Stonham Aspal Church of England VA Primary School

Our R.E. Curriculum

 

R.E. is taught with reference to the Suffolk County Council agreed syllabus 2023 and through the Emmanuel Project, provided by the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich. 

Intent

The Church of England Education office state that “Religious education (RE) in a Church school should enable every child to flourish and to live life in all its fullness”. (John 10:10). We intend for RE in our school to be true to our underpinning faith, but with a deep respect for the integrity of other religious traditions (and worldviews) and for the religious freedom of each person. At Stonham Aspal CEVAP School, we seek to create a Christian community based on Christian values, which are reflected throughout the life of the School. We aim to give our children an opportunity to gain an understanding of the Christian Faith and other world religions.

A high-quality sequential religious education programme is essential to meet the statutory requirement to teach a full curriculum that prepares pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of life in modern Britain. Central to religious education in Church schools is the study of Christianity as a living and diverse faith, focused on the teaching of Jesus and the Church. There is a clear expectation that as inclusive communities, church schools provide sequenced learning about a range of religions and worldviews fostering respect for others. In voluntary aided schools, RE must be taught in accordance with the trust deed.

Religious Education (RE) is a core subject that lies at the heart of our curriculum. We believe that RE should be of the highest standard, always striving for excellence, and that it should reflect our school’s distinctive Christian character.

Our RE lessons intend to offer a broad and rich RE curriculum. Through each unit, children will know about and understand a range of religions and world views. They will be able to identify, investigate and respond to a variety of issues. SMSC, personal growth and community cohesion are featured throughout each unit and are there to ensure opportunities for children to develop positive attitudes and values and to reflect on and relate their learning in RE to their own experiences. The intent is to make sure that children understand the relevance of RE in today’s modern world and how it affects our lives.

Implementation

We use the Emmanuel Project produced by the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich. There are 6 units in each year group.  As we are a Voluntary Aided School, half of our RE teaching focuses on Christianity. The other half is used to explore other world religions. We also enrich our curriculum by celebrating Harvest, Christmas and Easter with a service in local church. In Reception, the children learn about Christianity and they have initial encounters with other religions. In Key Stage 1 the children continue to study Christianity but are also introduced to Judaism, Islam and Hinduism. In Key Stage 2 lessons focus on Christianity, however pupils also develop their understanding of other worldviews including Islam, Sikhism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Humanism. This gives the children an opportunity to ask questions and make comparisons about different religions. The units in the Emmanuel Project are linked to a philosophical big question and the main question linked to the unit, which are referred back to and the children get the chance to answer other questions along the way.  The RE units are also made up of three disciplines: Theology, Human and Social Science and Philosophy. The units being taught this year across our school can be seen on the Whole School Long Term plan for RE. Assessments are conducted at the end of each unit and progression is tracked throughout the years.

Impact

  • All children will be more informed about their position in the world, and the decisions they can make impacting their future.
  • All children in school will be able to talk confidently about their wellbeing, moral and cultural development for the society in which they live.
  • The RE curriculum will promote inquisitive minds, respect, tolerance and understanding for all those around them including themselves.
  • This evidence will be seen through using the correct vocabulary, explanations and respectful opinions and being encouraged to explore more by asking and answering questions.

 


Please look here for our EYFS R.E. Curriculum
Please look here for our KS1 R.E. Curriculum
Please look here for our LKS2 R.E. Curriculum
Please look here for our UKS2 R.E. Curriculum

 In addition to class teaching of RE, children also learn about and from religion in whole school RE days and in Collective Worship.