Religious Education

Religious Education (RE) is understanding beliefs across the world

Vision for RE (Intent)

Religious Education plays an important role in preparing pupils for adult life. It helps children and young people become successful learners, confident individuals and responsible citizens.

We also provide a range of opportunities for all pupils to understand and make links between the beliefs, practices and value systems of Christianity alongside a range of major world religions. We will provide opportunities in RE to develop our pupil’s understanding and appreciation of diversity within different cultures, beliefs and values. Pupils will have opportunities to encounter local faith communities in school and through visits to local places of worship to promote community cohesion.

We will use a variety of teaching methods including art, music, discussion, the development of thinking skills, drama, the use of artefacts, pictures, stories, and the use of periods of stillness and reflection to develop high quality learning experiences.

RE Subject Lead-

Long Term Plan

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Key Vocabulary

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The aims for implementation of our curriculum for RE at St. George’s

At St. Georges we have implemented the Manchester Diocesan syllabus as the chosen approach due to the reflection and representation of our community in Oldham.

The principal aim of our religious education curriculum is to explore what people believe and what difference this makes to how they live, so that pupils can gain the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to handle questions raised by religion and belief, reflecting on their own ideas and ways of living.

The threefold aim of RE elaborates this principal aim and puts the purpose of the subject into action.

The curriculum for RE aims to ensure that all pupils:

1.Make sense of a range of religious and non-religious beliefs, so that they can:

identify, describe, explain and analyse beliefs and concepts in the context of living religions, using appropriate vocabulary;
explain how and why these beliefs are understood in different ways, by individuals and within communities;
recognise how and why sources of authority (e.g. texts, teachings, traditions, leaders) are used, expressed and interpreted in different ways, developing skills of interpretation

2.Understand the impact and significance of religious and non-religious beliefs, so that they can:

examine and explain how and why people express their beliefs in diverse ways;
recognise and account for ways in which people put their beliefs into action in diverse ways, in their everyday lives, within their communities and in the wider world;
appreciate and appraise the significance of different ways of life and ways of expressing meaning.

3.Make connections between religious and non-religious beliefs, concepts, practices and ideas studied, so that they can:

evaluate, reflect on and enquire into key concepts and questions studied, responding thoughtfully and creatively, giving good reasons for their responses;
challenge the ideas they study, and consider how these ideas might challenge their own thinking, articulating beliefs, values and commitments clearly in response;
discern possible connections between the ideas studied and their own ways of understanding the world, expressing their critical responses and personal reflections with increasing clarity and understanding.

How is RE taught and what does it look like at St. George’s? (Implementation)

What will my child leave St. George’s knowing, understanding and appreciating in RE? (Impact)

At St. Georges’s, we recognise the importance of RE in every aspect of our lives and those of our community. We have implemented the Manchester Diocesan syllabus as the chosen approach due to the reflection and representation of our community in Oldham.

At St. George’s, RE is taught through a timetabled lesson each week. Each year group covers six units throughout the academic year, building upon their knowledge and learning of Christianity – year on year – as well as learning about other religions such as:

Islam
Hinduism
Judaism
Humanist

This is achieved through a variety of whole-class teaching, group activities and individual tasks. Within these lessons, students will be given the opportunity to consolidate and extend their knowledge as well as use religious texts and artefacts within lessons, visit places of worship and welcome visitors of different faiths into our school.

Pupils will acquire the knowledge, skills and understanding to discern and value truth and goodness, strengthening their capacity for making moral judgements and for evaluating different types of commitment to make positive and healthy choices. At St George’s, as a Church of England School, we enable our pupils to learn about and understand how Christianity has shaped the lives of people worldwide as a living faith and as a religion that has had significant impact on British culture and heritage. Alongside learning about other faiths and cultures around the world. Our pupils will show an informed and respectful attitude to religion and world views and be able to engage in meaningful, respectful and informed dialogue with those of other faiths and none within our society.