Purpose
As a voluntary aided (VA) Church of England School, at St Mary’s we follow the Syllabus for Religious Education created by the Dioceses of Leeds and York.
This Syllabus states that, ‘the principal aim of RE is to enable pupils to hold balanced and informed conversations about religion and worldviews’; this aim forms the foundation of our curriculum.
Curriculum statement
Rationale / Vision
Founded in hope St. Mary’s CE (VA) Primary School is a place where all can find their voice, grow in wisdom and live well in community and service.
The Religion and Worldviews curriculum plays a fundamental role in realising our school vision.
We believe that hope gives us optimism for a better future.
Finding our voice – through the wide range of opportunities given to debate and discuss, Religion and Worldviews allows children to develop the skills to communicate effectively with the world around them, growing in self-confidence, esteem and emotional wellbeing.
Living in community and service – through learning about world religions and non-religious worldviews, the Religion and Worldviews curriculum develops knowledge and understanding which allows our community to grow in our understanding of each other, valuing our self and others locally, nationally and globally.
Grow in wisdom – Religion and Worldviews facilitates a deep and broad understanding of religions and non-religious viewpoints that are part of the world we live in so that we can best develop the skills, understanding and resilience required for us to be able to flourish.
Intent
- Religion and Worldviews is a core subject of the curriculum for all pupils at St. Mary’s CE (VA) Primary School, including those in the Reception Year. Religion and Worldviews at St. Mary’s meets the requirements of the Church of England’s Statement of Entitlement. The Religion and Worldviews curriculum follows the Diocesan Syllabus for Religious Education as produced by the Dioceses of Leeds and York. In adopting the Dioceses of Leeds and York Diocesan Syllabus for Religious Education, the principal aim of Religion and Worldviews is to enable pupils to hold balanced and informed conversations about religion and belief
- In accordance with the Dioceses of Leeds and York Diocesan Syllabus for Religious Education, our approach to teaching and learning within Religion and Worldviews allows staff and children to explore core concepts in religions and beliefs in a coherent way, developing their understanding and skills to hold informed and balanced conversations about religions and beliefs. Teaching and learning is underpinned by the three core elements of the syllabus.
These core elements form the conceptual pillars of the Religion and Worldviews subject knowledge map which outlines learning outcomes in a progressive way from Foundation Stage to Year 6. The subject knowledge map outlines the areas of learning children will experience through school. The spiral curriculum approach allows children to revisit core concepts at each phase of school (KS1, lower KS2 and upper KS2) in order to build on their previous learning and deepen their understanding of religions and beliefs. Year group planning folders ensure that progression in learning outcomes and skills occurs within each year group and across school.
- Throughout their time at St Mary’s, children’s learning will develop through clear religious and non-religious journeys.
Learning Journeys
- Christianity
In Lower Foundation children prepare for their formal Religion and Worldviews learning by engaging with Christian Bible stories and over a two year rotation use Godly play to explore the stories of Creation and Noah. They have opportunities to explore Christian festivals like Christmas through workshops at Wakefield Cathedral and with visiting members of our school’s clergy team.
The core concepts of Christianity are first introduced in Upper Foundation where children will explore the concepts of God, Creation, Incarnation and Salvation which are delivered through Understanding Christianity units. They will also explore themes of belonging, special places and special stories in thematic units. In Year 1 children will build further on the concepts of God and Incarnation and they will also explore the core concept of Creation through Understanding Christianity units. They will also build further on the themes of belonging and special stories that were introduced in Upper Foundation. In Year 2 children will build on the concept of Salvation following their work in Upper Foundation. They will also explore the core concept of Gospel for the first time. Through thematic units children will discuss sacred places for believers, inspiring people and caring for the World and others.
As children move into Key Stage Two, the spiral curriculum will see core concepts of God, Creation, Incarnation, Gospel and Salvation be revisited and built on in Years 3 and 5. In Years 4 and 6 children will revisit and build on prior learning in the core concepts of Gospel and Salvation. New core concepts will also be introduced to deepen children’s understanding of the ‘big story’ by children in Year 3 exploring ‘People of God’ and children in Years 4 and 6 exploring ‘The Kingdom of God’. Throughout Key Stage Two opportunities to further explore the Christian faith in thematic units will continue including discussing commitment and the journey of life in Year 3, the deeper meaning of festivals in Year 4, why pilgrimage is important to believers in Year 5 and how religion can help people through good and bad times in Year 6.
