RE at Swarcliffe
At Swarcliffe, our RE curriculum is taught in order to support our pupils to develop a wide range of skills, including: the ability to understand and articulate their own views, whilst also still listening to the viewpoints of others. We also aim for children to feel comfortable and confident when asking key questions surrounding religion and the world around them.
At Swarcliffe, we understand the importance of offering a broad and balanced program of RE which will reflect three key areas. First, it will include a study of the key beliefs and practices of religions and other world views, including those represented in our surrounding area. Secondly, it will provide opportunities for children to explore key religious concepts and common human questions of meaning, purpose and value, often called ‘ultimate’ questions. Thirdly, our curriculum will enable pupils to investigate how beliefs affect moral decisions and identity, exploring both diversity and shared human values.
As well as this, we endeavor to interest our children in their learning with a creative and cross-curricular approach. We would also aim to give children the opportunity to explore links between religious studies and other parts of the curriculum.
If you would prefer to withdraw your child from RE lessons then please speak to Mrs Green or your child's teacher.
Examples of additional texts we use to enhance our RE curriculum:
- Visiting a Church, Ruth Nason
- The Big, Big Sea, Martin Waddell
- Exploring the journey of life and death, Joyce Mackley
- The lions children’s bible
- Opening up Hinduism, Fiona Moss
EY Foundation Stage
Through Understanding the World, children in EY Foundation Stage will encounter religions and other world views through special people, books, times, places and objects. They should listen to and talk about stories from a range of different religions and world views. They will be introduced to subject specific words and use all their senses to encounter beliefs and practices. They will be encouraged to ask questions and talk about their own feelings and experiences and start to identify how other peoples are different. Pupils should use their imagination and curiosity to develop appreciation of, and wonder at, the natural world.
Upper Key Stage Two
At this stage children will continue to build their understanding of Sikhism, Judaism, Islam and Christianity. They will start to evaluate key concepts in greater detail. They will describe and understand links between stories and other aspects of the communities they are investigating, responding thoughtfully to beliefs and teachings that arise from them. One way in which they will do this is by looking at how the death of Jesus led to the start of Christianity and the concept of forgiveness and how his teachings created a code for living and how this can impact on religious and non-religious people. Children will also make the cross curricular link with PSHE to look at how growing up brings responsibility, with a view to how this will impact their own lives. They will also identify the ways in which the Sikh religion shows commitment and contrast with what they already know about how other religions. Throughout their study children will describe and make connections between different features of the religions and other world views, discovering more about prayer, celebrations, worship, pilgrimages and the rituals which mark important points in life
Key Stage One
Children in KS1 will be encouraged to continue to broaden their understanding of religions through looking more in depth at Christianity and Islam. The way in which they will do this is through reading a range of stories from each religion and discussing their importance. They will recognise some ways that people express beliefs and belonging through prayer, worship, symbols and actions, appreciating some similarities between communities. They will look at how we as people can make good choices that not only benefit ourselves but others around us. To do they will investigate the teachings of Jesus and how he lived his life and the impact this has on the decision making of Christians. They will then build on this to look at why and how we care for others and our responsibility as people to care for the world.
Lower Key Stage Two
At key stage 2, teaching and learning will build on the KS1 focus around Christianity and Islam, and be extended to the study of Judaism and Sikhism, alongside developing understanding of nonreligious approaches to life.. They will look at what faiths are shared across our country and the role this plays in the diversity of the community in which they live. Children will develop an understanding of what is meant by spirituality and how people experience this differently and some of the religious practices that are followed because of it. At this stage they will also be introduced to the concept of inspiration and the people who can be responsible for inspiring people, making links to religious figures who have guided religions and followers of those religions. At this stage they will be encouraged to be curious and to ask and discuss increasingly challenging questions about beliefs, values and human life, drawing on the insights of religions and other world views. Pupils will respond with their own ideas, identifying relevant information, selecting examples and giving reasons to support their ideas and views.
Our RE Curriculum
RE Medium term plans
Our Knowledge organisers
Enrich, Enhance, Excite
Alongside their RE focused lessons in school children will also take part in school wide celebrations of different religious events including: Harvest, Christmas, Easter, Diwali and EID. As part of their experiences they will also visit different places of worship across their time in school. Wherever possible students will be made aware of the impact understanding, diversity and respect have on the wider world around them and the role they play in this. We intend for our children to be well educated, tolerant and respectful of views and beliefs of other members of the community and society. They by the end of the time at Swarcliffe understand the importance of asking questions to enhance their understanding of the world around them.
