Religious Education at Landewednack
Religious Education (RE) is a subject that aims to develop children's understanding of the world's religions. Through religious education, children will learn about different religions and their traditions, practices and beliefs. Religious education also promotes children's tolerance and mutual respect in a diverse society.
Religious education plays a key part in children's personal development. RE is not religious instruction; we do not tell our children what to believe and how to live, but give them the opportunity, through our RE curriculum, to learn about a variety of different beliefs, world views and cultures. RE develops tolerance, understanding and kindness. Through RE we aim to develop our children's spiritual and moral growth as well their cultural and religious knowledge.
We strive to ensure our children develop the key learning characteristics for RE:
- An outstanding level of religious understanding and knowledge
- A thorough engagement with a range of ultimate questions about the meaning and significance of existence
- The ability to ask significant and highly reflective questions about religion and demonstrate an excellent understanding of issues related to the nature, truth and value of religion
- A strong understanding of how the beliefs, values, practices and ways of life within any religion cohere together
- Exceptional independence; the ability to think for themselves and take the initiative in, for example, asking questions, carrying out investigations, evaluating ideas and working constructively with others
- Significant levels of originality, imagination or creativity, which are shown in their responses to their learning in RE
- The ability to link the study of religion and belief to personal reflections on meaning and purpose
- A wide knowledge and deep understanding across a wide range of religions and beliefs.
The curriculum for Religious Education is delivered in accordance with the Cornwall RE Syllabus. It is designed to enhance the children’s spiritual, moral, cultural and social awareness and to develop a knowledge and understanding of Christianity and the other principal religions of the world.
In addition to the Cornwall Agreed Syllabus, we use the Understanding Christianity programme to support subject knowledge, planning and delivery of the Christianity element of the curriculum. All classrooms and the school hall have a copy of the 'Big Frieze' by artist Emma Yarlett, which illustrates core concepts explored through the Understanding Christianity units. The Big Frieze is regularly referred to during lessons to help pupils to build up a coherent understanding of the core concepts, the wider context of each concept and the relationship between them.
Progression
The Skills Ladder acts as an incremental model for skills acquisition and provides a benchmark for each year group, with teachers using the skills statements as a model for progression throughout the school. Growing in complexity and demand across Key Stages 1 and 2, the Skills Ladder enables children to make good progress in their learning.
By using a rigorously planned curriculum map religious knowledge, concepts and skills are built on across the year groups as well as giving our children the opportunity to see how RE links to other curriculum subjects. We plan for enrichment days, visits and visitors to inspire imagination and bring RE to life. We use RE Today to enrich our curriculum and to provide a source of CPD for our teachers.
Assessment and Recall
We use Quizzes and end of unit tasks for diagnostic assessment as well as ‘distance’ recall tasks to ensure knowledge is remembered and to ensure prior learning is linked to new. We also use drama, art and writing to express children's thoughts and views.
Landewednack School has a policy of collective worship which is broadly Christian and covers moral and social issues. This is available for anyone to view. Parents have the right to withdraw their children from collective worship. Alternative provision will be made as necessary. Links from RE lessons are enriched through our school assemblies- for example, the Open the Book team link their assemblies to the 'Big Freeze'.
