RE Vision Statement

“We are all equal in the fact that we are all different. We are all the same in the fact that we will never be the same. We are united by the reality that all colours and all cultures are distinct and individual.”

C.JoyBell.C

A Stoke Park RE pupil will:

• explore what it means to live a religious life
• reflect on their own experiences
• engage intellectually with the experience of others
• develop a broad and balanced worldview
• be inspired and discover what matters to them

Intent:

At Stoke Park Junior School we aim to develop an understanding of what it means to live a religious life and what this may offer in leading one’s life, both for the individual and for the collective. The children will engage intellectually with the beliefs, practices and ‘ways of being’ that characterise a religious life, or one that is informed by a non-religious or other perspective.

In reflecting on both their own experience and the experiences of others, RE at Stoke Park Junior School aims to educate children as they come to speak, think and act in the world. Through a rich and inspiring curriculum the children are encouraged to develop a broad and balanced world view, with an emphasis on tolerance and mutual respect.

RE at Stoke Park Junior School is grounded in the children’s own concrete experience and in this way we acknowledge and celebrate the diversity of experiences that the children will bring. We hope that over time, RE will help our children discern what matters to them as individuals and as global citizens.

Implementation

At Stoke Park Junior School we follow the Hampshire Agreed Syllabus for RE, Living Difference IV. Using the guidelines within the syllabus and working closely with Stoke Park Infant School, we have developed a broad and balanced progression of skills and knowledge for our RE curriculum. By the end of Year 6, children will have encountered, studied and had the opportunity to discern value from the lives of people practising Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism and Humanism. We aim to inspire and enrich the children’s understanding through first-hand experiences, visitors, inquiry, debate, art, music, history, literature, dance and drama.

Each half term pupils will study one unit of RE, either weekly or as a block, with a minimum of 45 hours coverage. These units are planned to ensure there is a breadth and progression across the school. Each unit has a focus on one of three ‘concepts’; concepts common to all people, concepts shared by many religions or concepts distinctive to particular religions. Our golden thread key concept words are belonging, community, special and love. Within each of the units, we will follow a cycle of enquiry; communicate, apply, enquire, contextualise and evaluate. These steps offer a secure process for pupils to reflect on their own experiences and engage intellectually with the experiences of others in order to discern value and meaning that can be applied to their own life and what matters to them as an individual.

We value the religious and non-religious backgrounds of all members of the school community and encourage individuals to share their own experiences with others freely; celebrating diversity, tolerance and mutual respect. We value the links which can be made between home, school, and the local community and hope to develop these further. St Paul’s, the local church, provides opportunities for the children to visit and gain first hand experiences as well as regularly visiting our school for ‘Open the Book’ assemblies.

Impact

At Stoke Park Junior School, children participate in thoughtful and engaging RE lessons, with a broad range of cross-curricular activities that inspire, challenge their thinking and engage them intellectually. They become confident in reflecting on their own experiences and the experiences of others and in doing so they are able to make meaning for themselves as individuals and the world they live in. In learning about other religions and cultures, they are able to develop a broad and balanced worldview that is based on tolerance and mutual respect. Our RE curriculum will educate and prepare the children as they come to speak, think and act in the world.

Withdrawal from RE Learning

Parents may request that their child is withdrawn from Religious Education lessons. Where parents are wishing to exercise this right, we would suggest that a meeting is held between the Headship team and the school to discuss concerns. If the issue cannot be resolved satisfactorily, parents need to apply to the Governing Body in writing to withdraw their child from Religious Education. As such, an alternative provision will be provided to engage children during this time. We are supportive of the variety of beliefs that make up our school community.

Hampshire Agreed Syllabus: Living Difference IV

https://documents.hants.gov.uk/childrens-services/HIAS/living-difference-IV-20 21.pdf