Curriculum Statement for RE
In RE at Lancaster Lane, children are provided with opportunities to examine both their own and others’ beliefs. Children will think critically about how different views impact society. Children will learn from religious and world views about different ways of life in local, national and global contexts. They will discover and explore many different answers, including their own, to philosophical questions such as:
- Who do we and others aspire to?
- What do people say about God?
These are vital skills in preparing children for the ever-changing world in later life. Children need to be empathetic, tolerant, respectful and understand the multicultural society in which we live. Facilitating opportunities for children to learn about a wealth of beliefs and consider many different answers to important questions about morality, human identity, meaning and value helps to ensure that children are embracing views different from their own. Whilst children learn about others’ beliefs, children are encouraged to develop their own beliefs. This helps to foster a sense of identity and allows them to become positive contributors to society.
Pre-School & Reception
Our Pre-School and Reception children follow the statement “know about similarities and differences between themselves and others, among families, communities and traditions.”. This encompasses learning about Christmas and the different traditions we share at different times of year – including who goes to church and when. In EYFS children are taught to respect the different traditions people follow and their different beliefs.
Key Stages 1 & 2
In Years 1 – 6 we follow the National Curriculum guidance teaching RE across all year groups. This means that in both Key Stage 1 and 2 children ‘learn about religion’ and ‘learn from religion’. At Lancaster Lane, we plan using Lancashire’s locally agreed syllabus (SACRE). This has been carefully adapted to suit our children within their local area, ensuring that learning is relevant to them. The SACRE has a focus on Christian teachings, however, children learn about different faiths alongside Christianity including: Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism and Judaism. Children are encouraged to critically examine important aspects of every faith, before reflecting and developing their own beliefs. We have adapted the SACRE in order to prepare children for the diverse society in which they live. It is pertinent to note that by doing so we are ensuring that we facilitate opportunities for children to develop their spiritual, moral, cultural, social and mental development.
RE within the primary setting offers plenty of enrichment opportunities. As a school, we have close links with a local church, St. Ambrose, and we celebrate Christmas with them each year. In school we celebrate the Christian religious festivals of Easter and Christmas by performing assemblies and plays for both parents and fellow children. Pupils also learn about festivals of other faiths such as Diwali and Eid.
RE supports strong links with many other subjects and we identify purposeful cross-curricular links to enhance learning and help children identify connections. In particular, RE links well with PSHE, geography, music and art, e.g. Year 1 children create Rangoli patterns when thinking about Hinduism.
RE is assessed by class teachers following a taught unit. The teacher will ensure all objectives (both knowledge and skills based) are taught over the course of both units and an end of year assessment will also be gained. The Subject Leader receives this information from class teachers, carries out pupil voice, book looks and visits lessons to ascertain how RE is being delivered. This helps to identify strengths and any areas for development for the subject which can be tackled appropriately.
Please note - parents and carers have the right to withdraw their child from RE lessons if they wish, and should contact the school office to discuss this request.
Last reviewed January 2024.