Chase Lane Primary School and Nursery Unit RE Policy Updated January 2015 Main author Kim Veldtman Next review October 2017 or earlier if necessary Ratified by Governors 30.6.15 1
Chase Lane Primary School and Nursery Unit Religious Education Policy Introduction Chase Lane Primary School is made up of staff and pupils who originate from many nationalities, cultures and faith groups. As a school we aim to celebrate this diversity and offer a welcoming and inclusive environment for all our pupils, including new arrivals and non-native English speakers. We believe that Religious Education provides an opportunity to celebrate and foster awareness of these differences within our school and the wider world. It is a subject that celebrates diversity and challenges stereotypes. Rationale Religious education can provide a rich and wide range of experiences inside and outside the classroom, which give pupils opportunities to develop concepts, and skills that will help them to make sense of their own experiences and beliefs, and to understand the beliefs and practices of members of faith communities. Learning about religion includes enquiry into investigation of the nature of religion, its key beliefs and teachings, practices, their impacts on the lives of believers and communities, and the varying ways in which these are expressed. Pupils learn to communicate their knowledge and understanding using specialist vocabulary. It also includes identifying and developing an understanding of ultimate questions and ethical issues. Learning from religion is concerned with developing pupils reflection on and response to their own experiences and their learning about religion. It develops pupils skills of application, interpretation and evaluation of what they learn about religion, particularly to questions of identity and belonging, questions of meaning and values and commitments. It is a statutory requirement that schools teach religious education as prescribed by the locally agreed syllabus. The RE syllabus may be viewed upon request. Parents have the right to withdraw their pupils from Religious Education. Parents who choose to withdraw their children form Religious Education lessons are required to state this in writing to the school. Aim Our aims for RE are taken from the Waltham Forest Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education. RE should enable pupils to: Develop a sense of their personal worth, individuality and identity; Develop a positive attitude towards other people, respecting their right to hold different beliefs from their own and towards living in a society of many religions and beliefs; Acquire and develop knowledge and understanding of Christianity and the other principal religions and non-religious world views represented in Great Britain; Develop an understanding of the influence of beliefs, values and traditions on individuals, communities, societies and cultures; Develop the ability to make reasoned and informed judgements about religious and moral issues, with reference to the their own beliefs and the teachings of the principal religions and beliefs represented in Great Britain; Enhance their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. 1
Teaching and Learning in RE The above aims are achieved by following the Borough s scheme of work, adapted to suit the ability and aptitude of the pupils. To ensure pupils have an in depth knowledge of major world religions, certain faiths are focussed on at different points through the school (Appendix 1): Key Stage 1 - Christianity, Islam and Hinduism Key Stage 2 - Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism. We employ a wide range of learning methods in our teaching of RE. These include:- Visiting local places of worship and receiving visitors from faith communities; Using art, music and drama; Pupils experiencing times of quiet reflection to develop their own thoughts and ideas; Using stories, pictures, DVDs, photographs and artefacts; Developing the use of ICT in helping pupils awareness of religions and beliefs. Wherever possible, links are made between Religious Education and other curriculum subjects. Collective worship At Chase Lane Primary School, collective worship is set within the context of prayer in class every day. The aim of this is to provide the opportunity for children s spirituality to be developed and expressed. Both phases have a separate prayer, taking into account the backgrounds and development stages of pupils (Appendix 2). Inclusion Inclusion and differentiation for pupils with SEN and EAL are taken into account in our planning and teaching as they are in all areas of the curriculum. Within the teaching of RE, we make the most of opportunities to help the pupils develop their sensitivity to relevant issues such as refugees and religious fasting, and to develop positive attitudes towards themselves and others. Recording and Assessment Work may be recorded in a variety of ways such as writing, art, poetry, drama and music. Where no written work or visual art is produced, teachers may provide photographs as evidence. In Key Stages 1 and 2, assessment in RE is ongoing and is carried out informally. Pupils progress is assessed against the level descriptors in the Waltham Forest Agreed Syllabus. Assessment may include listening to pupils questions and responses; asking pertinent questioning to elicit pupils understanding and marking, focusing on the success criteria. Pupils are given feedback through evaluation, marking and discussion of work. Monitoring The teaching, assessing and resourcing of Religious Education is monitored by the RE Co-ordinator. The Co-ordinator attends training and professional development, and organises INSET where necessary. RE monitoring may include lesson drop ins, book scrutinies and discussions with pupils.. Resources We encourage the use of a wide range of resources to enrich pupils learning. These include books, DVDs, music, artefacts and access to websites on the internet. Resources are stored in clearly labelled boxes in the RE cupboard which staff have easy access to. This policy was reviewed by Kim Veldtman in October 2014. 2
Appendix 1: RE Overview YEAR AUTUMN 1 AUTUMN 2 SPRING 1 SPRING 2 SUMMER 1 SUMMER 2 GROUP 1 The Natural World Jesus Birth celebrated at Christmas Muslim Beliefs Baptism and Naming Following Allah s teachings from the Living as a Hindu 2 Bible Stories Jesus Friends and His Teaching 3 Guru Nanak 4 JUDAISM Celebrations in the Jewish home 5 UNIT 7 The Haji Diwali UNIT 6 Festivals advent, Christmas and Epiphany UNIT 8 A 2 nd Christian place of worship and The Bible JUDAISM Jewish Life Prayer in Islam UNIT 5 Prophet Muhammad The Mandir 0 Christians and the World CHRISITANITY UNIT 5 Jesus life - friends, enemies, life, death and afterwards (Easter) JUDAISM Beliefs about God CHRISITANITY UNIT 9 Who was Jesus? The Buddha Qur an The Church The Sikh Gurus UNIT 6 The Five Pillars of Islam Personal Identity and Belonging in Hinduism The mosque UNIT 7 The local Parish Guru Granth Sahib- the final Guru Buddhist Teachings 6 JUDAISM Passover Living a Sikh Life The Sangha UNIT 8 The Ummah 1 Faith in action and Charities. TRANSITION UNIT. 3
Appendix 2 Chase Lane Primary School and Nursery Unit Collective Worship Statement It is a legal requirement that an act of collective worship takes place for all statutory aged children. This takes place each day in the classroom just prior to lunch. It is led by the teacher. There is a set prayer for the younger and the older children. Middle Phrase Prayer: Dear God, Help us to make our school A warm and welcoming place, Where everyone feels that they belong And everyone has a friend. Thank you God, Amen. Upper Phase Prayer: Dear God, I will do all the good I can, In all the ways I can, In all the places I can, At all the times I can, As long as ever I can. Amen. 4