RE Curriculum
RE Intent
Our Intention
At Brudenell, RE is taught across all age groups, in line with the Leeds Agreed Syllabus-Believing and Belonging in West Yorkshire. This syllabus provides a framework to explore the rich heritage of faiths and beliefs in our community and also creates an opportunity to develop critical and reflective skills that will support each student in their own journey of discovering purpose and meaning.
There are three broad aims, each divided into two areas.
Pupils:
A. Investigate the beliefs and practices of religions and other world views including;
1. Beliefs and authority: core beliefs and concepts; sources of authority including written traditions and leaders.
2. Worship and Spirituality: how individuals and communities express belief, commitment and emotion.
B. Investigate how religions and other world views address questions of meaning, purpose & value including;
1. The nature of religion and belief and its key concepts;
2. Ultimate Questions of belonging, meaning, purpose and truth.
C. Investigate how religions and other world views influence morality, identity and diversity including;
1. Moral decisions: teachings of religions and other world views on moral and ethical questions; evaluation, reflection and critical responses;
2. Identity and Diversity: diversity among and within religions and other world views; individual and community responses to difference and shared human values.
RE Implementation
RE is taught through key questions, enquiry and investigation.
Each unit of work is focused around a key question related to the subject content of the syllabus egs. What does it mean to be a Muslim? Why do Christians celebrate Easter?
Children are encouraged to share their expertise and knowledge with their peers and are given opportunities to demonstrate religious practices. They often have religious artefacts to handle (respectfully) and take part in visits. Asking questions and reflecting upon the answers is an important part of every lesson. Listening to each other and understanding different viewpoints helps children to prepare for later life.
The syllabus requires schools to focus on specific core religions at each key stage:
Early Years and Foundation Stage
Pupils encounter religions and other world views through special people, books, times, places and objects and by visiting places of worship. They listen to and talk about stories from a range of different religions and world views. Pupils are encouraged to ask questions and talk about their own feelings and experiences. Pupils use their imagination and curiosity to develop appreciation of, and wonder at, the natural world. They also learn to appreciate and value human beings, recognising and encountering diversity.
Years 1 and 2 (Key Stage 1)
Christianity and Islam
Years 3 and 4 (Lower Key Stage 2)
Christianity, Islam and Sikhism
Years 5 and 6 (Upper Key Stage 2)
Christianity, Islam, Sikhism and Judaism
RE and Special Educational Needs
In supporting pupils to access RE, we have worked hard to develop an inclusive curriculum:
• setting suitable learning challenges;
• responding to pupils’ diverse learning needs;
• overcoming potential barriers to learning and assessment for individuals and groups of
pupils.
Strategies include:
• Giving pupils first hand experiences, for example, inviting visitors into school, visits to places of worship and taking part in celebrating festivals;
• Organising a range of activities to give personal experiences which can include dance, drama
and visits to a range of environments;
• Helping pupils to understand and appreciate their world and its diversity;
• Using a range of IT to increase pupils’ knowledge of religions and elements in them.