RE

RE Intent, Implementation and Impact Statement

Intent

Religious education has a unique place as a central subject in the curriculum of Eccleston St. Mary's.

Through our Religious Education curriculum we aim:

·to engage pupils in enquiring into and exploring questions arising from the study of religion and belief, so as to promote their personal, spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

·to provide learners with knowledge and understanding of Christianity and other principal religious traditions and beliefs represented in Great Britain.

·to develop their understanding of the ways in which beliefs influence people in their behaviour, practices and outlook.

·to enable learners to apply the insights of the principal religious traditions to their own search for identity and significance.

·to enable learners to become aware of their own beliefs and values and to have a positive attitude to the search for meaning and purpose in life.

·to encourage learners to develop a positive attitude towards other people who hold religious beliefs different from their own.

·to equip pupils to hold informed conversations and discussions about global issues and a global citizen.

Implementation

Eccleston St. Mary's CE Primary School belongs to the Blackburn Diocese family of schools. As such we follow the Blackburn Diocese Syllabus for Religious Education, “Questful RE.” We adapted our curriculum content to be bespoke to our school and the needs and interests of our learners.

Religious Education is generally taught on a weekly basis, but is sometimes delivered through a class topic or as a whole-school RE or Prayer Day. We also encourage teachers to make cross-curricular links or develop their own key questions allowing them to draw upon themes in the wider curriculum.

Lessons are planned and delivered in a variety of ways ensuring that all children can access and participate in lessons. Interactive, practical activities encourage the children to discuss their ideas and extend their understanding of difficult concepts and challenging questions.

Links with St. Mary the Virgin Church mean that the rector, Father Jordan McDermott, regularly comes into school to drop into lessons and in addition, helps to deliver elements of the curriculum. Pupils visit both St. Mary's church and the local Methodist Church when learning about different places of Worship. Educational visits to places of worship for other faiths have become an integral part of the curriculum, with learners visiting a Hindu Temple, Jewish Synagogue, Islamic Mosque and Sikh Gurdwara.

​The RE curriculum is enhanced with many enrichment opportunities. Pupils take part in an annual Prayer Day, led by members of the school and wider community. Interfaith Week has been built into the yearly plans we make, with pupils learning more about one specific world faith during this week of lessons. Our school now has adopted an approach to marking the significant festivals of other world faiths, by studying them as they fall in the calendar year.

Each class plans, prepares and leads a whole school Worship each year, to which parents are invited. This Worship links either to one of our Christian values or to pupils' recent work in RE.

Progress in RE is reported annually to parents and has a prominent position in the end of year report.

Impact

Religious Education at Eccleston St. Mary's  develops pupils’…

·knowledge and understanding of, and their ability to respond to, Christianity, other principal world religions, other religious traditions and world views;

·understanding and respect for different religions, beliefs, values and traditions,

·understanding of the influence of faith and belief on individuals, societies, communities and cultures;

·skills of enquiry and response through the use of religious vocabulary, questioning and empathy;

·skills of reflection, expression, application, analysis and evaluation of beliefs, values and practices, and the communication of personal responses to these.

·ability to have informed conversations with people of other faiths, showing understanding that we are all part of one global community.

Religious Education at Eccleston St. Mary's  encourages pupils to…

·consider challenging questions of the meaning and purpose of life; beliefs about God, the self and the nature of reality, issues of right and wrong and what it means to be human;

·understand the influence of religion on individuals, families, communities and cultures;

·learn from different religions, beliefs, values and traditions while exploring questions of meaning and their own beliefs;

·learn about religious and ethical teaching, enabling them to make reasoned and informed responses to religious, moral and social issues;

·develop their sense of identity and belonging, preparing them for life as citizens in a plural, global society;

·develop respect for and sensitivity to others, in particular those whose faiths and beliefs are different from their own.

​Religious Education at Eccleston St. Mary's  enhances pupils’…

·awareness and understanding of religions and beliefs, teachings, practices and forms of expression;

·ability to reflect on, consider, analyse, interpret and evaluate issues of truth, belief, faith and ethics and to communicate their responses.

Religious Education at Eccleston St. Mary's  offers many opportunities for personal reflection and spiritual development.