RE

It is our intent at Lillington Primary School that all children leave with a deep knowledge of the six principle religions whilst appreciating that many people hold secular views also. We intend to enable pupils, through RE, to develop their knowledge and skills to prepare them for life in a modern, diverse Britain and in a plural world. Our school ethos of developing respectful, resilient, responsible and reflective learners provides the guiding principles for how we implement this vision.

The principle intent of RE:

To engage pupils in systematic enquiry into significant human questions which religion and worldviews address, so that they can develop the understanding and skills needed to appreciate and appraise varied responses to these questions as well as develop responses of their own.

We share our intent with the children using the following statement:

In RE we are exploring big questions about life and finding out what people believe and what difference this makes to how they live. It’s a chance for you to think about your own ideas and beliefs too.

We used the RE Agreed Syllabus for schools in Coventry and Warwickshire to design our curriculum. We ensure that our curriculum in its implementation is relevant to and enhanced by the school community and local area. We seek to promote strong links with the local places of worship and religious organisations. Parents and carers are also invited to become involved in our RE learning and children are encouraged to share their beliefs and experiences with their peers and younger children. Being close to Coventry and linked to Coventry schools through our MAT an importance is also placed on themes of peace and reconciliation.

We use ‘Big Questions’ to challenge and engage children to develop their communication and debating skills alongside their knowledge and to apply what they have learnt to their own lives. Themes of Believing, Living and Expressing are explored. The ‘Big Questions’ link through different threads and are planned to build children’s knowledge and skills as they progress through each Key Stage.

Through assessment we ensure that every child achieves their potential in RE; those few pupils who find learning in RE challenging are identified and supported as appropriate. Children working at Greater Depth within RE are identified and are supported to deepen their learning through the use of challenging learning outcomes as suggested in the Syllabus.

Living and growing up in the world of the 21st century will challenge pupils and RE is important to help them make informed choices about how they want to live their lives whilst also understanding more about the faith of other people they meet. RE is relevant to all.