'Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe.'

Saint Augustine

INTENT

Religious Education at Witherley CE Primary School seeks to develop children’s understanding about world religions and cultures.  As a Christian school, we aim to help pupils to acquire a rich, deep knowledge and understanding of Christian beliefs and practices, including the ways in which it is unique and diverse. We also learn about other world faiths to ensure our children are able to have a deep, meaningful and respectful understanding of others.

Through our Religious Education curriculum, we aim:

• to engage pupils in enquiring into and exploring questions arising from the study of religion and belief, so as to promote their personal, spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.
• to provide learners with knowledge and understanding of Christianity, as well as a range of other religions and worldviews appreciating diversity, continuity and change within the religions and worldviews being studied.
• to develop their understanding of the ways in which beliefs influence people in their behaviour, practices and outlook.
• to enable learners to become aware of their own beliefs and values and to have a positive attitude to the search for meaning and purpose in life.
• to encourage learners to develop a positive attitude towards other people who hold religious beliefs different from their own.
• to recognise the concept of religion and its continuing influence on Britain’s cultural heritage.

IMPLEMENTATION

RE at Witherley is a hugely important part of the curriculum.  It is taught through the use of Understanding Christianity and the Leicestershire Agreed RE Syllabus.  Roughly two thirds of our curriculum focuses on Christianity and the other third looks at Islam, Judaism or Hinduism.  In Upper Key Stage 2, we also consider other religions and non-religious world views, for example Humanism. 

Our approach to teaching Christianity builds up pupils’ encounters with biblical concepts through texts, placing them within the wider Bible story. We explore in depth the beliefs, practices, symbols and actions of Christianity through core concepts including God, Creation, The Fall, People of God, Incarnation, Gospel, Salvation and the Kingdom of God.  The children encounter these core concepts throughout each key stage allowing them to develop their wider religious, theological and cultural literacy.

The children further develop their understanding of RE through visits to places of worship, guest speakers and workshops. From 2021-22, we also plan to have a whole-school RE Day annually which aims to foster close working relationships across key stages and further develop an area of learning from the curriculum.

Information about how we teach RE at Witherley can be found in the following documents:

IMPACT

By the time the children at Witherley leave our school, they will be able to:

• Talk confidently about their beliefs, morals and cultural development for the society in which they live and be able to ask and answer questions about religion with informed opinions.
• Show respect, tolerance and understanding for all those around them including themselves. Produce high quality work showcasing a deep understanding of the main religions of the world, their community and their future.
• Demonstrate their understanding of religion through use of the correct vocabulary, explanations and respectful opinions, as well as cross-curricular evidence, for example religious and cultural art work, drama, craft and presentations.

Religious Education is monitored through a variety of methods to ensure that the children are progressing throughout the school. This is achieved through book looks, pupil voice and regular assessment.  The overall impact will be seen by all teachers and children enjoying the experience of teaching and learning RE and understanding how it can help them in their future.

What do our children have to say about RE?

"We like learning about sharing, forgiveness, peace and friendship in RE."  Lydia Y1, Isobel Y2 and Erin Y2

"I love finding out about other religions, cultures and beliefs and how peoples' lives are different to ours." Rosie. Y6

"I love going on visits and meeting people from different religions." Stanley, Y6 

"It's fun visiting church and finding out what all the different parts are." Arthur and Freya, Y1

BRITISH VALUES DAY JUNE 2023

The whole school took part in a British Values Day. We started the day with an assembly, where we learnt about the four British Values that are so important in our society today.  Then each class looked at a different value in detail and we shared our knowledge at the end of the day.  

• Explorers Class looked at Individual Liberty 
• Pathfinders Class looked at Democracy
• Adventurers Class looked at Tolerance and Respect for Others
• Navigators Class looked at the Rule of Law

We all completed different activities relating to our value and had an interesting time sharing what we had learnt.  

In Explorers we develop our religious ideas, thoughts and feelings through PSED, Understanding the World and our RE syllabus. 
We learn to value ourselves and show sensitivity towards others. Our families and friends are important to us. We understand that places, such as our church, are important. We are also beginning to recognise that different people have different beliefs and celebrate special times in different ways. 

We love to visit the church as it is a special place. We love the peace and quiet that we find there. Every time we visit we have a moment or 2 of quiet. We also visit the Wednesday coffee morning to share our songs (eat the refreshments!) and have a chat! We have found out about each special place in the church and have had the opportunity to explore and ask lots of questions.