Religious Education
“Differences were not meant to divide, but to enrich.”
J. H. Oldham
Subject Coordinator: Mrs Nikki Walker
Subject Link Governor: Charlotte Clarkson
External Links: St. Giles the Abbott Church, Cheadle
Vision and INtent
The school and its governors are committed to the teaching of Religious Education as an important subject in its own right and because of the contribution it makes to other aspects of the school’s curriculum and ethos.
At Cheadle Primary School we follow the Staffordshire Agreed Syllabus for RE.
Christianity is a main faith in the United Kingdom. Learning about Christianity helps children to understand the reasons why we celebrate Christmas and Easter. It is important that children have a wider understanding and appreciation for other religions and beliefs so that they can be tolerant and respectful towards these faiths.
At Cheadle Primary School in KS1 the children learn mainly about Christianity and Islam. At KS2 a third key faith, Hinduism is also studied. Throughout their time at CPS the children will also be introduced to other principal main faiths found in the United Kingdom Judaism, Sikhism, and Buddhism.
They will explore each religion by learning facts about its creation, how they worship and the key beliefs. Children will engage in some parts of the religion so they know what it looks and feels like. Children will then reflect on what they have learnt and make comparisons across the key religions studied.
RE Coordinator
My name is Mrs Walker and I am the RE Coordinator at Cheadle Primary School. I have always had a passion for finding out about different faiths and beliefs and thoroughly enjoy my role as RE Coordinator. At CPS we believe that RE is for everyone! It is our intent to build religiously literate young people. Our curriculum is designed to engage, inspire, challenge and encourage pupils, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to answer challenging questions, explore different religious beliefs, values and traditions and develop a more rigorous understanding of the numerous religious traditions, beliefs and practices that are followed in our multi-cultural society.
Curriculum and implementation
The aims of our School Policy for Religious Education are to maintain and enhance the ethos and values of the school as a place of work and learning, of living together and developing the children’s spiritual, cultural and moral attitudes. The school has an inclusive policy and our aim is to prepare activities which will allow all pupils access to the R. E. curriculum.
Our objectives are:
To ensure that the Religious Education taught at Cheadle Primary is consistent with the requirements of the Guidelines issued by the Local Authority in their Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education.
To promote the spiritual, moral cultural and mental development of the pupils at the school.
To prepare such pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life.
That all pupils should be able to feel secure in their study of Religious Education, whatever the religious or non-religious tradition of their home.
That pupils should be able to enter objectively and imaginatively into the spirit of the Christian and other religious traditions, to understand the nature of their beliefs and practices and their influence on social and cultural life.
That children develop their ability to interpret and appreciate religious imagery and expression and understand the meaning it has to a believer.
That children develop a thoughtful and creative attitude to their own experience, and to formulate their own values.
At Cheadle Primary School we are committed to the teaching of stimulating and challenging religious education that focuses on the progression of skills across the key stages.
Agreed Syllabus
The children receive a programme of R.E. of one session per week. The aims of RE within the Staffordshire Agreed Syllabus are that pupils should acquire:
· An increasing core of insightful knowledge concerning religions and beliefs, both in Britain and in more global terms
· A developing capacity to engage with ultimate questions and to formulate their own sense of identity and values
· A growing range of the social, spiritual and emotional skills and dispositions appropriate to living well in a religiously plural and open society
The three curriculum aims are supported by six broad dimensions:
1. Beliefs, teachings and sources
2. Practices and ways of life
3. Expressing meaning
4. Identity, diversity and belonging
5. Meaning, purpose and truth
6. Values and commitments
Provision
Our provision includes:
A broad and challenging programme of study that is well matched to children’s needs and abilities.
The use of cross curricular teaching including stories, drama, discussion, art, D&T, dance and music.
Visits to places of worship and the invitation to visitors to speak to the children.
Collective worship aimed at developing pupils’ sense of community, spirituality and morality.
Opportunities as a school to recognise festivals celebrated by a variety of religions.
A diverse range of high quality religious artefacts.
Core Knowledge and skills
Please click on the links below to see our subject progression documents for RE.
assessment
Teachers are required to use the Learning Objectives from the Medium Term plans to assess children’s learning at the end of each half termly unit and record on the schools O track Assessment system.
As a school we encourage creative teaching and teachers of Religious Education are encouraged to explore links with other subjects such as drama, art, music and D&T.
Evidence/assessment of learning may therefore not always take place in written format and may include:
Notes made when listening to the children working in groups or engaging in drama/role play
Photographs of children’s artwork
Examples of artefacts the children have made
Photographs of performances of song/dance
cultural capital and enrichment
In RE, Cultural Capital can be gained in many ways including;
- The study of international cultures and religious practices
- Opportunity to understand viewpoints which differ from our own
- Knowledge of festivals and customs related to the religions we study
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Our children enjoy visiting local places of worship and this includes;
Visits to our local church as part of our RE Curriculum to find out about places of worship
Attending church as part of our Christmas celebrations
Annual visits to church by our school council as part of the school’s Remembrance Day activities
NATRE
Information for parents - What is RE?
NATRE - Parents and Carers leaflet.pdfWhat our pupils say
Coming soon
useful websites
Religions of the World
Animated BBC films to teach 3-7 year olds about different religions: https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/class-clips-video/religions-of-the-world/zfxwpg8
My Life, My Religion
Short BBC films for 7-11 year olds featuring children from 5 of the world’s major religions:https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05pc1c9/clips
Charlie and Blue
Charlie and Blue films visiting places of worship, celebrating some festivals and much more 7 films suitable for 5-7 year olds. www.truetube.co.uk/list?content%20types=films&keystages=key%20stage%201&page=1&
BBC Bitesize
7-11 year olds can find out about different religions and non-religious worldviews through BBC Bitesize.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/z7hs34j
True Tube
A series of films suitable for pupils aged 7-11 on a variety of topics such as a History of Islam in 10 minutes, the Easter story in 3 parts, a day in the life of a vicar, Bar and Bat Mitzvah, visits to places of worship in the Holy Cribs series and much more.
Faraday Kids
Faraday Kids has good resources on science and religion for KS1 and 2
https://faradayeducators.com/bible
The beginners bible
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiM9mWNxTWpKY-V9Eb9TfkA
