Religious Education
INTENT
Our RE curriculum is designed to ensure children gain a sound understanding of different beliefs, worldviews, faiths and their practices. RE lessons across the school develop this knowledge whilst also encouraging respect for others’ cultures and beliefs, and celebrating our wonderfully diverse Fircroft Family. In keeping with our value of Community, we have established and continue to broaden our links with local places of worship and members of local faith groups so children learn about the diverse and fast-changing population of their local area.
IMPLEMENTATION
At Fircroft, RE is part of a broad and balanced curriculum which promotes children’s spiritual, moral and cultural development. The curriculum has been designed using the local authority’s agreed syllabus and it is planned and sequenced so that children learn objectives through a thematic approach which develops deep, lasting learning and builds upon prior knowledge.
RE Knowledge Progression 2024-2025
In EYFS and Key Stage One, lessons focus on themes such as important stories, objects and celebrations. In Key Stage Two, children then move on to learn about specific religions and their beliefs and practices. This allows learning to be revisited at different points across the school. To ensure coverage and quality, we teach RE through special, half termly RE focus days.
EYFS – Children learn about different celebrations such as Diwali, Christmas, Easter and Eid. They listen to stories that are important to people and they explore the people, places and things that are considered precious.
Year 1 & 2 – Children start the year by exploring what ‘Belonging’ means and how this is represented in community and religious groups. They build on previous learning by exploring festivals that people celebrate, important relationships, how we change and grow and what a promise is. Children also learn about what worship is and what this might entail for different faiths
Year 3 & 4 – Children begin the year by exploring ‘Belonging’, building on prior learning from Year 1 and 2. They move on to learn how Christmas is celebrated and what the bible is and its teachings. In Year 3 children will learn about what Hindus believe about God and the world, whilst in Year 4, they learn about Buddhism and who Buddha was. They will also explore what ‘ummah’ means in Islam and the Jewish beliefs about God and the Torah.
Year 5 & 6 – Children begin the year by exploring what humanism and its key beliefs are. Throughout the year, children learn about key aspects of Christianity, Islam and Judaism, building on prior learning such as the gospel stories, the five pillars of Islam and comparing and contrasting how the message of Christmas has changed over time. In Year 5 children learn about the Gurus in Sikhism, whilst in Year 6 they explore worldviews in RE.
IMPACT
Our RE curriculum is carefully sequenced to ensure children are able to build on their prior learning.
In addition, we check children have understood and can recall prior learning by:
- Contributions to class and peer discussions
- Reflecting on prior themes and talking about what they have learnt
- Looking at evidence in class RE ‘floor books’
- ‘Sharing sessions’ with SLT and subject leaders: a selection of children from each class show their class ‘floor books’ and talk about their RE learning.