Intent

At Darras Hall Primary the teaching of RE according to the agreed syllabus is approached with the following principles in mind:

• there are no presumptions made as to the religious backgrounds, beliefs and values of the children and staff

• we respect the religious backgrounds of all members of the school community and hope that this will encourage individuals to share their own experiences freely with others

• all religions and their communities are treated with respect and sensitivity and we value the links that can be, and are, made between home, school and a faith community

• we appreciate that each religion studied can contribute to education of all our pupils

• we teach RE in a way that stresses open enquiry and first hand experiences wherever possible for both staff and children.

Implementation

The syllabus is delivered predominantly in half termly units of work as exemplified in the long term overview  for RE. These units ensure progression from EYFS/KS1 to KS2. Where progression is not explicit, objectives and activities have been chosen by staff, with the RE subject leader, to ensure progression.

In accordance with the locally agreed syllabus Christianity was chosen as the main topic for study. Each year pupils are taught five units of Christianity and one unit of another faith. These are detailed in the long term overview for RE . The agreed  syllabus is implemented by means of a wide range of teaching strategies including looking and handling religious artefacts, hearing religious music, tasting food from a religious tradition, using drama to re-enact faith narratives or rituals, meeting members of faith communities and visiting places of worship. 

In addition to the units set out in the locally agreed syllabus the children also have the opportunity to learn about different faith celebrations as they occur throughout the year (e.g. Yuan Tan Chinese New Year ) and different faiths as they encounter them in other areas of the curriculum.  

Wider curriculum

Celebration assemblies also occur on a termly basis and focus on the main religious celebrations throughout the year. Our celebration assemblies aim to raise awareness of the diversity of Darras Hall Primary and give all children a chance to participate in different cultures and religious festivals. This in turn helps to foster a sense of self-awareness, belonging and identity that manifests itself in positive participation in school and community life.