'The teaching of Christian and British values through well-taught RE and excellent collective worship underpins the life of the school.'

'Visitors from other faiths enrich the pupils’ understanding of life in a diverse global society and enable them to have a clear understanding of the beliefs and practices of other world faiths.'

SIAMS 2017

Intent

St. John’s is a Church of England school and our values and collective worship support the beliefs and practices of the church.  A challenging and enriching Religious Education curriculum enables pupils to take their place within a diverse multi-religious and multi-secular society. RE lessons 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.

The school follows the Salford Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education (RE) and this is enhanced with other resources to deepen the children’s knowledge and understanding. Children focus on what religion means to different people, how it impacts their day to day life and  allows them to reflect on their own ideas and ways of living. The Religious Education curriculum provokes challenging questions about meaning and purpose in life, beliefs about God, ultimate reality, issues of right and wrong and what it means to be human.

Implementation

At St. John’s, RE reflects that religious traditions in the UK are mainly Christian, while taking into account the teaching and practices of other principal religions represented in the UK. As children journey through St. John’s, they will learn in depth about Christianity, Islam, Judaism and Hinduism, whilst also learning about other religions and world views throughout other areas of the curriculum. The teaching of RE is split up into three main focus areas: believing, expressing and living. The believing strand of our curriculum involves children gaining knowledge about religious beliefs, teachings and sources. They reflect on questions about meaning, purpose and truth. Throughout the expressing strand, children learn about religious and spiritual forms of expression. They reflect on questions about identity and diversity. Throughout the living strand, children learn about religious practices and ways of living. They will reflect on questions about values and commitments. Instant intervention occurs as teachers formatively assess each child during their RE lessons and intervene at the first instance in order to address any misconceptions the children may have. RE is taught weekly from Nursery to Year 6 and is supported by daily acts of worship.

Impact

We assess the impact of our Religious Education curriculum through teacher assessment and analysis of this by the subject leader. Staff use observations, pupils’ books, floor books, children’s responses, recordings of discussion and questioning evidenced on Seesaw to gauge a clear understanding of the children’s abilities in RE. This approach is inclusive of all learners and ensures that children of all abilities, including those with SEND, are not disadvantaged. The RE subject leader is assured of the accuracy of these judgements through moderations, professional dialogue with staff, observation of teaching, pupil learning studies and pupil voice.

By the end of Key Stage 2, children will have developed their religious literacy and conceptual understanding and will be able to enter into a rich discourse about the religious and non-religious traditions that have shaped Great Britain and the world. They will be able to articulate, with confidence, their ideas about religion, beliefs and spirituality and be ready to participate in a modern and diverse Britain.

Spirituality in RE

The Church of England’s ‘Statement for Entitlement’ outlines the aims and expectations for Religious Education in CE schools and guides this school’s approach to RE and spirituality. The role of RE is neither to promote nor undermine organised religion but part of its purpose is to provide structured opportunity for consideration of the non-material aspects of life. RE can contribute dynamically to children and young people’s education by provoking challenging questions about meaning and purpose in life, beliefs about God, ultimate reality, issues of right and wrong and what it means to be human. It can support their own discovery of their personal spiritual journeys of meaning, purpose and value. RE allows children to reflect upon and share their own knowledge and lived experiences, plus find out about the experiences, beliefs and traditions of other people. Through this process, children expand their knowledge, begin to shape their own beliefs, form opinions and add breadth to their world view. High quality RE lessons at St. John’s CE Primary offer children opportunities that challenge their thinking through Big Questions. They critically reflect on their own religious, spiritual and/or philosophical convictions and are equipped with the skills to confidently discuss religious, spiritual and philosophical ideas.

Parents can choose to withdraw their child/children for all or part of their RE lessons. Please make an appointment with the Headteacher if this is something you wish to discuss.