Religious education

Intent

Religious Education is a core subject at Jolesfield Church of England Primary School and a valuable part of our ethos: Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.” (John 10 v10 ) We believe that R.E. plays an important role in preparing pupils for a ‘full’ adult life. We equip children with the knowledge and skills they need to become responsible citizens who can make reasoned, informed and positive judgements on religious and moral issues. At Jolesfield, the teaching of Religious Education encourages pupils to learn from different religions, beliefs, values and

traditions whilst considering their own spiritual beliefs and sense of identity. Our Religious Education lessons are underpinned by challenging questions about the meaning and purpose of life, beliefs about God, issues of right and wrong and what it means to be human. It develops pupils’ knowledge and understanding of Christianity, other religions and worldviews that offer answers to questions such as these. We want our children to be well-informed and have the confidence and sensitivity, without fear of ridicule or prejudice, to engage in balanced conversations with those of different faiths and world views. 

Implementation

• RE is taught weekly in every class, in half-termly blocks
• Christianity is the main faith studied
• Buddhism, Sikhism, Judaism and Islam are the other major faiths studied
• Where appropriate, comparisons are drawn with a secular worldview
• Visitors from local faith communities and visits to places of worship are valued
• The teaching of Christianity is underpinned by the scheme, ‘Understanding Christianity’ which was developed by the Church of England
• All faiths are explored through three avenues: ‘Making sense of the text’ exploring why a particular belief is held and ‘Understanding the Impact’ considering the difference the belief makes to an individual’s actions and ‘Making Connections’ discerning possible links between pupils’ own lives and their understanding of the world
• Unit plans identify the end points of learning which are assessed formatively and summatively