At Woodside, we follow the Buckinghamshire Agreed Syllabus for R.E. (2022- 2027).
How we behave and live our lives affects other people and the world we live in. This is why our behaviour and ways of living are important issues. Our behaviour is influenced by our attitudes. Our attitudes are influenced by experiences and beliefs.

R.E. is the opportunity to reflect on our experience of the world and the beliefs, values and attitudes that guide us through life. We do this by exploring the beliefs, values, practices, and ways of living from the principal religions and different world-views.
We all play a part in creating the world and society we live in.
What we believe in, whether religious or not, contributes significantly to this.
R.E. helps pupils, and the school as a whole, to reflect on the ways in which beliefs influence how people live their lives.

In Lower key stage two, our pupils study Christianity, as well as one of the Abrahamic religions (Islam) and one of the Dharmic traditions (Hinduism).

In Upper Key stage two, the pupils continue to study Christianity, Islam and Hinduism, as well as non-religious world-views (Humanism). This follows the recommendations of the Buckinghamshire SACRE curriculum and reflects our local community.

Teaching will also make reference to other religious traditions and world-views as appropriate.

In year 3, pupils will study: festivals, religion in the community and religious buildings.
In year four, they study: symbolism, worship and sacred texts.
In year five they study: rites of passage, pilgrimages, and prophets and founders.
In year six pupils will study: ethics, creation and the environment and diversity.

The curriculum has been designed so that when pupils learn from and about new religions in Upper Key Stage 2, they're able to make connections to prior units. They will draw on their prior knowledge combine this with learning new learning to further reflect on questions of meaning, purpose and values and to formulate reasoned opinions and ideas.

Our RE curriculum:

· Teaches pupils about Christianity and other religions and world-views so that they can understand the world better and develop their own sense of place within it.

· Engages pupils of any religious faith or none and of all academic abilities and social backgrounds.

· Enables pupils to engage with a range of sources such as texts, artefacts and people.

· Challenges pupils to question and explore their own and others understanding of the world.

· Does not seek to urge beliefs upon pupils no compromise their own beliefs, but rather to deepen their self understanding and understanding of others.

· Raises questions of identity meaning purpose and value and encourages pupils to reflect on experience, ways of living and ways of knowing.

· Contributes positively and powerfully to the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils.

· Provides opportunities for pupils to develop communication and thinking skills.

· Explores visions of humanity, and the time reflects on depths to which human humanity can sink.

 

The 4 aims of our R.E. curriculum are:

1. Understand the nature role and influence of religion and worldviews locally, nationally and globally.

2. To reflect on the questions of meaning purpose and value.

3. To formulate reasoned opinion and arguments.

4. To enter into meaningful dialogue with peoples of different beliefs and backgrounds, appreciating and celebrating diversity, recognising what we hold in common, and respecting a shared humanity that can be experienced, expressed and responded to in diverse ways.

 

These are developed in the following ways which can be seen the ‘steps’ to achieve each aim.

1. To understand the nature role and influence of religion and worldviews locally, nationally and globally by:

· Developing knowledge and understanding of Christianity and other faiths and worldviews.

· Exploring similarities and differences between the religions and worldviews.

· Considering the nature and interpretation of sources of the authority in Christianity and other faiths and worldviews.

· Understanding what it means to belong to a religious community, and the influence of religious faith has on individuals and communities.

· Considering the way religious teaching and practice, relate to the ultimate questions

 

2. To reflect on the questions of meaning, purpose and value by:

· Reflecting on the significance of their own and others personal experience and emotion.

· Thinking about what influences our beliefs, and lifestyle and the way we see things.

· Exploring different religions and non religious beliefs about meaning, purpose and value.

· Raising and exploring the ultimate questions which arise from these .

 

3. To formulate reasoned opinion and argument by:

· Gaining the necessary knowledge to understand to give informed opinions with reasons.

· Developing the skills of questioning and reasoning.

· Developing the ability to see things from other people's perspective.

 

4. In achieving these three aims, pupils will be better able to enter into meaningful dialogue with people of different beliefs and ways of living.

R.E. is taught once per week for one hour. Each lesson begins with a question and each unit has an overarching ‘big question’, which is referred to throughout and at the end of the unit. These have been carefully selected to promote thoughtful discussion and reflection. The learning process (Buckinghamshire Agreed Syllabus) in R.E. involves helping pupils make sense of life. Learning about religions, beliefs and ways of living is a vehicle through which they develop their understanding of themselves, others and the world. The learning process involves a journey with three possible starting points.

1. What does it mean to be me? (Pupils own experience and self-concept).

2. What does it mean to be you? (Religious /worldview experience, concepts and content)

3. What does it mean to be human? (Universal human experience and concepts).

Teachers decide which aspect is the best entry point to the inquiry for the pupils and what they will be learning. This model incorporates skills development and progression. Pupils will grow to recognise how we are all different, yet we share our humanity in common so that through their exploration of religious and non-religious worldviews, they will develop their own understanding of what it means to be human and their own sense of meaning, purpose and value in relation to others.

In lessons, teachers use a variety of methods to deliver lesson content using: images, artefacts, videos, internet research and books; using drama to express feelings and ideas; responding to images, music, art, and stories; meeting and listening to visitors from local religious communities and visiting places of worship where possible. Pupils will participate in moments of reflection; compare religious and world-views through discussion, debate and present ideas.

Lessons are divided into parts with each part building on the previous. Pupils are always expected to recall prior knowledge at the beginning of each lesson, prompted by a stimulus such as images or video or vocabulary. The skills progression also outlines the key vocabulary, which we expect the children to learn and remember, connections are made to the P.S.H.E curriculum regularly as much of the content and themes are connected, especially with a fundamental British values.

 

We measure the impact of our teaching through ‘big questions’ at the end of each unit and question based inquiry for each lesson. The impact of our teaching can also be seeing the respectful, tolerant kind pupils of our school and the way our pupils treat one another.

Religious Education at Woodside School plays a central part in readying our pupils to be good local, national and global citizens. Our pupils develop into respectful, tolerant, thoughtful, accepting, considerate and understanding members of the school community and wider society. Our pupils leave here with a better understanding of their own beliefs and their place in the world. They reflect on their own actions and celebrate the diversity of our world. Our children learn how to respectfully agree and disagree and have a better understanding of different religions.

^{Progression through the aims of the Agreed Syllabus -(Buckinghamshire Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education -June 2022)}

Lower Key Stage 2 Pupils

To understand the nature, role and influence of religion and world views locally, nationally, and globally, pupils:

• Consider the nature and interpretation of sources of authority in Christianity, other faiths, and world views.
• Explore similarities and differences within religions and world views

To reflect on questions of meaning, purpose, and value pupils:

• Think about what influences our beliefs and lifestyle and the way we see things.

To formulate reasoned opinion and argument pupils

• Gain basic understanding of some beliefs to be able to give valid reasons for and against an opinion.

Upper Key Stage 2 Pupils

To understand the nature, role and influence of religion and world views locally, nationally, and globally, pupils:

• Understand what it means to be religious, and the influence religions and world views have on individuals and communities.
• Consider different responses two ultimate questions

To reflect on questions of meaning, purpose, and value pupils:

• Explore different religious and non‐religious beliefs about meaning, purpose and value.

To formulate reasoned opinion and argument pupils

• Show awareness of the ways beliefs influence attitudes, way of life and behaviour.
• Express and justify their own beliefs and opinions and listen sensitively to those of others.
• Distinguish between valid and invalid arguments.