Winyates Primary School
Religious Education
The impact of our Religious Education curriculum is to develop positive attitudes of respect towards other people who hold views and beliefs different from our own; living in a society of diverse religion. Children can develop skills to analyse, infer and apply the Bible text, as well as recognise that faith is a certain way of understanding and responding to God and the world. Our curriculum facilitates opportunities for children to explain the diverse traditions of the Christian community, articulate a well-informed response to Christianity and respect those of all faiths in their search for God. Children are able to analytically reflect upon areas of shared belief and practice, reflect and express their views on human’s journey and purpose.
Our Religious Education Curriculum aims to:
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To fund the expansion of pupil’s own spiritual/philosophical principles and beliefs, exploring and inspiring their own faith and beliefs.
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To develop the ability to make reasoned and informal judgements about religious issues, with reference to the teachings of the principal religions represented in Peterborough and the United Kingdom.
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To empower pupils to consider Christianity as the religion that fashioned British culture and legacy and a religion that guides the lives of millions of people today.
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To enable pupils to absorb themselves within other major religions and contemplate their impact on; and on the lives of their adherents, culture and politics, art and history.
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To think theologically and explore critical questions.
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To reflect critically on the truth claims of Christian beliefs and ask meaningful questions.
“Understanding Christianity” (Christian Education Publications) is the framework of RE study across the school. Our children learn from interactive, creative and memorable experiences that provide them opportunities to respect diverse views and interpretations of Christianity. Children will deepen their understanding of God as encountered and taught by Christians.
The 8 units of study are:
God, Creation, Fall, People of God, Incarnation, Gospel, Salvation and Kingdom of God.
Alongside this, we believe it is our duty to create opportunities to have an accurate and increasing understanding of world religions and world views. As a result, our children will gain greater insight into the world in which they are growing up. They will also be able to respect the faith of others and develop a deeper understanding of their own beliefs and practices. These outcomes must contribute to harmonious relationships within and between communities, promoting social inclusion and combating prejudice. Other faiths studied across the school consist of; Islam, Buddhism, Sikhism, Judaism, Hinduism and Humanism.
Religious Education is taught in an integrated way with a cross curricular approach and in half termly RE days. The Agreed syllabus has 2 attainment targets. AT1 involves learning about religions and AT2 allows learning from these religions, both of these are developed through enquiry based learning. 2/3 will be Christianity whilst 1/3 will be other faiths.
At Winyates we believe that Religious Education is central to our being. It is a cornerstone for the school’s distinctive dimension. Although RE is statutory, it justifies its place in the curriculum on purely educational grounds. It provides the opportunity to explore a major and distinctive dimension of what it means to be a person: the search for meaning and value in a wondrous but also confusing and sometimes threatening world. RE offers pupils the chance to raise and reflect on perennial questions about life. In doing this, it draws on the rich history of religious traditions in Britain, giving prominence to Christianity reflecting the fact that we are a voluntary aided school.