Religious Education
Intent
Our intent is to teach Religious Education through exploring the important role that religious and non-religious worldviews play in all human life. Our aim is to equip children with the language, knowledge and understanding of religious and non-religious views enabling children to think about their own ideas, values and identities. It is a subject for all pupils, whatever their own family background and personal beliefs and practices.
Mount Pleasant Primary School is in the heart of an area with a rich social and culturally diverse community. We use this as a basis for our curriculum which celebrates diversity and utilises the skills, knowledge and cultural wealth of the community whilst supporting the pupils’ spiritual, moral and cultural development.
RE is designed to equip children with ‘religious literacy’. We aim to nurture pupils’ awareness of the treasury of diversity as well as sensitivity to the questions and challenges that different views and cultures can present. Ultimately, we all share a common humanity and share this patch of the Earth. In this way RE plays a part in helping pupils to discover their own place and journey through life. It contributes to developing pupils as positive, participating citizens of the world.
Mount Pleasant Primary School’s RE curriculum aims to:
- Give pupils understanding of a range of religions and other world views, enabling them to develop their own ideas, values and identities.
- Develop children’s critical thinking skills by getting pupils to think for themselves.
- Teach pupils to articulate their personal beliefs and values while respecting the right of others to differ.
- Nurture informed and resilient responses to misunderstanding, stereotyping and division.
We aim to develop the following skills:
- Investigate the beliefs and practices of religions and other world views.
- Investigate how religions and other world views address questions of meaning, purpose and value.
- Investigate how religions and other world views influence morality, identity and diversity.
Implementation
Our school follows the comprehensive ‘Believing and Belonging’ scheme of work which ensures a full coverage of the Local Agreed Syllabus for Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees and Leeds. Each key stage has a specific focus on core religions. Throughout the school the children will develop their knowledge and understanding of Christianity, Islam(KS1), Judaism and Sikhism(KS2). They will also develop an awareness of Buddhism, Hinduism and non-religious organisations such as Humanism.
In early years, RE is taught discretely over 6 units as well as being embedded into the curriculum delivery in accordance with the Statutory Early Years Framework (2021) and supported by guidance from the Birth to 5 Matters (2021). Through RE teaching and continuous provision children gain an understanding of the world and personal, social and emotional development.
In supporting pupils to access the local agreed syllabus our teachers have a regard to three principles essential to developing an inclusive curriculum.
- Teachers set suitable learning challenges.
- Teachers respond to pupils’ diverse learning needs.
- Teachers overcome potential barriers to learning and assessment for individuals and groups of pupils.
Assessment is based on progress towards the end of key stage statements. The syllabus offers some interim expectations for key stages 1 and 2. A progress ladder based on the development and deployment of skills and knowledge summarises these expectations.
As part of its mission to create well-rounded and high-achieving pupils, Mount Pleasant takes its RE curriculum very seriously. From EYFS, teaching staff ensure that RE is given a place in the curriculum, and it is timetabled and taught in a committed way.
Training and support is provided for the subject leader, and for teachers, where necessary. Enrichment takes place through the celebration of varied religious festivals, such as Christmas, Hannukah, Eid, and Diwali.
Impact
- Children have a good understanding of a range of religions and other world views.
- Pupils are able to articulate personal beliefs and values whilst respecting the right of others to differ.
- Pupils are informed and can make resilient responses to misunderstanding, stereotyping and division.
- Children will be equipped with the skills and knowledge they need to progress to the next stage in their Religious Education.