Religious Education

Intent:

At Clanfield Junior School, Religious Education is taught in line with legal requirements in order to ‘reflect the fact that the religious traditions in Great Britain are in the main Christian, while taking into account of the teachings and practices of the other principal religions in Great Britain’. We promote respect and open-mindedness towards others with different faiths and beliefs and encourage pupils to ask questions about the world while reflecting on their own beliefs, values and experiences.

 

Implementation:

We use planning and resources from the Living Difference IV syllabus, which follows a cycle of enquiry. This approach to enquiry has five key steps, which include:

• ‘Communicate and Apply’ to attend to their own and others’ experiences.
• ‘Inquire and Contextualise’ to engage with the meaning of concept words and their roles in the lives of the people encountered and studied.
• ‘Evaluate’ to discern value for others and themselves in a way dependent on the context of the enquiry.

 

Pupils at Clanfield Junior School learn about Christianity, Islam and Judaism. They also complete an overview study of Buddhism in Year 5 and Year 6. At least two of the four ‘golden thread’ concepts (love, special, belonging and community) are taught each year, a continuation of their Infant School curriculum. These help to broaden and deepen the pupils’ understanding of religious education throughout KS1, KS2 and KS3.

 

Each unit of learning begins with a ‘hook’ to support the pupils with their understanding of the concept and immerse them in the learning. Much of the RE teaching is carried out through exploring the children’s ideas and emphasis is given to positive, high quality discussion. Pupils also complete written outcomes, express their views through pieces of arts and scrutinise scripture. There are opportunities throughout the curriculum for visiting experts, trips to local places of worship and virtual visits, which further enhance the learning experience.  

 

Impact

Religious Education at Clanfield Junior School will develop pupils into considerate members of the community who are able to respect and appreciate other faiths, beliefs and cultures. By the end of KS2, pupils at Clanfield Junior School will be able to explain how the key concepts that they have been taught can be applied to their own lives and the lives of others and be ready to continue their learning in KS3.