RE

​

Intent

​

At Thurcroft Infants School we believe that it is important for all our children to learn from and about religion, so that they can understand the world around them. The aim of Religious Education in our school is to help children to acquire and develop knowledge and understanding of Christianity and Judaism and to develop some awareness of other religions represented within the school, wider community and Great Britain. RE will enable children to appreciate the way that religious beliefs shape life and behaviour, develop the ability to make reasoned and informed judgements about religious and moral issues and enhance their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

RE plays an important role, along with all other curriculum areas, particularly PSHCE, in promoting social awareness and understanding within our children. We encourage our children to ask questions about the world and to reflect on their own beliefs, values and experiences. We include and teach British Values, ensuring that children are aware of their rights and responsibilities as UK citizens and to promote diversity, tolerance and respect.

As part of our Curriculum Drivers, the RE Curriculum at Thurcroft School is designed to promote a healthy self-esteem where children views, opinions and beliefs are valued and celebrated. Through RE we aim to widen children’s experiences and knowledge of the world around them in order to open their eyes to all the possibilities ahead of them. We will use a range of resources including story books and non-fiction/text books; thus exposing children to a wider and richer use and understanding of vocabulary and increasing their general knowledge to make sense of the world in which they live.

Religious Education within our school promotes discernment and enables children to combat prejudice, preparing them for adult life, employment and life-long learning.

 Implementation

​

Thurcroft Infants School teaches RE from the Rotherham Agreed Syllabus. It is the legal basis for RE in Rotherham: RE is locally determined, so Local Authority schools which implement the syllabus will be teaching what the law requires and fulfilling their statutory duty with regard to RE. It is a legal requirement for children to have opportunities to learn about the principal religions in the UK whilst they are at school. In Rotherham this means schools plan to teach about:

KS1: Christianity + Islam

Early Years Foundation Stage: The learning outcomes are referenced to Christianity and as appropriate to a range of other beliefs and cultures.

​​​​​​​​​​

Christian ideas and attitudes enter most areas of school life. There are no presumptions made as to the religious backgrounds and beliefs and values of the children and the staff.  We value the religious background of all members of the school community and hope that this will encourage individuals to share their own experiences with others freely.  All religions and their communities are treated with respect and sensitivity and we value the links between home and our wider school community.

A daily act of collective worship also takes place and throughout the year, during special times within the Christian calendar, assemblies are conducted by the local vicar both in school and at the local parish church. Classes may visit the local church as part of specific units within the RE curriculum.

We use a range of teaching and learning styles, including activities such as discussion, role-play, religious stories, games, circle-time, problem-solving activities, use of artefacts and outdoor learning. At Thurcoft Infants School, children are informed about a variety of religious festivals that take place throughout the year to demonstrate how people with different religious beliefs live, celebrate and worship alongside each other.

​

​​