Intent, Implementation, Impact
Intent
At Ethelbert Road we believe that Religious Education plays an important part in developing our children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural growth. Through the teaching of R.E. children gain a better understanding of themselves and their belief system and also develop an awareness of the differing beliefs of others. R.E. offers our children the means by which to understand how other people choose to live and to understand why they choose to live in that way. This helps children to develop respect and tolerance towards their peers, staff and the community as a whole. As well as developing factual knowledge of a variety of religions, R.E. also encourages students to ask questions about life, develop self-reflection and promotes attitudes of confidence and thoughtfulness about themselves. We aspire to help children to develop the ability to make reasoned and informed judgements about religious and moral issues which is an essential skill in our 21st century multi-cultural society.
Implementation
We currently follow the Kent Agreed Syllabus, which gives children a key question to explore each term, focusing on one or more religion per term. This allows children to explore a variety of religions across their time at Ethelbert Road and also gives them space to consider their own beliefs and how these are similar and different to the beliefs of other people.
We also have an RE day each academic year in which we have explored a variety of different celebrations from a variety of religions across the year groups. This has allowed the children to spend a longer time thinking about a specific aspect of a religion and allows them a chance to explore how different people may celebrate.
In reception the children explore a variety of religions through questions such as 'Which people are special and why?' and 'Which stories are special and why?' This allows them to notice similarities and differences between a number of different religions as well as to link their own life experiences to those of people who follow different religions.
In Years 1 - 6 the children learn about a variety of aspects of the beliefs and practices of Christians, the most prevalent religion in the UK. In Year 1 – 3 the children also learn about one other religion, either Judaism, Islam 2 other religions including, Judaism, Hinduism, Islam and Sikhism. In this way children are able to learn about a diverse range of beliefs and ways of life, discussing their own opinions as well as the beliefs of others. They are also able to make links between various religions to see how people who may at first seem to be very different, in fact have a number of things in common.
Impact
Children are able to discuss a wide variety of beliefs with openness and clarity. They are able to discuss ideas that arise and accept that they may have ideas which are different to each other without becoming cross about this. They are able to show great maturity in their discussion of different experiences, beliefs and traditions.
They are also growing in their knowledge of a wide variety of religions, allowing them to have a greater understanding of how other people live.