Religious Education
Intent
At Horn’s Mill, our R.E curriculum enables children to develop and demonstrate tolerance and understanding of other’s views and beliefs through a knowledge-based curriculum. We have created a progressive curriculum which begins from Early Years and allows knowledge to be built upon each year. We foster a holistic approach, encouraging children’s personal growth through discussion and sharing of ideas. As well as developing a knowledge and understanding of Christianity, Religious Education is concerned with moral and spiritual development and an understanding of a wide range of religions.
At our school, we intend to deliver a broad and balanced curriculum in accordance with the locally-agreed syllabus of the LA. We provide our children with knowledge about diverse people, faiths, and backgrounds which encompasses spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. A range of faiths and key aspects within these faiths are revisited and consolidated in different year groups, enabling children’s understanding to develop year upon year. As part of a transition project with our feeder high school and RE experts, we planned our curriculum offer alongside one another based on high school expectations for RE learners when transitioning to high school. More details can be found on our RE curriculum document.
The RE curriculum at Horn’s Mill aims to be fully inclusive for all. Our pupils will learn about the different ways people express their beliefs and the artefacts and rituals associated with religious and non-religious traditions. As a result, children will be inspired and curious about the world in which they live and embrace and accept differing cultures within it. Pupils will be taught the scholarship of RE and to understand how the substantive knowledge came to be, how to interpret the accuracy and validity of claims being made and the differences between conceptions and misconceptions. Our pupils will be encouraged to reflect upon how their own values and beliefs connect with religious and non-religious traditions.
Implementation
Our children are introduced to a wide range of religions through: a carefully designed curriculum; themed days and events; links with local high schools and other RE subject leaders; visitors into school and visits to places of worship in the local and wider community. For instance, in Reception and Team 2 classes our pupils visit a church, in Team 3 pupils visit a synagogue and in Team 4 pupils visit a mosque. This is in addition to annual visits to Chester Cathedral where the school choir will sing.
Stories, songs, art, drama and discussions are a few examples of how we give children opportunities to learn about religious ideas, behaviour, and attitudes. As the children move through school, the curriculum is organised sequentially. The children have the opportunity to learn about a range of faiths and cultures and make comparisons between them and reflect upon their own. We have fostered links with local our church and have regular assemblies led by the vicar and special assemblies held by the RE leader in school.
Children are not only taught about different faiths, they are given opportunities to reflect on their own beliefs and appreciate and listen to different viewpoints of others, as well as feeling confident and supported to share their own. We often have special RE themed days or weeks where we focus upon different religions. These have included more recently Hinduism Day and Islam Day. Celebrating different festivals, holidays and occasions at school not only raises awareness amongst children about different faiths and cultures, but can also instil pride in children to talk about important days in their own culture.
We understand the importance of using books and artefacts to support and supplement the understanding of different religions and cultures. Where possible, the reading of complimentary texts will be used (at appropriate times of the year) during our reading lessons in order to support the delivery of the curriculum and allow children to be exposed to, and become familiar with key vocabulary. As a school, we subscribe to the education library service and teachers use this resource to access high quality texts and artefacts to support RE teaching.
Impact - How do we know our curriculum is effective?
Our inclusive ethos and approach to creating our RE curriculum offer means that we have thought about how children can demonstrate their learning in a way that is accessible for all. Pupil Voice is one of the ways that we ensure learning is sticking and that the curriculum is achieving our aims. We believe that if children have become skilful and knowledgeable religiously, morally and spiritually, they will be able to articulate their ideas and understanding with confidence. Pupil Voice is an important tool in assessing whether children have made progress.
Children present their understanding of RE learning in various ways: through high-quality written outcomes and art pieces; through the use of drama, or through class discussions, debates and presentations. We hold sharing assemblies following a themed day so that each class can share with the whole school their learning and knowledge gained. Throughout the year, opportunities are planned in for children to show their understanding of what has been taught with clear end points identified for each religon studied. Children have learning journeys which show their progress throughout the curriculum, and displays are created around school to celebrate learning which has taken place. We also have a whole school SMSC book which shows a snapshot of the learning taking place around school. All these examples provide opportunities for children to recall, discuss and enthuse about Religion Education within Horn’s Mill. Examples taken from the SMSC book can be seen below.
If you have any further enquiries relating to the RE curriculum, please email Mrs Hulse on ghulse@hornsmill.cheshire.sch.uk
