R.E.

Introduction

Religious Education is unique in the school curriculum in that it is neither a core subject nor a foundation subject but the 1988 Education Act states that ‘Religious Education has equal standing in relation to core subjects of the National Curriculum in that it is compulsory for all registered pupils’.

St Mary’s CE Middle School is a Church of England Voluntary Aided School therefore the provision of RE must be in accordance with the Trust Deed of the School. The Governors in consultation with the Head teacher have decided, following advice from the diocese, to adopt the Locally Agreed Syllabus for RE and supplement this with material from the Diocese and elsewhere.

The Nature of Religious Education

In Religious Education at St Mary’s CE Middle School we aim that pupils might:-

Develop a knowledge and understanding of Christianity and its impact on our local community, and on our society today
Develop a knowledge and understanding of some of the other principal religious traditions represented in Great Britain today
Develop a sense of respect for religious traditions, beliefs and practice.

Grow in their spiritual development
Develop a sense of awe and wonder and mystery
Develop skills and attitudes which will support their personal, moral, social and cultural development (See locally agreed for specific skills and attitudes)
Explore some questions of meaning and consider how the world’s religions have responded to them.
Think about their own beliefs and values in the light of the beliefs of others, both religious and non-religious, and the values of the school community.

Implementation

All pupils at St Mary’s CE Middle School receive one hour of discrete Religious Education teaching each week and corresponds to the 5% of curriculum time recommended by QCA and by the Dorset Agree Syllabus for Religious Education. This lesson is timetabled for the same time and same day each week and, in most cases, each class is taught by the same member of staff for the entire year.

The religions taught in Years 5 and 6 are Christianity and Islam and those taught in Years 7 and 8 are Christianity, Buddhism and Sikhism.

The units taught in Year 5 are as follows:

The Christian Creation Story
School Based Study: What does it mean to be part of a Church School?
How have Jesus’ followers put his teachings into practice?
What is important to Muslims?

The units taught in Year 6 are as follows:

Are miracles evidence of God?
How important is the Mosque to the Muslim community?
Wearing the Hijab in Europe today
Jesus Christ Superstar – the sequel
Why do people go on pilgrimage?

The units taught in Year 7 are as follows:

What do Sikh and Christian religions teach about equality?
What do Christians believe about love, peace and justice?
What do Christians believe about the environment?

The units taught in Year 8 are as follows:

What has this country’s refugee situation got to do with religion?
What do Buddhists believe about suffering and tranquility?
Oxfam Unwrapped Project
Expressing meaning through Art, Music and Film

In order to make religious education a lively, active subject we employ a variety of teaching methods including art, music, discussion, the development of thinking skills, drama, the use of artifacts, pictures, stories, and the use of periods of stillness and reflection.

Where possible we want our pupils to have opportunities to encounter local faith communities through visits to local places of worship or visits from members of local faith communities.

Visiting speakers are welcome and included in our Religious Education units whenever possible and appropriate. We value these opportunities very highly and believe that they enrich pupil’s Religious Education experience greatly.

Equal Opportunities

Religious Education is statutory for all pupils, at all key stages. At St Mary’s CE Middle School we believe that all pupils, regardless of their religion, beliefs, ethnic origin, ability and gender, have equal entitlement to access and experience success in Religious Education.

At St Mary’s CE Middle School we wish to be an inclusive community but recognize that parents, of course, have the legal right to withdraw their children from religious education on the grounds of conscience. We would ask any parent considering this to contact the head teacher to discuss any concerns or anxieties about the policy, provision and practice of religious education at our school.

Assessment and Recording

It is expected that each teacher of Religious Education will be responsible for the regular assessment of his or her pupils through marking work set. Pupils at St Mary’s CE Middle School are formally assessed in Religious Education on several occasions throughout their time with us. Each assessment comes in the form of a written task and is marked, and given a level, according to the Attainment Targets for Religious Education, provided by the Dorset Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education. The level achieved will be used by the co-ordinator to track pupil progress through the school and will be used by the class teacher to ensure that each pupil is set work that is appropriately challenging. These assessments come at the end of the following units:

Year 5: How have Jesus’ followers put his teachings into practice?
Year 6: Are miracles evidence of God?
Year 6: Wearing the Hijab in Europe today
Year 7: What do Sikh and Christian religions teach about equality?
Year 7: What do Christians believe about love, peace and justice?
Year 8: What do Buddhists believe about suffering and tranquility?

Y7 Sikhism