Opportunities are planned throughout this learning journey to deepen understanding through visits to the Cathedral, a local church and via workshops in school with members of the clergy team. Every year group also works with Hand to Mouth once each year to further explore Christianity and reflect on their own spiritual journey.
- Islam
Lower Foundation children are encouraged to reflect on and make connections to their own lives. As many of the families in our community are Muslim believers it provides opportunies for children to share their experiences of the mosque as a place of worship, of celebrations like Eid and of special times like Ramadan. All children have the opportunity to talk about and explore these ideas through creative play and through a visit to a local mosque.
In Upper Foundation children will understand more about Muslims and ideas of belonging, special places and special stories through their learning in thematic units. In Year 1 children will take part in a focussed unit of learning exploring ‘Who is a Muslim and what do they believe?’ There will be opportunities to make links to this learning and to build on work from Upper Foundation in thematic units about belonging and religious stories. In Year 2 children will deepen their understanding further by discussing sacred places and inspiring people in the Muslim faith.
As children progress into Key Stage 2, there are regular opportunities to continue to learn more about the Muslim faith through thematic units. These include welcoming ceremonies in Year 3, commitment and deeper meaning of festivals in Year 4 and why pilgrimage is important in Year 5. Children in Year 5 will also take part in a focus study in a unit called ‘What does it mean for Muslims to follow God?’
Opportunities to deepen learning through visits to a local mosque are planned throughout this journey of learning.
- Judaism
Children in Year 1 first learn about Jewish believers when they explore the theme of belonging. This learning is then deepened during a focussed unit on Judaism in Year 2 called ‘Who is Jewish and how do they live?’ Later in Year 2, children can further build on that understanding in thematic units about sacred places for believers and caring for the World and others.
In Key Stage 2, children in Year 3 have the opportunity to recall their previous learning about Jewish believers and use it to help them to understand how Jewish people take part in bar/bat mitzvah as part of a thematic unit on commitment and the journey of life. There are further opportunities for learning about the Jewish faith to grow in Year 4 when exploring Rosh Hashanah and Pesach in the deeper meaning of festivals unit and in Year 5 when understanding why pilgrimage is important. In Year 6 children will take part in a focussed study unit understanding ‘What does it mean for a Jewish person to follow God?’
- Hinduism
Children in Upper Foundation will explore the Hindu story of Rama and Sita when exploring special stories. There are opportunities within the ‘Making Connections’ element of teaching in Key Stage One’s thematic units for staff to make links as they feel is appropriate to Hindu believers to reflect the school’s current community and children’s own religious beliefs.
In Key Stage 2, children in Year 3 take part in a focussed unit on the Hindu faith called ‘What does it mean to be a Hindu in Britain today?’ Children can they recall this learning and build on their understanding through links to Hindu believers in Year 5’s thematic units including making our city a respectful place and pilgrimage and Year 6’s thematic unit about religion helping people through good and bad times.
- Sikhism/Sikhi
At St. Mary’s we believe it is important for our children to develop a clear and informed understanding of Sikh believers so we have also included this unit for study in Key Stage 2 alongside the Hindu focussed study unit. Children in Year 4 explore ‘What does it mean to be a Sikh in Britain today’ in a focussed study unit. There are opportunities within the ‘Making Connections’ element of teaching in other year groups’ thematic units for staff to make links as they feel is appropriate to Sikh believers to reflect the school’s current community and children’s own religious beliefs.
- Humanism (non-religious organised worldview)
In Upper Foundation children learn about Humanists through their thematic unit exploring belonging. Understanding of this theme is then deepened in Year 1.
In Key Stage 2, children in Year 3 further develop their understanding about Humanists by exploring thematic units about commitment and the Humanist naming ceremony and about values and what matter most. In Year 6, children explore what Humanists might think about how religion helps people in good and bad times.
There are opportunities within the ‘Making Connections’ element of teaching in all year groups’ thematic units for staff to make links to non-religious worldviews and can use this opportunity for children to further build on their understanding of Humanists.
- Personal Worldviews
In Lower Foundation families are invited to share special events in their children’s lives through the use of online Learning Journals. Children have opportunities to talk about these with their peers providing lots of experiences where similarities and differences can be discussed.
From Upper Foundation to Year 6, within every unit of learning children are invited to share their own worldviews and to experience the worldviews of others through the Making Connections conceptual pillar. This allows them to make links between their learning and to compare the views and experiences of others in our school community and the wider world we live in.
