Intent, Implementation, Impact

Intent

At Parkside Primary School, it is our intent to enable our children to become religiously educated. We believe that being religiously educated will prepare our children for life in today’s diverse Britain, through fostering in each child, an increasing level of religious literacy. It will help our children to understand people’s differences in customs and beliefs, and embrace them. We want the children through a knowledge rich curriculum to have a greater understanding of the world thus enabling them to live well in a religiously diverse society.

Implementation

The Religious Education curriculum uses the SACRE Agreed Syllabus. This ensures our children are intellectually challenged and personally enriched. The specific curriculum themes of Explore, Engage and Reflect support the implementation of this syllabus. These three curriculum themes are supported by the key concepts, the six broad dimensions woven into Programmes of Study:

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

The Programmes of Study are woven into every unit of work to enable lesson by lesson and unit by unit progress towards the age-related outcomes for children in each year group. At Parkside, the children in:

• Reception learn about aspects of Christianity.
• Year One and Two learn about aspects of Christianity, Islam and Sikhism.
• Year Three and Four learn about aspects of Christianity and Islam.
• Year Five and Six learn about aspects of Christianity, Sikhism and Judaism.

At Parkside, we embrace the ‘Rosenshine Principles of Learning’ for all pupils including our children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). The delivery of the Religious Education curriculum involves the careful planning of lessons ensuring plenty of opportunities for the over learning of key facts and the mastery of key skills.

Religious Education is taught in a subject block of a week comprising of four lessons every half term. The children handle artefacts, explore sacred texts, use circle times or drama to express feelings and ideas, respond to images, stories, art, music and dance as well as making use of the internet and different religious media. The children also partake in a variety of assembly themes based on religions, belief and values. They have the opportunity to visit a variety of places of worship throughout their time at Parkside to gain a broadening understanding of the diverse culture.

In Early Years, Religious Education is an intrinsic element of the curriculum. The children listen to a wide range of stories from different religions and world views as well as discuss and use role play with these. They also visit the local church and then describe this experience to others.

Impact

At Parkside, we aim for the children to leave by being religiously educated, with a breath of knowledge of many different aspects of the religions learnt. They will develop a positive attitude towards people of any religion and demonstrate respectful behaviour to all.  Through the key concepts, they will be able to articulate, make links between and show respect for all faiths. By appreciating their belief and the belief of others, they will promote this respect in a diverse society.