Religious Education
‘Religious Education (R.E.) is the study of different religions and how they help people to understand the world. It teaches people how they can have a positive impact within the world.’
Intent: What do we aspire for our children in R.E. at The Epiphany School?
The Epiphany School R.E. curriculum is designed to give children the opportunity to develop their understanding of Christianity and other religions, to shape their understanding of the world and their own experience within it. This is achieved through integrating pupils’ developing understanding of significant theological concepts with their own understanding of the world, as part of their wider religious literacy.
In our R.E. curriculum, substantive concepts are used as the big ideas within the subject disciple. These help pupils make sense of what they are being taught so that meaning can be made and connections formed to develop children’s growing schema. This is supported by key vocabulary, which is identified and taught within each unit of work and built on from EYFS to Year 6. Our enquiry approach helps pupils to develop the disciplinary knowledge of R.E., encouraging pupils to think deeply and philosophically. The approach allows for different views to be shared and there to be “no one right answer” to many of the questions asked. Learning in this subject is intellectually challenging, personally enriching and develops pupils’ own spirituality.
Our R.E. curriculum supports pupils to develop their own viewpoints and to have an awareness of their own presuppositions and values about the religious and non-religious traditions they study. This is achieved through listening respectfully to others’ opinions; thinking about their own identity, values and beliefs; asking and answering big questions; and learning from other religions.
Implementation: How do we deliver our RE curriculum?
The teaching of R.E. across the school follows the structure of two thirds Christianity and one third other world religions. Each half term, year groups will complete a unit of work linked to either Christianity or another world religion. The Epiphany School uses the ‘Understanding Christianity’ scheme, as advised by the diocese, to support learning about Christianity. The Jigsaw RE scheme of work is used to support learning about other world religions. Both schemes were selected to be used together, as their pedagogical approaches are similar. Both enquiry and vocabulary are prioritised as curriculum drivers within these schemes to build children’s ability to think and talk about religion. Our R.E. curriculum has been carefully mapped out to ensure both schemes complement one another to ensure a balanced, holistic R.E. curriculum is delivered across the school.
Understanding Christianity
Understanding Christianity has eight core substantive concepts. These feature from EYFS to Year 6, allowing pupils to deepen their understanding of the concept as it is revisited.
The disciplinary knowledge within Understanding Christianity is centred around three key elements which are part of all units of work and become progressively more challenging from EYFS to Year 6:
Jigsaw R.E.
The Epiphany School teach children about other world religions including: Year 1 and Year 4 – Sanatana Dharma; Year 2 and Year 5 Judaism; Year 3 and Year 6 Islam; and Year 6 Humanism. By revisiting each religion at key stage one and key stage two, children are able to build on prior knowledge and deepen their understanding.
Woven into the Jigsaw RE programme are the disciplinary concepts of Theology, Philosophy and Human/Social Sciences. These support learners to present, explore and analyse their substantive knowledge of a worldview to develop religious literacy.
Theology is about people’s beliefs, including belief God. This ‘way of knowing’ centres on the origins and key beliefs of a worldview, especially sacred texts and teachings. It can be used to explore different interpretations of stories from a worldview, including how these might have changed over time. | Human/Social Sciences is about how people put their beliefs into practice. This ‘way of knowing’ can include studying common practices of faith communities and individuals. It enables pupils to recognise the diversity of lived experiences within each worldview, exploring the context of the time and place in which followers are living. | Philosophy is about curiosity, ‘big’ questions, and deep thinking. This ‘way of knowing’ can be asking ‘big’ questions about the meaning of life and how we make moral choices. It is also about exploring possible answers to these questions using reasoning and discussion to acknowledge diverse viewpoints and pupils’ own responses. |
Jigsaw RE focuses on critical thinking skills; personal reflection into the child’s own thoughts and feelings; growing subject knowledge; and nurturing spiritual development. Each unit of work follows a 4-step model: engagement, investigation, evaluation and expression.
Collective Worship
In addition to R.E. lessons, we hold a daily collective worship, which is an important part of the school day as it gives the school community time for peace and reflection. These daily worships support our children and adults in growing spiritually in our local community and in the wider world. Our children play an integral part in these gatherings through leading prayers, singing and accompanying hymns, and acting out stories from the Bible. We also have strong links with our local church, who regularly lead worships at our school, as well as working with our children through Chill and Chat sessions and Christian Union Club.
Spirituality
Our R.E. curriculum is designed to enable children to reflect personally on concepts and beliefs in order to develop their own viewpoints underpinned by empathy and respect. Each classroom displays a reflective space, which supports the children in thinking about how they see themselves (mirror moments), their relationship with the world (window moments) and their relationship with something greater than themselves (candle moments).
Impact: How do we know our curriculum is effective?
Assessment: Assessment will take place in line with the school’s assessment policy. Identified key learning provide criteria by which to assess pupils, supporting teachers to ascertain what pupils know and can do. Teachers should assess pupils throughout lessons and plan subsequent teaching and learning in response to this. Assessment will take many forms including teacher observation, rich questioning, talking with pupils and marking children’s work. Teachers will identify pupils as ‘focus children’ if they have not met the key learning and may need further support.
High quality outcomes: Pupils should be articulate and knowledgeable about the key learning identified in each unit of work. Work produced may be presented in pupils’ books or evident on display.
Monitoring: Monitoring activities may include pupil interviews, informal discussion with staff, looking at pupils’ learning, examination of planning and learning walks in order to assess the effectiveness of the curriculum in meeting the intent.
Supporting documentation
- Long Term Curriculum Overviews
- R.E. long term overview
- Progressions in substantive knowledge: Jigsaw RE and Understanding Christianity
- Progression in disciplinary knowledge: Jigsaw RE and Understanding Christianity
- Medium Term Planning documents for Understanding Christianity
- R.E. whole school vocabulary for Understanding Christianity
- Understanding Christianity documentation
- Jigsaw R.E. documentation