitude towards people who hold religious beliefs or views different from their own. Throughout the Religious Education curriculum, we aim to support pupils in developing their understanding of Christianity and other principal world religions, as a contribution to their understanding of the world and their own experience within it. We encourage learners to consider the ways in which a person’s beliefs influence their behaviour and practices and apply these insights to their own lives and communities. Children are encouraged to explore questions arising from the study of all religions and share their own ideas, experiences and beliefs so as to promote their personal, spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.
Appreciating parents have the right to withdraw their children from RE on the grounds that they wish to provide their own religious education. (School Standards and Framework Act 1998 S71 (3) please contact Mrs Ashmore if you wish to discuss this further /withdraw your child.
Implementation
At Sheldwich Primary School we follow the New Kent Agreed Syllabus 2022-2027. (written by RE Today and Kent SACRE and endorsed by the Diocese of Canterbury and Rochester) This syllabus presents pupils with exciting opportunities to learn about faith and culture in the wider world community, enabling them to explore key values that have been treasured by all religious traditions, regardless of religious belief or conviction. As part of ‘broad and balanced curriculum’ pupils have regular RE lessons and an annual whole school RE day.
The principal aim of RE in the Kent Syllabus is: To engage pupils in systematic enquiry into significant human questions which religion and worldviews address, so that they can develop the understanding and skills needed to appreciate and appraise varied responses to these questions, as well as develop responses of their own.
Our pupil friendly version of this aim is: Through Religious Education we explore big questions about life, to find out what people believe and what difference this makes to how they live. This helps us make sense of religion, reflecting on our own ideas and ways of living.
The teaching of RE is supported by our local church community, with visits to the church building and visitors in school. Acknowledging that Kent has been central to the growth of Christianity since the arrival of St. Augustine all pupils in Reception class enjoy an annual visit to Canterbury Cathedral supported with funding from the Bunce Trust. The syllabus is divided into three strands: Believing Expressing Living which replace the original learning about and from religion. The curriculum is present as a series of questions and lessons are planned and delivered in a variety of ways ensuring that all children can access and participate in lessons. Interactive, practical activities encourage the children to discuss their ideas and extend their understanding of difficult concepts and challenging questions. The children are encouraged to relate the learning to their own lives.
Impact
As a result of our teaching when children leave Sheldwich Primary School, they will have been given the opportunity to widen their knowledge and understanding of, and their ability to respond to, Christianity and other principal world religions and world views; consider the influence of faith and belief on individuals, societies, communities and cultures; and develop skills of reflection, expression, application, analysis and evaluation of beliefs, values and practices, and the communication of personal responses to these and other religious, moral and social issues.
Assessment
Teacher assessment is an integral part of Religious Education lessons at Sheldwich Primary School. Teachers mark each lesson against the learning objective and give with targeted feedback to further develop the children’s understanding. Teachers assess formatively at the end of each lesson in a number of ways through questioning in class and completed work in books and summative assessments are made on a termly basis. Progress in RE involves the development of specific skills such as: