R.E. at Christ Church CE Primary School
Through our Christian Faith, we acknowledge our responsibility to all, to enrich lives and show love and respect within our school family.
We believe in lifelong learning aiming to equip our children to live life today and for tomorrow rooted in Christian love.
For nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:37)
Intent:
Our R.E. curriculum has been designed with the intention of enabling every child to flourish. Good quality R.E. has the potential to have the most powerful and lasting effect on a child’s heart and mind. It is a subject that combines academic skills with the development of character and spirit. R.E. provides opportunities for spiritual development and personal reflection. It provokes challenging questions about meaning and purpose, truth and values, identity and belonging.
Our RE curriculum links with our curriculum drivers:
R.E. prepares children for citizenship in today’s diverse society. It enables children to develop sensitivity to and respect for others. It breaks down barriers and builds communities – it helps children to be community minded.
Our RE syllabus is a revision of ‘Questful RE’ (the Blackburn Diocesan Board of Education RE syllabus 2017). Building on the foundation of the 2007, 2013 and 2017 syllabuses our Diocese have updated and redesigned the content, bringing it in line with current best practice and pedagogical strategies.
By embracing the explicit teaching of Christian concepts and God’s big salvation story, it is hoped that the content of this syllabus will give pupils a deeper understanding of Christianity. In addition, pupils explore all major world faiths and discuss world views where appropriate.
Whoever we are, wherever we live, whether we are a person of faith or not, we all have a view on the world. Nobody stands nowhere.
On a quest to discover more about religion and world views pupils will discover more about themselves. As RE develops children’s knowledge and understanding of the nature of religion and belief, it provokes challenging questions about meaning and purpose, truth and values, identity and belonging. Through the syllabus pupils will experience, explore and encounter a wide range of creative and challenging multi-sensory activities that will help them to discover the answers to fundamental questions such as these: –
Through an open investigative enquiry approach pupils will be given the sense of being on a quest of discovery. A key feature of the syllabus is the large number of questions included in each unit. The purpose of these questions is to give pupils opportunity to investigate, reflect, evaluate and make meaning. In doing so they will discover more about themselves, their relationships with others, their relationship with the world around them and their relationship with God. The questions set the route through the curriculum content.
The curriculum content is a balance of the three essential disciplines of quality RE, Theology, Philosophy and Social Science. This means pupils will look at concepts through a theological lens, exploring what people of faith believe. Alongside this pupils will explore questions and answers raised in relation to the lived reality and impact of religion and world views on people’s lives. They will also think like philosophers, and be equipped with the skills that will enable them to make sense of life’s experiences.
Our RE Curriculum will encourage children to therefore be inquisitive (about all religions, views, traditions), empowered, inspired and able to articulate their views, thoughts and feelings around its subject content.
We aim that the impact of RE should be visible in all areas of the curriculum and school life. RE makes a significant contribution to the Christian ethos of the school. We practise the belief that in our RE curriculum time, Christianity should occupy 80% and 20% will be devoted to non-Christian faith.
Implementation:
Our curriculum syllabus is progressive and broken down into half termly units that children will cover:
Class | Autumn 1st Half Term | Autumn 2nd Half Term | Spring 1st Half Term | Spring 2nd Half Term | Summer 1st Half Term | Summer 2nd Half Term |
Reception | I am Special: all different and special Unit: EYFS 1
Harvest: why say thank you to God? Unit: EYFS 2 | Special People: why is Jesus special? Unit: EYFS 3
Christmas: how do Christians celebrate Jesus’ birthday? Unit: EYFS 4 + Festival of Light | Stories Jesus Heard Unit: EYFS 5
Stories Jesus Told: why did Jesus tell stories? Unit: EYFS 6 | Easter: why do Christians think Easter is all about love? Unit: EYFS 7 | Special Places: what makes a place holy? Unit: EYFS 9 + look at other faith places of worship | How do we celebrate Special Times? Unit: EYFS 11 + look at other faith celebrations |
