Kilham Church Of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Religious Education
At Kilham Primary School, our aims in Religious Education are to..
- Provide a safe place for children to explore and share their own worldviews and those of others.
- Help children understand that these worldviews are diverse, and may be religious and non-religious. Children will understand that these views may change dependant on time, place and context.
- Help children understand the influence religion and non-religious worldviews have on society.
- Form tolerant and respectful judgements about a range of key moral issues, and understand how these are viewed by the different religious and non-religious worldviews represented in the UK. Children will be encouraged to question prior judgements.
- Give children the opportunity to learn about a range of key religions in depth, including their practices and key celebrations. Children will respectfully recognise difference in practice and viewpoint. As a school, we have chosen to study Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism as our major religions alongside Christianity.
- Allow children opportunity to engage with biblical text and stories in order to better understand Christianity and the ever changing role it plays in the United Kingdom.
Intent
Our RE curriculum is deeply rooted in our Christian vision, 'Encourage one another and build each other up' (Thessalonians 5:11). We hope that all children will form tolerant, respectful attitudes towards a range of major world religions, which they will continue to carry with them as they encounter different viewpoints and beliefs in the wider world. We are very aware that our children are growing up in a rural area with little opportunity to experience religious diversity in their day to day life. We aim to help children understand that there is in fact a range of religious worldviews represented in the United Kingdom. Alongside this, children will continue to develop a deep understanding of Christianity by engaging with key biblical texts and stories, and will celebrate key festivals throughout the year.
Implementation
As a school, we use the Agreed Syllabus for Religion and Worldviews 2022 designed for Hull and the East Riding. This syllabus spans throughout the school, allowing for continuity and progression from EYFS right up to year 6. We aim to use an enquiry approach when teaching RE, meaning that both children and staff are encouraged to engage in respectful discussion and question asking as often as possible, 'Tell me and I forget, teach me and I remember, involve me and I learn' (Benjamin Franklin). We use our writing books to record any written work done in RE, alongside photographs of drama activities or class visits. We also regularly use art and ICT to evidence our learning. Children in the EYFS are introduced to key celebrations and stories linked to both Christianity and other major worldviews. This feeds into the 'personal, social and emotional development' ELG as children begin to make sense of their own beliefs and those of people around them. We plan to visit a range of places of worship throughout the year, including those belonging to the major wolrd religions we have chosen to study. We celebrate key Christian celebrations alongside All Saint's Church in Kilham, with whom we have a very close relationship. We are lucky enough to have an after school club run by members of All Saint's Church, which focuses on children using key Christian beliefs and stories to create artwork.
Impact
Through high quality teaching, our children will feel confident enough to explore and question their own worldviews. They will have a deep understanding of Christianity and the bible, and understand how Christians view and understand a range of moral issues. They will celebrate key festivals in the Christian calander, and understand the importance of doing so. By engaging with a variety of different major world religions and worldviews, children will be tolerant and respectful of diversity and view it as a positive thing. They will understand how different faiths differ in practice and belief, and will feel well-equipped to discuss these differences. We track childrens progress in RE throughout the year and knowledge retention is regularly checked.