Provision/Implementation
- Each classroom environment has a display featuring the 3 elements/conceptual pillars venn diagram and the Christian big frieze and core concept symbols for the core concepts covered in that year group. This is an academic display and is kept clearly separate from areas for worship and spiritual reflection.
- Teaching and learning at St. Mary’s involves children developing their understanding and skills in all three elements which are carefully planned to overlap and interlink. This allows children the opportunity for the open exploration of religion and belief, as outlined in the Dioceses of Leeds and York Diocesan Syllabus for Religious Education. Oracy is at the heart of the Religion and Worldviews curriculum and allows children to discuss, debate and reason in response to religious text and creative, first hand experiences.
- The curriculum is evidenced in a class book for each year group which captures oral evidence of learning alongside photographs of the creative learning activities. The class books reference the 3 elements/conceptual pillars to show evidence of where learning and progression occurs. Evidence is also available in individual class books where children have the opportunity to apply their oral work in writing to show they can make sense of religious text and that they can apply their understanding to reflect and respond tasks.
- At St. Mary’s we adopt a creative approach to planning learning opportunities. We place a high priority on developing and valuing children’s oral contributions so that they can discuss, debate and disagree well. Teaching and learning incorporates a wide variety of approaches, including enquiry, drama, discussion, debate, art, music, story, reasoning, reflection and prayer. Giving pupils a wide range of opportunities for first hand experiences is also central to the curriculum. For example, each year every class works with staff from Wakefield Cathedral in a workshop designed to support delivery of a unit’s learning outcomes.
- When assessing learning and progress within Religion and Worldviews, a wide evidence base is used. Learning is captured in class Religion and Worldviews big books and in individual pupil books. These inform teacher assessments of children’s learning alongside ongoing observations and conversations within lessons. Assessment for learning approaches are at the heart of the curriculum so that within each lesson children receive feedback to understand how they are being successful and what they need to do next to develop.
Reflections take place on children’s learning across a series of lessons and this allows assessments to be made within the three elements of making sense of belief, understanding the impact and making connections at the end of each unit of work. Summative assessments are completed for each of the three elements at the end of each school year. Data is collected and analysed by the subject leader who monitors the progress of individuals and groups.
Discussions between the subject leader and teachers ensure assessments are accurate. Capturing pupil voice through regular discussions with children alongside their class and individual books also has a high priority in understanding the achievements of children and the impact of the Religion and Worldviews curriculum.
Entitlement
From UF to Y6 classes deliver 6 units of work across the year, one unit per half term. Within each half term, weekly sessions take place lasting for 50 minutes for Upper Foundation, 60 minutes from Y1 to Y2 and an hour and 15 minutes from Y3 to Y6. Each class also visit Wakefield Cathedral at least once each academic year to take part in a workshop planned to relate to one of their units of work.
Impact
In following the Religion and Worldviews curriculum, our expectation is that all pupils are Religion and Worldviews literate and as a minimum pupil are able to:
- Give a theologically informed and thoughtful account of Christianity as a living and diverse faith.
- Show an informed and respectful attitude to religions and non-religious worldviews in their search for God and meaning.
- Engage in meaningful and informed dialogue with those of other faiths and none.
- Reflect critically and responsibly on their own spiritual, philosophical and ethical convictions.
(In following the Dioceses of Leeds and York Diocesan Syllabus for Religious Education)
By following our Religion and Worldviews curriculum a child will be able to:
- know about and understand Christianity as a living faith that influences the lives of people worldwide and as the religion that has most shaped British culture and heritage.
- know and understand about other major world religions and non-religious worldviews, their impact on society, culture and the wider world, enabling pupils to express ideas and insights.
- contribute to the development of pupils’ own spiritual/philosophical convictions, exploring and enriching their own beliefs and values.
(In following the Dioceses of Leeds and York Diocesan Syllabus for Religious Education)
The right of withdrawal from Religion and Worldviews:
At St. Mary’s CE Primary School we wish to be an inclusive community, but recognise that parents have the legal right to withdraw their children from Religion and Worldviews on the grounds of conscience. However, the right of withdrawal does not extend to other areas of the curriculum when, as may happen on occasions, spontaneous questions on religious matters are raised by pupils or there are issues related to religion that arise in other subjects such as history or citizenship. We would ask any parent considering this to contact the head teacher to discuss any concerns or anxieties about the policy, provision and practice of Religion and Worldviews at St. Mary’s.