Statement of Curriculum Intent – RE
The Big Ideas / Key Concepts for RE are:
- Respect
- Empathy
- Faith
The overarching aim of the RE curriculum at Duxford CofE Community Primary School is
The RE teaching at Duxford aims to develop pupils’ knowledge and understanding of Christianity and the other world religions represented in this country, and to explore, reflect on and respond to human experience in the light of their study. In line with national RE requirements, children are expected to learn both about and from religions.
Our aim is that children leave this school
All pupils in Duxford Primary School are entitled to receive Religious Education (RE) and it forms part of the spiritual, moral and cultural education in the school. RE has equal status with all the subjects of the National Curriculum and the syllabus that the school delivers is in line with Understanding Christianity units (as requested by the Diocese) and the 2018 Agreed Syllabus for Cambridgeshire Schools. This specifies the statutory core units of study (CU), for each key stage and the minimum number of School–Designed Unit. Core concepts are explored using key questions and a three prong approach being; Text, Impact and Connections. Additional units of work are based on the “Community of Enquiry” approach to teaching and learning. The remaining units, mostly exploring other religions (37%) are also explored through the enquiry methodology where a key question is explored through a number of smaller questions over a series of lessons. While these units are a Cambridgeshire requirement they are for the most part school designed. At Key Stage (KS) 1 and 2, 50% of the syllabus will be core units and 50% will be school designed units with three CU’s and 3 SDU’s per year.
Understanding Christianity is a substantial resource to support teaching of Christianity in Religious Education, supported and developed by the Church of England. It explores significant theological concepts within Christianity as part of ‘developing pupils’ wider religious, theological and cultural literacy’. It seeks to ‘support teachers in developing their own knowledge and understanding of Christianity theology to be able to teach with confidence.’
The Emmanuel Project was developed in Suffolk with much the same aims, and grew out of the work of an RE Adviser involved in planning Understanding Christianity. It unpacks key theological concepts in different world faiths, viewing their scriptures, practices and lifestyles systematically through these. Originally written to meet the Suffolk agreed syllabus requirements, it is now used much more widely.
With such similar approaches, the Emmanuel Project works well alongside Understanding Christianity. The following scheme of work / long term plans illustrate how. The EYFS units are based on Christianity but include encounters with other faiths. The KS1 and KS2 exemplars show either 50% Christianity or an increased Christianity coverage at 66%.
The curriculum coverage ensures this by
- A holistic approach that builds on prior learning and the needs of the individual child
- Allowing scope for a variety of practical activities, including the constant refinement of RE concepts
- Revisiting and building upon prior learning experiences
- Allowing learners the opportunity to appraise and modify their work as often as possible
- Providing open-ended learning experiences where appropriate, to encourage learners’ innate creativity
- Introducing learners to different religions
- Making links with the school, local and wider community wherever possible
Teaching should ensure that there is a regular review of prior learning at the start of each lesson. Key vocabulary should be actively taught and definitions learned by children and these should be displayed in the classroom. Lessons should be planned so that children learn important information in a logical sequence and that lessons are learning not ‘doing’. Teaching should be supported by trips, visits and real experiences wherever possible and these should be placed towards the middle/end of the teaching sequence, once knowledge has been learned. Wherever possible, children should be facilitated to see real examples of what they are learning about, and if this is not possible, video, audio clips, photographs and drawings should be used.
Progression through the subject is planned to ensure that the content of the National Curriculum is taught in a logical way that builds on previous knowledge and skills. We follow the 50% Christianity section of this plan.
Curriculum progression is as follows:
We ensure that this curriculum links with other areas of curriculum by providing experiences and opportunities that both support and develop knowledge, language and skill.
