Religious Education
Religious Education Intent, Implementation and Impact
Intent | Implementation | Impact |
The purpose of our Religious Education curriculum is to develop pupils who demonstrate religious literacy. This means that pupils will be able to hold balanced and well-informed conversations around religion and worldviews.
In Key Stage 1, the religious and non-religious worldviews being taught will increase the understanding of religions that the children may be less familiar with, supporting our Christian vision of developing acceptance.
In Key Stage 2, the religious and non-religious worldviews taught will reflect the local context and will build on prior knowledge from Key Stage 1.
Pupils will know about and understand a range of religious and non-religious worldviews by learning to see these through theological, philosophical and human/social science lenses.
Pupils will gain skills rooted in theology, philosophy and human/social science.
Alongside other curriculum areas, Religious Education will play an important part in developing the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils.
Our Religious Education curriculum is planned to closely link to other curriculum areas and our overarching ‘Big Questions’.
Our Religious Education curriculum will reflect the aims of our vision and the associated Christian values of aspiration, wisdom and endurance. | Religious Education is taught using the locally agreed Essex Syllabus.
In Key Stage 1, the Religious Education curriculum will be made up of 50% Christianity and 25% Judaism with encounters of Judaism and Hinduism making up the remainders.
In Key Stage 2, the Religious Education curriculum will be made up of 35% Christianity, 20% Sikhism and 20% Islam with encounters of Buddhism, Humanism and Judaism making up the remainder. Sikhism will be the religious worldview focus for Lower Key Stage 2 and Humanism will be the non-religious worldview focus for Upper Key Stage 2. | Pupils will be able to make sense of religion and worldviews around them and begin to understand the complex world in which they live.
Children will be free thinking, critical participants of public discourse, who are able to make academically informed judgements about important matters of religion and belief which shape the global landscape.
Pupils will express ideas and insights about the nature, significance and impact of religious and non-religious worldviews through a multidisciplinary approach.
Pupils will deploy skills rooted in theology, philosophy and human/social science to engage critically with religious and non-religious worldviews. |
Essex have developed a new locally agreed syllabus. This will become statutory in schools from September 2023, however 2022 - 2023 is a year of implementation. We will be implementing the new syllabus from Spring Term 2023.
Below is our overview for the new syllabus. In 2022 - 2023 we will be delivering year A.
Rationale of choices:
KS1 | LKS2 | UKS2 |
Study: Christianity Study: Judaism Encounter: Hinduism | Study: Christianity Study: Sikhism Encounter: Buddhism Draw on prior knowledge: Judaism, Hinduism | Study: Christianity Study: Islam Encounter: Humanism Draw on prior knowledge: Sikhism, Judaism |
Rationale: To increase understanding of religions that the children may have less contact and familiarity within the local area. To begin to develop an awareness of the connection between Abrahamic religions. To offer opportunities to compare to a non-Abrahamic religion. | Rationale: To reflect the local context and draw on prior knowledge from KS1. To broaden and deepen understanding of Abrahamic and non-Abrahamic religions. | Rationale: To link to topics and build on prior knowledge. To make meaningful connections and comparisons between Abrahamic and non-Abrahamic religions and worldviews. To develop an appreciation and celebration of diversity both within and across religions and worldviews. |
New Curriculum Map
| Autumn | Spring | Summer | |||
KS1 – year A | How did the universe come to be?
Christian, Hindu | Why is light an important symbol for many religious believers?
Christian, Jewish, Hindu | How does a celebration bring a community together?
Christian, Jewish, Hindu | What does the cross mean to Christians?
Christian
| How do Christians belong to their faith family?
Christian | Enquiry question exploring the overall concept of religion/worldviews using an experiential approach.
WHOLE SCHOOL ENQUIRY |
KS1 – year B | What is ‘good’ and what is ‘bad’?
Multi (link to fairy tales)
| What does the nativity story teach Christians about Jesus?
Christian | What do Jewish people remember on Shabbat?
Jewish | How do Jewish people celebrate Passover (Pesach)?
Jewish | What do my senses tell me about the world of religion and belief?
Christian, Jewish, Hindu | Enquiry question linked to current affairs or targeted to children’s needs
WHOLE SCHOOL ENQUIRY |
LKS2 – Year A | Why is there so much diversity of belief about creation? | What do Christians and Sikhs believe about God?
Sikh | What difference do religious teachings make to the daily life of Christians and Sikhs?
Christian, Sikh | What does sacrifice mean?
Christian, Jewish, Sikh, Buddhist | How do people express commitment to a religion/worldview in different ways?
Christian, Jewish, Sikh, Buddhist | Enquiry question exploring the overall concept of religion/worldviews using an experiential approach.
WHOLE SCHOOL ENQUIRY |
Christian (with comparisons to other faiths) | ||||||
LKS2 – Year B | What is philosophy? How do people make moral decisions?
Multi | Where do religious beliefs come from?
Christian | What do we mean by truth? Is seeing believing?
Sikh, Christian, Buddhist
| What is the Trinity?
Christian | How do/have religious groups contribute/d to society and culture?
Multi | Enquiry question linked to current affairs or targeted to children’s needs
WHOLE SCHOOL ENQUIRY |
UKS2 – Year A | Creation and science: conflicting or complementary?
Christian, Humanist | Is being happy the greatest purpose in life?
Humanist, Christian | How do beliefs shape identity for Muslims?
Muslim | How do Muslims make sense of the world?
Muslim | What can we learn from the great philosophers?
Multi | Enquiry question exploring the overall concept of religion/worldviews using an experiential approach.
WHOLE SCHOOL ENQUIRY |
UKS2 – Year B | How and why does religion bring peace and conflict?
Multi (including Jewish links to WW2) | How do Muslims and Christians explain the suffering in the world?
Christian, Muslim | Is believing in God reasonable?
Multi | What difference does the resurrection make to Christians?
Christian | How have religious beliefs impacted on music and art throughout history?
Christian, Muslim (with links to Ancient Greece) | Enquiry question linked to current affairs or targeted to children’s needs
WHOLE SCHOOL ENQUIRY
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