RE

“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 questions raised by religion and belief, reflecting on their own ideas and ways of living.” 

Sunderland Agreed Syllabus 2021-2026

Intent

At Academy 360 the intention is that pupils experience a broad and balanced curriculum that meets the needs of all, to ensure that they meet Age-Related Expectations and take into account identified gaps in learning. Religious Education (RE) contributes to this by provoking challenging questions about the meaning and purpose of life, beliefs about God, ultimate reality, issues of right and wrong and what it means to be human. Pupils learn about religions and beliefs in the context of Sunderland, the UK and the wider world, to discover, explore and consider different answers to these questions. Teaching of RE should equip pupils with systematic knowledge and understanding of a range of religions and beliefs, enabling them to develop their own ideas, values and identities. Pupils should gain the skills needed to understand, interpret and evaluate texts, and other evidence. They should learn to articulate clearly their personal beliefs, ideas and values, whilst respecting the right of others to differ. 

The curriculum for RE at Academy 360 aims to develop skills which ensure that all pupils:

1. Make sense of a range of religious and non-religious beliefs, 
2. Understand the impact and significance of religious and non-religious beliefs
3. Make connections between religious and non-religious beliefs

At Academy 360 we aim for pupils in EYFS to encounter Christians and other faith groups, as part of their growing sense of self, their own community and their place within it. The intention is that RE starts with Christians, rather than Christianity, that they experience living faiths rather than the history and belief structures of a particular faith group. In EYFS RE is experiential, creative and reflective. Pupils are given time to think, talk about and consider the world around them and the beliefs of others within their community. Through creative opportunities, independent and teacher led tasks, they are able to find out about places of worship and believers. 

As the pupils move into Key Stage One, these opportunities for experiential learning continue and RE remains creative. The aim is for pupils to gain confidence, develop their skills and gain knowledge and understanding of RE, through studying Christians, Jews and Muslims. The intention is to encourage children to use the three types of skills enabling them to become more independent thinkers. They should be given opportunities to reflect on and evaluate their own response to these beliefs. Through sensitively handled discussion children should be encouraged to see things from a different point of view and begin to develop the skills of empathy and tolerance. Pupils are encouraged to use technical vocabulary to share their understanding with their peers and adults working within the classroom. 

The aim for children in KS2 is that they build on their skills, knowledge and understanding and study a further faith group, Hindus. The intent is to demonstrate the ability to be reflective about their own beliefs and perspective on life, as well as knowledge of, and respect for, different people's faiths, feelings and values, including respect, morality and an understanding of cultural diversity and British Values and to recognise, and value, the things we share in common across cultural, religious, ethnic, and socio-economic communities. It is in KS2 that pupils begin to encounter the principle that RE should be inclusive of both religious and non-religious worldviews. The contribution that RE can make to preparing pupils for life in modern Britain will be significant.

The Sunderland Agreed Syllabus 2021-2026 has clearly defined outcomes for each unit of work reflecting the three strands of RE, which in turn feed into the End of Phase outcomes. This means that teachers are certain about what pupils should know and be able to do at the end of each key stage. The RE curriculum has been organised into sequenced plans to enable pupils to build their knowledge and skills towards the agreed end points. The content is to be taught in a logical progression building upon previous learning and skills.  There are many ways that RE can contribute to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development; these include learning about different people’s faiths, reflecting on their own beliefs, investigating moral and ethical issues, working with others from different backgrounds, understanding cultural influences and showing respect for different faiths and cultural diversity. This is embedded into the sequenced plans.

Implement

At Academy 360, we follow the Sunderland Agreed Syllabus 2021-2026 and RE is taught as a discrete subject to all pupils from EYFS to Key Stage 2.  In EYFS and Key Stage 1 this equates to up to 45 minutes a week and in Key Stage 2 up to 1 hour per week. Due to timetabling constraints this can sometimes vary. RE is sometimes taught in blocks to address this but mostly it is taught weekly. All parents have the right to withdraw their children from RE lessons and this would be in discussion with the Head of School. 

The RE Overview clearly sets out the order in which the units (half termly) are to be taught, from EYFS to Year 6. It does this by studying one religion at a time, in systematic units and then in thematic units which build upon learning by comparing the religions, beliefs and practices studied. The Sequenced Plans and Knowledge Organisers for each unit show a step-by-step teaching plan which builds upon previous learning and enables retention of knowledge and skills which was defined as an area for improvement for our pupils. The purchase of RE Ready Resources means that teachers have PPT’s and internet links that are up to date and support in the implementation of the Sequenced Plans and development of their RE subject knowledge. 

The handling of RE artefacts is encouraged and these are displayed and labelled to reflect the current RE topic. The Bible, The Lord’s Prayer and the Primary school Prayer are prominently displayed as part of Continuous Provision. Learning objectives in the form of key questions are used in the PPT’s, in books and on the wall or table displays. There is a balance of questions from the three areas of RE. In books there will be a range of differentiated work which shows the children’s response to the key questions. This could be in the form of photographs, diagrams, drawings or models, not necessarily always a piece of writing. In lessons staff will be facilitating discussion stimulated by the use of artefacts, photographs and videos. Speaking and listening about these is very important in all Key Stages.   Visits and visitors reinforce the concept of living faith and are used to launch the learning or to consolidate what had already been learnt in class. They give an opportunity to practise the skills of empathy, tolerance and respect. They also ensure that the information shared with pupils is current and relevant to the local faith group. Where possible cross-curricular links will be made and aspects of SMSC will be embedded.

Impact

What have pupils learned from their RE lessons?

Currently this is inconsistent across year groups. The most recent Book Reviews in February 2024 and March 2024 have shown that the RE learning taking place in EYFS and Key Stage 1 is in greater depth than some of the Key Stage 2 learning. Some of the learning is at quite a superficial level, particularly in Key Stage 2. There is evidence that subject specific language is being taught. Some of the definitions reveal a lack of teacher’s subject knowledge. There is evidence of children trying to make links between their own personal experience and what they have been taught in RE lessons. This sometimes shows understanding but also shows some misconceptions. 

What evidence is there that pupils have reached the agreed end points?

Although some of the work seen indicates that some agreed end points have been reached, much of the evidence suggests that they have not, mainly because topics have not been taught to their conclusion. The evidence suggests that there are gaps in learning, particularly in earlier foundational knowledge. 

How have RE lessons helped pupils to be ready to move on to their next stage?

In many cases, the original Sequenced Plans have not been taught well enough to move children’s learning on. However, where they have been followed carefully and/or the Ready Resources Learning Pathways, PowerPoints and other resources have been implemented the impact on the learning taking place has been significant. The shift from teaching about Buddhists and Sikhs towards teaching about Hindus has had a huge impact on our pupils as their prior learning does not add to their current learning. It has also had a huge impact on the teacher's subject knowledge.

Does pupils’ work reflect the subject’s intent?

Some of the evidence seen in books and displays reflect the experiential and creative approach to learning about religious and non-religious beliefs. Some of the children’s comments and written work reveal that deep thinking is taking place. Some work shows the need for discussions to take place which challenge preconceived and stereotypical attitudes.