Our Subject Rationale for Religious Education
At Pondhu Primary School, our curriculum aims to give children the knowledge, skills and understanding to achieve their full potential academically, socially and emotionally. We aim to give children the necessary skills to prepare them for life in modern British society. Our curriculum reflects both the context of the school and the experiences of the children. This encourages the children to be aspirational, to fulfil their potential and reach the highest of expectations that we have of them.
Religious Education (RE) has an important place in the curriculum of all schools. It provides a safe space for young people to develop their understanding of people, culture, faiths and relationships.
(Cornwall Council, 2020)
Curriculum Intent
At Pondhu Primary School, our Religious Education lessons explore the big questions in life that find out what people believe and what difference this makes to how they live their lives. This helps pupils to make sense of religions and world views and helps them to reflect on their own lives and views. We aim to encourage rich discussions and a high level of questioning. We believe that everyone has a right to their own individual beliefs in the world.
We also believe that it is important to give children real life experiences of religion through artefacts and visitors, therefore, allowing children a hands on approach to the subject to ensure they have memorable and lasting learning experiences.
Curriculum Implementation
At Pondhu, RE is taught in a weekly lesson by each class teacher or HLTA. We follow the ‘Discovery RE’ scheme of work where KS1 follow a 2 year rolling programme and KS2 follow a 4 year rolling programme to ensure even and thorough coverage of the key religions. All learning is through an enquiry based approach and work is recorded in children’s ‘People and Communities’ books.
Early Years Foundation Stage
The Early Years Foundation Stage provides the basis on which children start to develop the
dispositions and skills for learning that they will use throughout their lives. Children in the Early years follow the ‘Discovery RE’ scheme of work which ensures progression in
children’s learning towards and throughout Key Stage 1. The Early Learning Goal for People and Communities states that ‘they know some similarities and differences between different religious and cultural communities in this country, drawing on their experiences and what has been read in class’.
As Pondhu Primary School is a Cornish school, children across the school will also consider Cornwall and the similarities and differences Cornish people face.
Curriculum Impact
At Pondhu Primary School, our work with Discovery RE supports our children to experience a different key question each half term. RE also supports many other areas such as SMSC, Mindfulness and British Values and links to many other areas of the National Curriculum.
Children are assessed each half term against the learning outcomes. Teachers will use teacher assessment and self-assessment to understand what the children have learnt.
We believe our curriculum ensures that children develop socially, spiritually, emotionally and morally to enable them to better understand themselves and others and the opportunities, challenges and responsibilities that come with being a citizen in our rapidly changing world.
