Intent, Implementation and Impact Statement: Religious Education

Intent  

At Northbury Primary School, we have designed our R.E. curriculum with the intent that our pupils will become resilient, accepting, mindful and inquisitive learners. Our R.E. curriculum allows pupils to discover and gain an insight into religions within the world that we live. The teaching of R.E. is vital for pupils to understand others’ beliefs and make connections between their own values. It is our role to ensure pupils are being inquisitive by asking questions about the world around them by allowing pupils to gain high quality experiences.   

We will deliver a curriculum that:

• Celebrates the diverse and rich community at Northbury Primary School. 
• Inspires creative learning through excellent teaching practices that build on prior R.E. learning and allow for repetition and progression of skills that build upon high starting points.
• Our curriculum embraces the community in which it is situated, recognising local places of worship including: church, mosque, gurdwara and temple.  
• Is inclusive, develops self-confidence and identifies that all our pupils are unique and therefore we should all be tolerant of each other’s beliefs. 
• Encourages our pupils to be inquisitive about others beliefs developing inquiry based R.E. skills that allow them to culturally aware of the world around them.  
• Promotes equality and understanding of the British values and ensures they are prepared for life in modern Britain

The school’s overarching intent based on nurture and diversity is embedded into our overviews to ensure that the curriculum is reflective of our school community and all teaching is delivered using a nurturing approach. 

Implementation 

The R.E. curriculum follows Barking and Dagenham Agreed Syllabus and Planning which is then adapted to meet the needs and local context of the school.  R.E. follows a whole school approach, which will be taught discretely on a weekly basis. In EYFS, RE is taught using RE related activities suggested in the EYFS Framework.

The RE-related activities for the EYFS should maintain a balance between two elements:

• exploring (what people believe, what people do, and how people express themselves)
• responding (making sense of who we are, making sense of life, and making sense of values and commitments).

During Key Stage 1, pupils are beginning to develop an awareness of themselves and others and to recognise that there are stories, people, places, times and values that are especially important to themselves and to others.

During lower Key Stage 2, in Years 3 and 4, pupils will be developing their interest in, as well as knowledge and understanding of, different religious beliefs and practices as well as secular world views. They will begin to recognise diversity within, as well as between, religious and cultural traditions.

During upper Key Stage 2, in Years 5 and 6, pupils will be developing an understanding of the connection between beliefs and actions. They will increasingly understand some of the ways in which cultural and social influences affect how people practise their religion and will be able to compare their own beliefs and lifestyles with those of others.

R.E. Lessons will build upon prior learning and develop skills year upon year. 

In addition:

• The R.E. subject leader will be given training and the opportunity to keep developing their own subject knowledge, skills and understanding, so they can support curriculum development and their colleagues throughout the school.
• Assessment of R.E. will be in line with the whole school feedback policy and teachers will assess progress and attainment of R.E.

Impact 

In RE, it is important that pupils: 

•  make progress in both knowing about and learning from religion and world views.

•  are challenged by the activities and tasks in which they are engaged.

•  achieve standards which match with their expected capabilities.

• understand how they can improve further.

This LBBD agreed syllbus has incorporated levels of attainment in keeping with national non-statutory guidance. It is important, however, that both teachers and pupils:

•  avoid the assumption that only that which has been measured is of worth

•  recognise that not every piece of work has to be assessed 

•  retain a sense of enjoyment in both teaching and learning.

This agreed syllabus encourages a broad understanding of achievement/progress in RE. This is seen in the way that pupils: 

•  develop their capacity to use religious and philosophical language.  

•  think reflectively about human experience. 

•  express their thoughts and feeling using creativity in RE.

• show interest and enthusiasm. 

• show imagination, empathy and insight.

Therefore, teachers of RE are encouraged to adopt a manageable and flexible approach to recording pupils’ attainment and achievement. They might, for example, use some or all of the following methods:

•  within the context of regular marking and feedback to pupils, setting some more formal assessment tasks for which levels are used. 

•  highlighting and displaying particular examples of achievement, including pupils’ statements and questions, for all to note and aspire to. 

•  recording examples of attainment and achievement in its breadth and diversity 

•  developing a shared language through which targets for future development can be expressed.