Nansledan School

Religious Education

Religious Education at Nansledan

Nansledan school provides a Religious Education that inspires, engages and ultimately equips all children with a knowledge and understanding of religions, cultures and beliefs whilst also making connections to their own lives. Through Religious Education we will encourage pupils to develop enquiry skills, ask questions and challenge prejudices whilst also considering and questioning their own worldviews and sense of belonging. Therefore, in this way, RE supports every subject in our STEAM curriculum by developing inquisitive minds that are ready to challenge and question confidently and sensitively whilst also demonstrating inclusivity, respect and compassion allowing our pupils to flourish throughout their academic years and in to the future.

Through our Religious Education at Nansledan, we aim to:

Provide high quality Religious Education that can be accessed by all pupils.
Deliver a Religious Education that inspires, engages and challenges pupils.
Enthusiastically explore different religions, beliefs, traditions and practices.
Make connections between the pupils own beliefs and the beliefs of others.
Equip learners with the knowledge and skills to ask and answer challenging questions.
Enable pupils to combat prejudice, live well with others and build a sense of identity and belonging.
Teach RE using enquiry and first-hand experiences wherever possible.

RE in our EYFS classrooms:

RE is incorporated within 'Knowledge and Understanding of the World' and it teaches the children about similarities and differences in relation to places and objects. They learn about similarities and differences between themselves and others, and among families, communities and traditions. RE is also taught under the stand: 'Personal, Social and Emotional Development' when children are given the opportunity to learn how to sensitively take account of one another’s ideas, beliefs and needs. Our EYFS children talk about how they and others show feelings, talk about their own and others’ behaviour, and its consequences, and know that some behaviour is unacceptable.

RE in KS1:

Children begin to recall and name different beliefs and main festivals associated with religions. Children can recognise different religious symbols, their relevance for individuals and how they feature in festivals.
Children begin to explore daily practices and rituals of religions, identifying religious practices and recognising that some are featured in more than one religion. Children begin to reflect on their own experiences of attending ceremonies.
Children explore a range of sources of wisdom and the traditions from which they come. They can suggest some meanings to religious stories. Children begin to recognise different symbols and how they express a community’s way of life.
Children look at how an appreciation of religion plays an important role in the lives of some people. They make links to expressing identity and belonging and what is important to them.
Children look at and appreciate how many people’s values are an important aspect of their lives. Children look at religious stories to understand actions and consequences. Children begin to make connections to their own lives, looking at their own actions and consequences and choices they can make

RE in Lower KS2:

Children further explore how an appreciation of religion plays an important role in the lives of some people. They make links to expressing identity and belonging, including links to communities they may belong to. They notice and respond sensitively to different views.
Children develop their appreciation of the ways in which people’s values are an important aspect of their lives. They make links to responsibility and citizenship and choices they make affecting their lives. Children begin to understand the concept of shared values and how a community can use shared values.
Children can describe the key beliefs and teachings of the religions studied, making some comparisons between religions. Children expand on their knowledge of world religions from KS1.
Moving on from KS1, children look at the concepts of belonging, identity and meaning. Children understand what belonging to a religion might look like, through practices and rituals, and what it might involve. Children begin to discuss and present thoughtfully their own and others’ views. Children also explore pilgrimages as a part of a religious life.
Children explore the expression of beliefs through books, scriptures, art and other important means of communication. Children then move on to exploring a range of beliefs, symbols and actions to express meaning. Children can explain the meaning of religious stories and sources of wisdom and the traditions from which they come.

RE in Upper KS2:

Children can explain how beliefs and teachings can make contributions to the lives of individuals and communities. Children can compare the key beliefs and teachings of various religions, using appropriate language and vocabulary and demonstrating respect and tolerance.
Children look further at the concepts of belonging, identity and meaning. They understand how certain features of religion make a difference to individuals and communities. Children also explore the rituals and ceremonies which mark important points in life. Moving on from LKS2, children will have the opportunity to explore non-religious ways of life.
Children continue to explore the expression of beliefs through books, scriptures, art and any other important means of communication, as in LKS2. Children then move on to exploring a range of beliefs, symbols and actions so they can understand different ways of life and expressing meaning. Children can explain meaning of religious stories, sources of wisdom and the traditions from which they come.
Children continue to develop their understanding how an appreciation of religion plays an important role in the lives of some people. They make links to expressing identity and belonging, and notice and respond sensitively to different views. Children can then discuss and apply their own and others’ ideas about ethical questions, including ideas about what is right and wrong and what is just and fair.
Children continue to develop their appreciation of the ways in which people’s values are an important aspect of their lives. They make links to responsibility and citizenship.
Children begin to understand the concept of shared values and how a community can use shared values. Moving on from their previous learning, children begin to strengthen their capacity for moral judgements.

Our Religious Education Curriculum is high quality, well thought out and is planned to demonstrate progression. The Implementation of the School’s programme of study for RE from EYFS through to Year 6 is in accordance with ‘The Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education in Cornwall 2020.’ The syllabus is implemented in school through a sensory approach, where children may look at and handle religious artefacts, hear religious music or taste food from a religious tradition.

All religions and their communities are treated with respect and sensitivity and we value the links that can be made between home, school and a faith community. We acknowledge that each religion studied can contribute to the education of all our pupils.