Religious Education

Intent

RE stands for Religious Education and is very closely linked to SMSC. At Asquith Primary we follow "Believing and Belonging in West Yorkshire." This is the agreed syllabus for Religious Education in Leeds.

It states that: "Human beings have two polar instincts: a hard-wired fear of difference, perceiving the ‘other’ as a threat, fuelling resentment, hatred and division; and its antithesis, a profound emotional capacity for empathy, sensing the hurts, hopes and joys of other individuals and communities. In this paradox lies hope. If RE can support the nurture of empathy, it will also help young people to celebrate common humanity, rather than being lured into a cul-de-sac of hatred, anger and division. Well-prepared and challenging RE will help to inspire young people to learn from others and discover the value of empathy. This syllabus will provide a framework to explore the rich heritage of faiths and beliefs but also the opportunity to develop critical and reflective skills that will support each student in discovering their own journey of purpose and meaning."

Implementation

Our curriculum follows Believing and Belonging: The Local Agreed Syllabus for RE in Calderdale, Kirklees and Leeds, 2019. It is planned and sequenced to develop deep, lasting learning and builds upon prior knowledge, which our children can use today, tomorrow and for the rest of their lives.

During each Key Stage, pupils are taught knowledge, skills and understanding through learning about Christianity and Islam through KS1, adding Sikhism, and Judaism in KS2. Each unit of work identifies prior learning and shows how this is built upon.

The following skills are used, in order to strengthen and deepen the understanding and knowledge taught: investigating, reflecting, recalling and retelling, exploring, discussing and empathising. Children can discuss and compare the lives of people they have studied from a variety of different religions.

Attitudes which are fundamental to RE are: curiosity and wonder, commitment, fairness, respect, self- understanding, open-mindedness, critical mindedness and enquiry. These work alongside the SMSC links and British Values implemented within school as a whole.

We have strong links to St. Peter’s in Morley and work closely with their Associate Leader, who has come into school to deliver some of our RE lessons. Visits to places of worship, and visitors representing different religions provide a variety of first-hand experiences for our children, to spark their interest and relate new learning to their own experience. (These have been affected by COVID and lockdown restrictions, however, we have recently reconnected with several buildings of worship and are looking forward to planning more trips and visits.)