RE

Vision

In the Upper Wharfedale Primary Federation, it is our intent that Religious Education is part of the basic curriculum entitlement for all pupils in all our schools.  In our Church schools, RE has a central place within our distinctive curriculum and is seen as a core subject .Through our RE curriculum we aim to provide opportunities to develop children’s knowledge and understanding of world religions and reflect on the challenging questions that it provokes. The aims of religious education are:

  • To develop children’s knowledge and understanding of Christianity and other religions and consider how the beliefs of others impact on their lives and the lives of others.
  • To encourage children to ask and reflect on challenging questions.
  • To provide opportunities for personal reflection where children can explore their own beliefs (not necessarily religious).
  • To encourage children to appreciate and respect the different cultures in today’s society.

RE provokes the investigation of questions about the ultimate meaning and purpose of life, beliefs about God and provides opportunities to consider issues of right and wrong. RE contributes to the children’s personal development and well-being and to community cohesion by promoting mutual respect and tolerance in the diverse society in which we live. Through our teaching, links are made to other parts of the school curriculum such as British Values, Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE), and our themed approach to the humanities.

Implementation

All our children have access to a weekly RE lesson, delivered by their class teacher in Key Stage one and by a qualified member of staff, Mrs Campbell, specialising in RE, in Key stage two. There are also opportunities to explore aspects of the RE curriculum during our spotlight weeks; within  other parts of the school curriculum such as British Values, Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE), and our themed approach to the humanities.

The Schools use the North Yorkshire Agreed Syllabus, the Diocese of York and Leeds Agreed Syllabus and the Understanding Christianity Resource Pack to plan a rolling programme of study to engage, inspire, challenge and encourage our children to gain knowledge and skills to answer challenging questions, explore different religious beliefs, values and traditions. The curriculum places high emphasis on our Federation values of Love, Kindness, Forgiveness, Thankfulness and Trust. Each unit of study shows clear progression in skills and knowledge, showing how the children progress through the year and year on year.

Impact

As a result of the RE curriculum, the children investigate such questions about the ultimate meaning and purpose of life, beliefs about God and provides opportunities to consider issues of right and wrong.  RE contributes to the children’s personal development and well-being and to community cohesion by promoting mutual respect and tolerance in the diverse society in which we live. We promote an investigative and enquiry based learning opportunities, promoting children’s independence, encouraging them to be independent learners. Throughout the lessons, children are encouraged to discuss and share their views with others.

We monitor the impact of the teaching and learning in RE across the Federation through:

  • Providing opportunities to assess children’s learning at the start and end of a unit
  • Summative assessment of pupil’s discussion about their learning
  • Marking and feedback of written work in their individual RE books
  • Big books are used to record group work and discussions, annotated using post its of children’s learning and comments by staff
  • Book scrutinies and lesson observations allow for moderation and consistency of approach across the federation and professional dialogue with staff members
  • Images and videos are used to record any practical work
  • Pupil voice
  • Feedback from LA advisers and the Diocese

 

RE subject overview
 RE progression70