R.E.

We intend that our RE curriculum will enhance pupils’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural development and strengthen their understanding of British Values. This will support our pupils in becoming respectful, informed and responsible citizens who are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

We strive for our pupils to become resilient, mindful and inquisitive learners who can make reasoned and informed judgements about religious, ethical and moral issues. Through deepening their knowledge and understanding, engaging in informed discussions and developing critical thinking skills, pupils build their religious literacy and understanding of different worldviews. Opportunities for reflection support pupils in developing a sense of their own identity and self-awareness, whilst considering how their beliefs, values and experiences may be similar to or different from those of others.

We believe that it is important for our pupils to gain the knowledge and skills needed to answer challenging questions, explore a range of religious and non-religious beliefs, values and traditions, and appreciate how these influence people’s lives and behaviours. By understanding the beliefs, practices and worldviews of others, pupils can make meaningful connections to their own beliefs and values and consider how these influence their own actions and choices.

At Sunnybrow Primary School we follow the Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education in Durham 2020. This is a document that was written and agreed by the Durham Agreed Syllabus Conference for use by all County Durham schools.

There are three key elements in the teaching of RE:

• Knowledge and Understanding of Religion
• Critical Thinking
• Personal Reflection

Our planning follows a two-year cycle due to our mixed-age classes. Units are organised so that skills and knowledge develop year on year. Some units have been moved to ensure that children learn new knowledge in an appropriate order regardless of which cycle the curriculum is on when the child enters the class.

Children are taught about a range of religions and worldviews throughout their time in school, although there is an emphasis on Christianity in line with the Durham Agreed Syllabus. Where appropriate, pupils also encounter non-religious worldviews, including Humanism, and consider how beliefs and values influence people’s lives and decisions.

There are four key concepts that children learn about throughout their RE journey:

Belief – What are the key beliefs held within a religion or worldview?

Authority – How do people know what to believe? What sources of authority, guidance or evidence influence different religious and non-religious worldviews?

Expression of Belief – How do people express their beliefs and values? What are the different forms of expression? How are belonging and commitment demonstrated through ceremonies, rituals, symbols and everyday actions?

Impact of Belief – The values, actions and attitudes influenced by beliefs and worldviews. How do beliefs affect what people think, feel and do? How are identity, belonging and commitment expressed?

For each unit of work, ‘key concepts’ are identified. This is ‘sticky knowledge’ that we expect children to learn, recall and retain. We use a cumulative quizzing approach to ensure that children regularly revisit key concepts. We also use our Daily 5 sticky knowledge quizzes to recap prior learning.

Where possible, we aim to incorporate as many first-hand experiences as are appropriate to the intended learning. We aim to visit a range of places of worship throughout a child’s time in school and, where appropriate, invite visitors from local religious and non-religious communities to share their experiences and perspectives.

Lessons take many forms and incorporate a variety of approaches. There are opportunities for discussion, imaginative play, drama and responding to images, stories, art, music and dance.

Where appropriate to the intended learning, children handle religious artefacts and examine sacred texts. Each child has a personal reflection log in which they can record their thoughts, opinions and feelings following a period of personal reflection within each lesson. These logs are not marked and are considered private.

The main source of impact will always remain the quality and breadth of work seen in pupils’ books and within the learning environment. We ensure that there are regular opportunities for pupils to apply their learning both within RE and across other areas of the curriculum.

The impact of our RE curriculum is evident through pupils’ progress, sustained learning and the development of transferable skills. As they move through the school, children demonstrate increasing confidence in investigation and enquiry, interpretation, application, expression, analysis, evaluation, reflection, response and empathy. They develop a deeper knowledge and understanding of a range of religions and worldviews and are increasingly able to make links between beliefs, values and lived experiences. Pupils learn to discuss and reflect upon religious and non-religious perspectives with respect, curiosity and growing maturity.

Impact is also measured through assessment for learning opportunities and summative assessments. Teachers use assessment grids that reflect the benchmark expectations of the Durham Agreed Syllabus and monitor pupils’ understanding of key concepts, knowledge and skills over time.

Judgements about the impact of the curriculum are based upon a triangulation of monitoring and evaluation activities across the school. Work scrutiny, pupil voice discussions, assessment outcomes and the quality of teaching and learning are all used to evaluate the effectiveness of the curriculum. Through these processes, leaders ensure that pupils are developing religious literacy, an understanding of diverse beliefs and worldviews, and the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to thrive in modern Britain.