Religious Education
RE-Statement-of-Entitlement-for-Church-Schools
In line with the current Diocese of Norwich Education Academies Trust (DNEAT) Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education, the curriculum for R.E. is delivered in our school to fulfil the aims outlined in the syllabus effectively. The intent of our RE curriculum encompasses a multifaceted approach that integrates knowledge and reference to both religious and non-religious beliefs and worldviews, practices, and modes of life.
Our commitment is to develop the knowledge and understanding of our children. As part of the curriculum at each Key Stage, we encourage visits to local places of worship and welcome members of faith communities to our school. This practice enhances children’s understanding of the practical expression of faith and belief within our community. We envision an educational journey where children develop a robust comprehension of significant concepts and master skills that enable them to make sense of religion and belief, all tailored to an appropriate level of challenge for their age.
Furthermore, our programme aims to instil positive attitudes and values, enabling children to reflect and relate their learning in R.E. to their personal experiences. Children need to recognise that some individuals do not hold religious beliefs and possess their philosophical perspectives. The syllabus has been designed in a cyclical format, promoting the revisitation of and building upon their prior knowledge of the various beliefs and practices taught throughout the school. This structure also allows teachers flexibility in adapting the curriculum in their respective year groups, facilitating cross-curricular links or engaging with parents and community members. At Sandringham and West Newton Primary Academy, we are steadfast in our mission to provide all children with an engaging and affirmative learning environment where they can enhance their knowledge and understanding of religions, thus contributing to their spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development.
Religious Education is essential in supporting the values laid out in the school curriculum. It actively promotes the spiritual, moral, social, cultural, physical, and intellectual development of each individual, ultimately enhancing their well-being. Our R.E. curriculum places a specific emphasis on enabling children to appreciate themselves and others, recognising the role of families and communities, celebrating diversity through the understanding of similarities and differences, and fostering a commitment to environmental care. Moreover, R.E. aims to encourage the critical evaluation of the values of truth, justice, and respect for all individuals.
The curriculum is designed to enable all children and young people to become successful learners who not only enjoy learning but also make progress and achieve positive outcomes. Religious Education offers opportunities for developing knowledge, skills, and understanding that stimulate children’s interest while encouraging optimal progress and attainment for all. By fostering creativity and resourcefulness, R.E. nurtures independent and interdependent learning among children and young people. This subject significantly contributes to the essential learning skills of literacy and information and communication technology. It cultivates an inquisitive nature, prompting students to think independently, process information, reason, question, and evaluate issues surrounding truth, belief, faith, and ethics. R.E. seeks to empower children to grasp the key ideas and events that have shaped, and continue to shape, our world, and to make sense of their surroundings through informed interpretation.
Additionally, the curriculum aims to develop all children and young people into confident individuals who can live safe, healthy, and fulfilling lives. Religious Education plays a pivotal role in promoting spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development by encouraging challenging inquiries about the meaning and purpose of life, beliefs about God, the nature of reality, ethical issues, and the essence of humanity. This aspect of the curriculum allows children to appreciate both their beliefs and the beliefs of others, understanding how these impact individuals and communities. The three aims resonate with both primary National Curriculum documentation and Section 351 of the Education Act 1996, which mandates that all maintained schools provide a balanced and broadly-based curriculum to facilitate the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental, and physical development of pupils while preparing them for the opportunities, responsibilities, and experiences of adulthood.
Furthermore, the curriculum strives to create responsible citizens who meaningfully contribute to society. Religious Education nurtures each child and young person’s sense of identity and belonging. By promoting religious understanding and respect, R.E. fosters connections between those with faith and those without, challenging prejudice, discrimination, and stereotyping. It aims to boost each pupil’s self-worth while enabling them to reflect on their uniqueness as individuals, share feelings and emotions, and appreciate the importance of establishing and maintaining positive relationships. Additionally, R.E. explores how different communities, including those of faith, relate to one another and to society broadly. It is committed to examining humanity’s role concerning the environment and the beliefs individuals hold regarding their responsibilities towards it. Ultimately, Religious Education aims to allow children and young people to thrive individually within their communities and as citizens in an increasingly diverse global society.
Religious Education is taught either weekly for one hour or through a concentrated topic block each half term, with lessons planned by teachers to link with key dates and religious festivals. This approach ensures opportunities for children to engage meaningfully with various celebrations, enhancing relevance and consistency in their learning. Work is documented in R.E books and can be evidenced through diverse outcomes, including written pieces, artwork, and photographs.
According to the DNEAT Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education (revised September 2024), our approach to teaching RE embraces an open and objective stance. It neither seeks to impose religious beliefs upon young people nor undermines their integrity by promoting one tradition over another. Our curriculum endeavours to foster respect for individuals’ rights to hold differing beliefs and encourages positive attitudes toward diverse peoples and perspectives. Through developing understanding and dialogue with individuals from different beliefs, practices, races, and cultures, we promote the necessary values and attitudes for citizenship in a diverse multi-faith society.
Sandringham and West Newton Primary Academy collaborates with the DNEAT within the local RE leaders forum, actively working with teachers to enhance the quality of teaching and learning in RE. We provide training and publish updated schemes of work and materials to support social, moral, spiritual, and cultural development, assessment for learning, and effective teaching and learning strategies.
At Sandringham and West Newton Primary Academy, we actively seek to ensure that all children are educated to develop spiritually, academically, emotionally, and morally. This holistic approach equips them with the capability to better understand themselves and others while navigating the opportunities, challenges, and responsibilities presented by an ever-changing multicultural world. Regular assemblies and celebrations of completed work during R.E. lessons will showcase the diversity of our school community and promote positive representations of individuals encompassing various beliefs, traditions, cultures, languages, and histories. Rock-solid foundations in Religious Education will undoubtedly prepare our children to thrive in a diverse and interconnected world.