Beechcroft St Paul'sC of E Primary School

Our teaching is based on the Wiltshire Agreed Syllabus and also includes include content from the Understanding Christianity resource. We acknowledge the sensitive nature of this aspect of education and realise the need for a sincere and sympathetic approach. We are aware that some pupils, parents and staff may hold deep beliefs while others hold none. With this in mind we encourage questioning and discussion but respect the right of any individual who does not want to share their inner thoughts. 

Early Years 

By the end of the Early Years children are beginning to explore the world of religion in terms of special people, occasions, places and objects. They listen to and talk about stories and reflect on their own feelings and experiences. Children have the opportunity to explore each unit through the environment where adults support learning through discussion and questioning. 

Years 1 -6 

We use an enquiry approach to RE. All units begin with children discussing a “Big Question”. As the unit progresses, they develop their knowledge, thoughts and opinions about this question working through core beliefs, how these beliefs are expressed and then connecting to values, community and themselves. At the end of the unit, children are given the opportunity to discuss together what they have learnt and share their new insights and opinions. Learning about religion is integrated with learning from religion. Teachers ensure that pupils have opportunities to explore issues, questions and concepts related to their own and general human experience arising from the religious content being covered. We believe that RE should be made relevant and meaningful to children, whether religious or not, it needs to connect with aspects of their own and other people’s experience.

KS1 

In RE lessons, we encourage children to explore and investigate, to question and to reflect on new ideas and emotions; in EYFS and KS1 creative response sessions provide some of these learning opportunities. As children discuss the values they see represented in stories and in faith communities they develop their empathy, religious literacy and awareness of their own place within the family, the school and the community.

The sequence of teaching and learning for KS1 is 

1. Starting from children’s own experiences and exploring their own ideas relating to a big question 

2. Learning knowledge about aspects of a religion relating to the big question 

3. Thinking about the impact of religious beliefs on believers’ thinking and on and lives of believers of that religion 

4. Reflecting on what has been learnt and how their ideas about the big question have been developed as a result of their learning. 

In KS1 the main religions studied are Christianity and Judaism.

KS2 

In KS2 all units include:

• opportunities for pupils to explore their own thoughts about a big question relating it to their own experience and their prior learning about religious viewpoints related to the question. 

• learning of core knowledge about aspects of a religion or belief relating to the big question 

• Thinking about the impact of religious beliefs on believers’ thinking and on and lives of believers of that religion 

• reflecting on what has been learnt and how their ideas about the big question have been developed as a result of their learning. 

In KS2 the main religions studied are Christianity, Hinduism and Islam.

As a school we strive to provide key learning experiences to all our children in some of the following ways:

KS1 

• Visit places of worship, focusing on symbols and feelings. 
• Listen and respond to visitors from local faith communities. 
• Use their senses and have times of quiet reflection. 
• Use art and design, music, dance and drama to develop their creative talents and imagination. 
• Share their own beliefs, ideas and values and talk about their feelings and experiences. 
• Begin to use ICT to explore religions and beliefs as practised in the local and wider community. 

KS2 

• Encounter religion through visitors and visits to places of worship, focusing on the impact and reality of religion on the local and global community. 
• Consider why people have religious beliefs and why some reject religion. 
• Engage in personal reflection and response. 
• Discuss religious and philosophical questions, giving reasons for their own beliefs and those of others. 
• Engage in extended writing. 
• Express and communicate their own and others’ insights through art and design, music, dance, drama and ICT. 
• Develop the use of ICT, particularly in enhancing awareness of religions and beliefs globally. 
• Consider how religion is portrayed in the media and society, recognising stereotypes and misrepresentation