Religious Education and World Views

“The principal aim of religious education is to explore what people believe and what difference this makes to how they live, so that pupils can gain the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to handle question raised by religions and belief, reflecting on their own ideas and ways of living.” Devon and Torbay Agreed Syllabus (2019-2024)

The importance placed on the development of the whole child spiritually, morally, socially, culturally and intellectually is reflected in our RE and World Views curriculum.

The aims of the Partnership are to enable children of all abilities and stages of development to:

• Learn about the beliefs and practises of world faiths, with a focus on Judaism, Islam, Christianity and Hinduism, together with an understanding of Humanism.
• Develop an understanding of what it means to be committed to a religious tradition or humanist beliefs and the impact this can have on lifestyle.
• Foster an understanding of the impact of non-religious beliefs in order to appreciate and appraise the significance of different ways of life and ways of expressing meaning.
• Foster open mindedness and a positive attitude of acceptance and respect for variety and diversity in religious belief and nonreligious belief, expression and practice.
• Aid the development of each child’s own beliefs and sense of belonging, encouraging them to enquire, question, wonder, reflect and value their own feelings and those of others.
• Explore and begin to appreciate the spiritual aspects of the human experience (through the arts, environment and personalrelationships etc.) and the related feelings such as joy, thanks, concern, wonder and sadness.

Under the Education Act 1944, Parents retain the right to withdraw their children from RE lessons. This stems from the time when the subject was called Religious Instruction and was solely very Christian in character. Our Curriculum is now multi-faith and non-faith based, which is why we call our syllabus Religious Education and World Views. Neverthless, the right to withdraw from these lessons remains legally in place. Should parents wish to withdraw their child from RE and World Views lessons, they should write to the Headteacher (head@villageschools.org.uk). The school will grant this request but please note that although the child will continue to be supervised in school, no replacement learning will be set for the child as the provision of a suitable substitute activity falls with the parent.

Implementation of the Curriculum

In the EYFS, links between RE and progress towards development in PSED and Understanding the World are promoted.

Spirituality is developed through the children’s natural imagination and curiosity to appreciate their world, their excitement in learning, their fascination, their active exploration and first-hand experience. Children are encouraged to reflect on their feelings and experiences, share opinions and listen to and respect the feelings and ideas of others. Reception teachers plan learning following the Devon and Torbay Syllabus (2019-2024), with guidance taken from the appropriate units of study. At least four of the six suggested units are covered.

Throughout Key Stage One, children develop their knowledge and understanding of religions and world views. They are encouraged to raise questions and begin to express their own views in response to the materials they learn in RE. Teachers plan learning following the Devon and Torbay Syllabus (2019-2024), with guidance taken from the appropriate units of study. In order to make religious education a lively, active subject teachers employ a variety of teaching methods including art, music, discussion, the development of thinking skills, drama, the use of artefacts, pictures, stories and reflection . Where possible children have opportunities to encounter local faith communities and visit local places of worship. Children contribute to whole class "floor books" in RE to represent their discussions and learning. They also express their ideas and beliefs through artwork.

In Key Stage Two children extend their knowledge and understanding of religions and world views, recognising their local national and global contexts. They are introduced to an extended range of sources and subject specific vocabulary. They will be encouraged to be curious and to ask increasingly challenging questions about religion, belief, values and human life. Children learn to express their own ideas in response to the material they engage with identifying relevant information selecting examples and giving reasons to support their ideas and views. (Page 55 Devon and Torbay Agreed syllabus for R.E.) Where possible children have opportunities to encounter local faith communities and visit local and more distant places of worship first-hand. Children contribute to whole class "floor books" in RE to represent their discussions and learning. They also express their ideas and beliefs through artwork.

Impact

Good teaching in R.E. allows children to both learn about religion and reflect on what religious ideas and concepts mean to themselves and others. Careful planning in accordance with the Agreed Syllabus enables our children to:

• make sense of a range of religious and non-religious beliefs
• understand the impact and significance of religious and non-religious beliefs
• make connections between religious and non-religious beliefs, concepts, practises and ideas studied.