RE
Subject Coordinator: Mrs L Stanbridge
At Woodhouse Primary Academy, our Religious Education (RE) Curriculum is designed to engage and enthuse learners so that they can better understand the world around them. We believe that it is an essential area of study, which ensures that children are well-prepared for life in a world where there are a multitude of viewpoints and where understanding is important to behave respectfully in modern Britain through promoting inclusivity and tolerance. There are no presumptions made as to the religious backgrounds and beliefs and values of the children and the staff. We value the religious background of all members of the school community and local area and hope that this will encourage individuals to share their own experiences with others freely. As children progress through year groups, they build on knowledge gained from previous year groups.
At Woodhouse Primary Academy one of our main barriers is communication and language. We recognise that the nature of the RE curriculum is invaluable in supporting our children’s language development through the rich discussion it prompts and the diversity of language contained within it.
The aim of RE in our school is to help pupils acquire and develop knowledge and understanding of the principal religions represented in the UK; to appreciate the way that religious beliefs shape life and behaviour; develop the ability to make reasoned and informed judgements about religious and moral issues and have the confidence to voice these; and enhance their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Our curriculum is designed around the Durham Agreed Syllabus to encourage creativity, imagination, enquiry, debate, discussion and independence.
The planning and delivery of RE fosters a true understanding of world faiths and other beliefs by exploring their commonality and diversity. The core beliefs and teachings of the religions studied spiral through the curriculum so that pupils develop a depth of understanding over time whilst developing a sense of ‘belonging’. RE plays an important role, along with all other curriculum areas, particularly PSHE, in nurturing social awareness of diversity as well as a sensitivity to the questions and challenges that different views and cultures can present. We encourage our pupils to ask questions about the world, to consider religious and non-religious worldviews and to reflect on their own beliefs, values and experiences. Pupils will learn to interpret, analyse, evaluate and critically respond to the claims that religious and non-religious worldviews make and they will learn to express their insights and to agree or disagree respectfully. We include and promote British values, ensuring that children are aware of their rights and responsibilities as UK citizens. We want our children to enjoy RE and develop resilient responses to misunderstandings, stereotyping and division. We want to offer the children a place where difficult or ‘risky’ questions can be tackled within a safe but challenging context.
All children have the opportunity to visit religious buildings linked to each of the religions studied throughout school. We have a strong link with the Faith Museum where outreach programmes are delivered linked to the religions studied throughout the year groups. Many of our children do not have wider life experiences, therefore, activities are targeted across our curriculum to support with this. We also use artefact boxes from Durham Learning Resources to ensure children have access to materials which can support them in their enquiry and learning.
Within our EYFS, children’s knowledge skills linked to RE are developed and extended through ongoing, levelled continuous provision and implicit and explicit challenges linked to the EYFS framework. EYFS follow a cycle of learning that focuses on key festivals and religious events. Learning is done both through short, adult-led inputs as well as provision that is linked to objectives within the environment.
The Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education in Durham (2020) supports the delivery of RE in school.
