As theologians, our INTENT is:

As a Church of England school, our Christian character is at the heart of our curriculum. It is a fundamental principle that all our pupils learn from and about religion, so that they can make sense of the world around them. Through Religious Education, we want our pupils to develop their knowledge, understanding and appreciation of faith, in local, national and wider global community contexts.

As a result, they will be enabled to become independent and responsible members of a society who understand and explore big questions about life. We want pupils to know what people believe and the difference this makes to how they live their lives so that they can develop their own beliefs, values and identity. It is our intent, through religious education, that pupils leave our school with a growing understanding and respect for faiths, and an awareness of the beliefs, values and the traditions of others. This will enable them to make informed, reasoned and respectful choices in their own lives and to make a positive difference in God’s world.

And we IMPLEMENT this by:

We follow the Hampshire agreed syllabus for RE: Living Difference IV

This is supported by the key resource Understanding Christianity produced by The Church of England Education Office.

RE is taught in half termly blocks to allow for consistency of learning.

Taking into account the legal requirements for RE and the Agreed Syllabus, the following pattern of study has been selected:

EYFS & KS1: Christianity and Judaism (and an overview study of a Dharmic tradition)

• Y3 & 4:         Christianity and Hindu traditions (with a recap on Judaism to deepen understanding)
• Y5 & 6:         Christianity, Islamic and Humanism traditions

The long-term overview for each year group shows our Core Values of Love, Courage and Fellowship golden threads

Medium Term Plans

All units of study have a medium-term plan in place that can be adapted to meet the needs of the cohort.

Living Difference Units

Teachers should demonstrate fidelity to the cycle of enquiry.

Understanding Christianity Units

Understanding Christianity content should be carefully planned into a cycle of enquiry so that fidelity to the cycle can be maintained. The core knowledge ‘building blocks’ must also be identified on the plan.  At the start of a UC unit, share the relevant panel from ‘The Big Frieze’.

Links with Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development

These should be explicitly detailed on the medium-term plan.

Learning Journeys

EYFS, Y1 and Y2 record RE journeys in ‘floor books’ which showcase children's conceptual understanding, their questions and comments to inform their learning journey.

In Years 3-6 pupils have an individual learning book that moves with them throughout the school. This enables them to see the progress they are making and to refer back to previous learning in order to deepen their understanding as concepts are revisited.

SEND

In order to provide equality of opportunity in RE, pupils are offered a variety of ways in which to respond and demonstrate their thinking and knowledge. This is to ensure that pupils are not hindered by literacy skills in particular. Where appropriate, pupils who may encounter difficulty receive pre-teaching, for the understanding of vocabulary required to access age-related expectations.

Teaching and Learning Approaches

Please refer to the Teaching and Learning Policy for further details of how we engage our pupils in learning in RE, and beyond. Teachers, when bringing children and young people to attend in different ways, will be stimulating and engaging in order to provide children and young people with opportunities to access religious education. Teachers’ knowledge of children and young peoples’ individual needs will guide appropriate use of teaching resources.

A range of strategies to ensure inclusive teaching of religious education might include:

• use of artefacts, big books, posters, DVDs and artwork
• use of art and craft to enable children to express their ideas
• use of food and cooking
• music to create an atmosphere or for expression of ideas and emotions
• visual and tactile stimuli which contribute towards a stimulating sensory environment
• visiting speakers – ensure prior briefing as to children’s capabilities, delivery, etc
• visits, eg to places of worship, museums or art galleries
• use of drama, role play, gesture or dance
• use of ICT, eg digital cameras, tablets, interactive whiteboards and websites.

The IMPACT of this is:

As a result, we have a community of children who have a knowledge and understanding of the religious beliefs which form part of contemporary society.  As a school of religious character, we aim to see pupils leave school with a coherent understanding of Christian belief and practice. Pupils explore the significant theological concepts within Christianity as part of developing their wider religious, theological and cultural literacy.  Children at St Alban's CE Primary demonstrate respect for people of all religious beliefs or those who have none. They are confident to talk about and question religious beliefs and ideas as they explore and develop their own beliefs and ideas.  Governors, through the Governor Visit Plan and Subject Leader Reports, evaluate the work of subject leaders in ensuring that the quality of teaching and learning across the school is at least good. They ensure that pupils are ready for transition to secondary school and are equipped with the skills to flourish and succeed as caring individuals.

This syllabus, Living Difference IV, is the Agreed Syllabus for religious education (RE) in Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton. Informed by current educational research, as well as research into religion and world views, it build on the approach to religious education used in Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton since 2004.