Year 1 | Creation: What are your favourite things that God created? Unit 1.2 +What do people of the Muslim and Hindu faith believe about how God made the World? | Christmas: gifts Unit 1.3 + Link to other world faiths Hinduism, Islam (Gift bringers) | Jesus: what made Jesus special? Unit 1.4 | Easter: what is the most important part of the Easter story? Unit 1.5 | Baptism: why is it special? Unit 1.7 + how do other faiths welcome new babies? | Joseph: why is Joseph a Bible hero? Unit 1.8 |
Year 2 | The Bible: a special book Unit 2.1 + do other faiths have holy books? | Christmas: why was the birth of Jesus such good news? Unit 2.2 | Jesus: why did Jesus welcome everyone? Unit 2.3 | Easter: symbols Unit 2.4 | The Church: why is this a special place for Christians Unit 2.5 + Why are holy buildings important to other faiths? | Ascension and Pentecost: what happened? Unit 2.6 |
Year 3 | Harvest: How do people of faith say thank you to God? Unit 3.6 + how do other faiths say thank you? | Christmas: How does the presence of Jesus impact people’s lives? Unit 3.2 | Rules for Living: which rules should we follow? Unit 3.5 + does everyone follow the same rules? | Easter: is the cross a symbol of sadness or joy? Unit 3.4 | Called by God: What does it mean to be called by God? Unit 3.1 + Local Faith Leaders: who are they and what do they do? (Hinduism, Islam, Judaism) | Christian Art: how do Christians express their faith through art? Unit: S5 + how do other faiths express their beliefs through art? |
Year 4 | The Church: Are all churches the same? Unit: 4.5 + Are all places of worship the same? Do people worship God in the same way? | Christmas: Why is Jesus described as being the light of the world? Unit: 4.2 | Jesus: why do Christians believe Jesus is the Son of God? Unit: 4.3 + Why do Jewish people believe that the Sabbath/Shabbat is so important? | Easter: A story of betrayal or trust? Unit 4.4 | Prayer: what is prayer? Unit 4.6 + how do other world faiths pray? | Change the world: How can I make a difference? Unit: S7 + looking from different persepectives.
David and the Psalms: What values do you consider to be important? Unit 4.1 |
Year 5 | The Bible: How and why do Christians read the Bible? Unit 5.1 + why are sacred texts important to people of faith? | Christmas: How is Christmas celebrated around the world? Unit 5.7 | Old Testament Women: Unit 5.5 + NCFU: what happens during Purim? | Easter: Why do Christians believe that Easter is a celebration of victory? Unit 5.4 | Jesus: Why do Christians believe Jesus was a great teacher? Unit 5.3 | Proverbs: is the book of Proverbs still relevant today? Unit S10
Peace: What is Peace? + Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism |
Year 6 | Life as a journey: is every persons journey the same? Unit 6.1 + Pilgramages | The Eucharist: Why do Christians celebrate the Eucharist? Unit 6.3
Advent: How do Christians prepare for Christmas? Unit 6.2 | The Exodus: why is the Exodus such a significant event in Jewish and Christian history? Unit 6.3A | Jesus: Who was/is Jesus? Unit 6.4 | God: what is the nature and character of God? Unit 6.6 + are there common beliefs? | People of Faith: How does faith affect your life? Unit 6.7 + consider for other faiths. |
Bold highlights = coverage of Non-Christian Faith Units
Impact:
RE in EYFS:
The areas of learning and development covered by the EYFS Units in our RE syllabus are:
Early Learning Goals
The content of the EYFS units in the syllabus contribute to the attainment of the following early learning goals:
Communication and Language
ELG: Listening, Attention and Understanding
Children at the expected level of development will
ELG: Speaking
Children at the expected level of development will:
Opportunities for developing children’s communication and language in RE |
Listening to Bible Stories |
Personal Social and Emotional Development
ELG: Self-Regulation
Children at the expected level of development will
ELG: Building Relationships
Children at the expected level of development will
Opportunities for personal, social and emotional development in RE |
Talk about family events e.g. baptisms, weddings etc. |
Literacy
ELG: Comprehension
Children at the expected level of development will
ELG: Writing
Children at the expected level of development will
Opportunities for developing children’s literacy in RE |
Reading Bible story books |
Understanding the world
ELG: Past and Present
Children at the expected level of development will
ELG: People, Culture and Communities
Children at the expected level of development will
Opportunities for developing children’s understanding of the world in RE |
Visiting places of worship |
Expressive Arts and Design
ELG: Creating with Materials
Children at the expected level of development will
ELG: Being Imaginative and Expressive
Children at the expected level of development will
Opportunities for developing children’s art and design skills in RE |
Listening to a variety of religious music |
By the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2) children are expected to have the following knowledge and understanding:
They should…
By the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6) children are expected to have the following knowledge and understanding:
They should…