Religious Education

The aim of Religious Education at Thurgoland C.E. School is to allow all learners to explore faith – as a contribution to their understanding of the world and their own experience within it. R.E. supports our mission to inspire caring, tolerant and enthusiastic learners, with Christian values at the heart of everything they do. This is a powerful subject for enabling all our children to demonstrate their commitment to becoming their “best self” and to showcase their ability to think deeply, critically and creatively.

 As a Church of England School the curriculum provides the opportunity for learners to develop a relationship with God and Jesus Christ, through the study of Christianity and other major world faiths.

Intent

It is our intent to:

  • Give our pupils the knowledge and understanding of the religions, beliefs and non-beliefs which form part of our contemporary society.
  • Teach the core theological concepts in Christianity.
  • Develop an understanding of the impact of religion on individuals and communities.
  • Explore the stories and teachings of holy books and the impact of these texts.
  • Enable pupils to describe different places of worship, their symbols and significance.
  • Give pupils the opportunity to learn about festivals, what they celebrate and why.
  • Develop a growing ability to compare different beliefs and practices and consider these in terms of their own lives.
  • Promote empathy with people, their beliefs and lifestyle choices and to value community cohesion.
  • To address challenging questions allowing pupils to consider the ultimate meaning and purpose of life, beliefs about God, right and wrong and what it means to be human.
  • Prepare pupils for adult life as confident responsible citizens.

In R.E. we encourage our pupils to:

  • Question, evaluate and reflect on their learning and beliefs.
  • Grow spiritually.
  • Develop skills to discern value, truth and goodness.
  • Extend their capacity to make sound moral judgements.


Implementation

Long term: Units of work are planned which cover the National Curriculum and Agreed Local Syllabus. The teaching of Christianity forms a third of the curriculum with Christmas and Easter re-visited to develop the learning in a progressive way. Aspects of Judaism, Islam, Sikhism, Hinduism and non-religion based beliefs are also taught. This allows pupils to gain insight into other faith communities and facilitate the exploration of links and comparisons across beliefs and practices. In Christianity core concepts of God, Creation, Incarnation, Gospel and Salvation – form the basis of units for each year group; addressed with increasing depth and relevance to pupil maturity. Planning enables effective links to be made across the curriculum, especially with PHSE but also with humanities and the arts.

 

Medium term: Each unity of study is based on a key question and answering these questions may involve studying religious text, exploring the customs and practices of believers and considering the impact on individuals and / or the community. At all times the range and diversity of belief and practice within each religion is considered. Quality resources support planning including “Understanding Christianity” – which enables teachers and pupils to develop their knowledge and understanding of Christian theology and “Inspiring R.E.” an enquiry approach, covering the belief systems of major world religions. Each unit of study provides a frameworks for assessing pupil progress against the planned learning objectives. Teachers also assess the skills and attitudes demonstrated by pupils, for example evaluation, analysis and critical awareness – via observations of their contributions to discussions as well as written responses. Themes addressed during Collective Worship add cohesion and depth to the curriculum, enabling the children to also experience mixed aged learning and share moments of wonder and reflection.

 

Short term: Lessons are engaging, challenging, and creative and often there is an emphasis on debate. All pupils are encouraged and supported to contribute orally and share their own experiences, knowing that this is within a safe context where views are valued and respected. Effective use is made of artefacts and access to the internet. Visitors from faith communities and visits to places of worship bring studies “to life.” The school particularly benefits from close links to our local Church and parishioners, where pupils have first-hand experience of faith in action.

Useful Documents

Values that are at the heart of Thurgoland

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Thurgoland C of E Primary School
Halifax Road
Thurgoland
Sheffield
S35 7AL

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