Curriculum Intent 

At Holy Trinity we aim to create a culture of wellbeing and nuture; a place where children can explore who they are and what matters to them. Through the teaching of Religious Education, we aim to ensure that every child will;

-have a strong sense of their own identity and their journey in life

-respect themselves and others

-value differences as well as similarities

-stand up and speak out for what is right

We aim to provide children the opportunity to develop, build and master their knowledge and understanding of their beliefs. They will show knowledge of previous learning and build and develop new skills and knowledge to show progression. We enable children to make links to their own lives and other beliefs by understanding the distinctive nature of religion within human experience.

At Holy Trinity, we believe that RE helps pupils to develop a knowledge and understanding of other religions and world views found in the United Kingdom. Pupils learn from religions and world views about different ways of life in local, national and global contexts. It enables and encourages pupils to appreciate the way in which religious beliefs can shape personal and social life and contribute to personal morality and social responsibility. RE helps children to develop and articulate their personal beliefs, ideas, values and experiences, whilst respecting the views of others.

Implementation 

At Holy Trinity we deliver the ‘Manchester Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education 2022-2027’. This syllabus continues in the tradition of ensuring that RE is responsive to the changing nature of schools and education. The main religions of Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism are taught, and revisited, through age groups from Years 1 to 6. We aim for every child to understand the key principles of each religion and know how these impact on daily life. In Early Years, during children’s exploration of Understanding the world, children discuss who Christians are and explore other faiths as part of their growing sense of self, community, and place within it. The children will discover where they belong and which people and places are special to them.

RE is planned and taught weekly, with teachers making links where possible with other curriculum areas. When planning, teachers use our nurture approach and make key links to our values system to ensure children can reflect on what matters to them.  We have identified the key skills and knowledge (our Age-Related Expectations) which are allocated to year groups so that new learning builds on that of previous years and progression is achieved.

The overview of RE curriculum planning has been organised in year groups to inform staff of the topics to teach in different Years and Key Stages. The plans and objectives follow our schools Age Related Expectations (ARE) and enable progression and consistency throughout the school. The whole-school age-related expectations and planning in years groups ensures that prior knowledge and skills are revisited and built on as children progress through the school. The RE Curriculum overview can provide clear ideas for the following the academic year.

In RE, pupils are informed how they are doing and what they must do next to make progress. Children are able to talk and discuss their thoughts using key questioning. Teachers document the children’s learning in class Electronic Floor Books. Teachers’ assess the key skills and knowledge against our Age-Related Expectations and document this visually in the Floor Book.  All children are given the opportunity to access the curriculum at their level and are provided with the resources required to enhance their understanding. They are given opportunities to discuss their ideas and beliefs. If progress is not being made, support is immediate and steps provided to ensure all pupils achieve and make progress.

Impact

At Holy Trinity we believe a deeper understanding of each other’s beliefs promotes a greater sense of community cohesion by promoting mutual respect and tolerance in a diverse society. These principles of our RE teachings are carried throughout the entire curriculum and form the basis of our ethos. We firmly believe that a meaningful RE curriculum is the key to children becoming confident, tolerant and well-rounded adults with an understanding of respect and social responsibility.

-Children will enter the world with a well- rounded knowledge of all key religions.

-Children will have a stronger awareness of the world around them and will be mindful of the beliefs of others.

-Children will be more knowledgeable about what people believe and what difference it makes to how they live and can make sense of religion, reflecting on their own ideas and ways of living.

-Children will build up tolerance and acceptance.

-Children will feel they are valued as individuals and that their beliefs are valued and celebrated.

-Children will feel safe to learn new things and share their beliefs with others in an accepting environment.

-Children will develop a religious vocabulary and interpret religious symbolism in a variety of forms.

-Enjoyment of the R.E. curriculum will promote creativity, achievement, confidence and inquisitive minds.

-Children leave the school with a sense of belonging to a diverse community where they have the confidence and skills to make decisions, self-evaluate, make connections and become lifelong learners.