Intent 

The National Curriculum states that every school must offer a broad and balanced curriculum which promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils which prepares pupils at the school for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life. In terms of R.E, at Anthony Bek we believe that children should be given the chance to consider big questions about life, to find out what people believe and how that affects the way they live, in order to make sense of religion and worldviews, reflecting on their own thoughts, ideas and way of living. 

Implementation

At Anthony Bek, we follow the Derbyshire and Derby City Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education.

Parents and Carers have the right to withdraw their child from any/all RE lessons. Please speak to the Headteacher if you wish to discuss this. The R.E syllabus sets a key question for each unit of learning, these are categorised into Believing (religious beliefs, teaching and sources; questions about meaning, purpose or truth), Expressing (Religious and spiritual forms of expression; questions about identity and diversity) and Living (religious practices and ways of living; questions about values and commitments). 

As the children progress through school they discover these aspects of learning, then explore them before connecting together towards the end of their primary education. 

Impact

We usually have a variety of Religious Education experiences.

We have a close link with members from our local Church - St Michael's Church in Pleasley. At the moment, the local church is closed so we often hold religious celebrations in school. Reverend Karen often visits for assemblies and important events. Recently, we have raised money for St Michael's church which will support them in raising funds for the church roof. 

Religious Education in Early Years

Although R.E is non-statutory in Nursery, our youngest pupils are still given the opportunity to explore ideas surrounding special people and times, different celebrations and cultures and special stories from different religions through play, circle times and songs. They also work closely with our Reception pupils to share ideas and learning opportunities which helps them to explore these ideas further when they reach Reception age.

When our children reach Reception they begin to explore R.E through the Derbyshire Agreed Syllabus. An example of our long term plan is given below, however we are flexible and tailor our learning to compliment both relevant celebrations and the backgrounds and beliefs of our pupils.

Religious Education in Key Stage 1

In key stage 1, our pupils are given the opportunity to develop their knowledge further and begin to broaden their understanding of religion and world views. The children will use basic subject specific vocabulary and begin to raise questions about their learning. They will also be encouraged to express their own views in response to what they have learnt. An example of our long term plan is below: 

Religious Education in Key Stage 2

R.E in Key Stage 2 is working towards extending the pupils knowledge and understanding of religions and world views. They are introduced to a wider range of resources and subject specific vocabulary and are encouraged to be curious and ask challenging questions about religion, belief, values and human life. The pupils learn to express their own ideas in response to what they are exploring and learning. An example of the long term plans for both lower Key Stage 2 and upper Key stage 2 are below:

Diwali Day

Our EYFS and Key Stage 1 pupils enjoyed a day filled with fantastic opportunities to explore the Hindu festival of Diwali. We made diva lamps and lanterns, retold the story of 'Rama & Sita', explored Mendhi art and even got to take part in some dance workshops. Have a look at all of our fabulous learning below!