Our RE
Intent
The intent at Bentley New Village for our Religious Education curriculum is to have an informative and enquiry-based learning sequence that encourages pupils to develop an appreciation and understanding for diversity. Children’s critical thinking skills will be developed, motivation to learn increased and knowledge and understanding of, and empathy with people and their beliefs, religious or otherwise, will be enhanced. This approach takes very seriously the philosophy that children are free to make their own choices concerning religion and belief. RE does not try to persuade but rather to inform and develop the skills with which evaluation can take place. At Bentley New Village we aim to inspire children to acquire knowledge about their own identity and backgrounds linked to religion. Our children will develop positive attitudesand values and to reflect and relate their learning in RE to their own experience. Children will develop responsibility, respect, confidence to discuss, make opinions for and value difference thus making learning meaningful to build valued citizens in a progressive build of knowledge and skills within a variety of religions. Throughout both key stages, emphasis on personalgrowth and community cohesion is evident, allowing all children to gain personal development. The teaching units uses at Bentley New Village (set out in the Standing Advisory Council Religious Education – SACRE) demonstrate where challenge and differentiation can be incorporated into the teaching and learning.
Assessment will be made through AFL within the lesson but also through opportunity to revisit and the store of knowledge in long term memory which is revisited and switched into working memory thus having a positive impact on knowledge the children store and remember overtime. The unit overview outlines the skills, knowledge and vocabulary to be taught within a range of religions including Buddhism, Islamic, Hinduism and Christianity. Religious teaching is mapped out to ensure that pupils gain a deep understanding which supports personal development and provides a basis to which to live adult life. The lessons have an intention of providing a high quality, coherent and progressive experience of the subject, with scope for cross-curricular learning. Through each unit, children will know about and understand a range of religions and world views.
In addition to the structured overview children will gain the benefit of first-hand experience from outside agencies visiting school to share stories and festival occasions on a regular basis. The intent is to make sure that children understand the relevance of RE intoday’s modern world and how it affects our lives.
Implementation
At Bentley New Village, we have a broad range of religions for children to learn about. The teaching of Religious Education will include the development of enquiring minds where children are motivated and inspired to want to know more. In KS1,children begin to focus on celebrations and rituals. In KS2, there is a wide range of learning opportunities about the world’s religions including deeper understanding of the origin of those religions and their key stories and teachings. Throughout bothkey stages, emphasis on personal growth and community cohesion will be evident, allowing for personal development for thechildren from KS1 to the end of KS2 and beyond. Teachers are supported through the suggested units set out by the SACRE. However, in order to support children’s store of knowledge teacher’s will use a range of questions and recapping as well as retrieval tasks so the children are better equipped to recall and remember knowledge. This will enable children to easily switch from
long term to working memory to aid progression. Challenge within the questioning will provide differentiation enabling development of skills and ensure all children are supported through their learning. The teaching and learning of Religious Education will be monitored through discussions with children and the provision of evidence of children’s responses. These will be in the form of ‘floor books’ ( these could take the form of recorded within a digital or written resource).
Knowledge and understanding of vocabulary is important with RE therefore children will be immersed in a range of rich subject specific vocabulary.
Wherever possible, a range of learning aids such as religious objects will be used to enhance teaching and learning.
Impact
Children will have a broad range of understanding and make explicit connections based on similarities and differences within various religions.
Children will begin to make informed choices and be tolerant of difference. Children will ask relevant questions and analyse findings in such things as where and how religions began and why there are differences and similarities in way of life.
Children will become increasingly aware the diversity of communities both locally and globally.
All children will develop knowledge, language and skills in relation to religion progressing through the intended subject overview and also gain knowledge from expert agencies on a regular basis Children will gain a wider knowledge of vocabulary that can enhance speaking and listening skills within other areas of the curriculum.
Assessment will be in the form of revisiting and reviewing support movement of knowledge from long term memory to working memory and back again. This in turn will empower the children to progress successfully and build learning from previous knowledge.
Through provision of a range of learning styles including where ever possible, encountering or participating in high-quality visits/visitors and resources children will further appreciate their own and others way of life, values and beliefs.
