Intent (what is our Religious Education curriculum?)

At Haddenham Community Junior School, we believe that it is important to provide a curriculum that enables our children to have a strong understanding of how RE can play an important role in their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Our RE curriculum aims to develop deep thinkers who are open-minded about religion and worldviews. It is relevant to our pupils; reflecting and preparing them for life in modern Britain. Through the scheme of learning, children will secure a deep understanding of concepts in order to be able to make connections, ask and respond to challenging questions, learn to respect and appreciate worldviews that are different to their own and consider their personal preconceptions, responses and views. 

We know that our relationships with members of our local faith communities can enrich pupils’ experiences in RE and we strive to cultivate and maintain these relationships.

By the end of Key Stage 2, we believe that our children should know about and understand a range of religions and worldviews, so that they can:

• Develop their conceptual knowledge through studying religions and worldviews locally, nationally and globally
  
  

• Create links and connections between worldviews, develop disciplinary skills and build on their understanding of their positionality in relation to their learning
  
  

• Build on prior knowledge by revisiting key ‘big questions’ which enables pupils to learn about how religion and worldviews are lived experiences across the world
  
  

• Consider the impact of worldviews on society and have opportunities to consider their personal worldviews. 

Implementation (how do we deliver this curriculum?)

Our curriculum is based on the Buckinghamshire Agreed Syllabus for RE.  Two statutory attainment targets drive the teaching of RE and are important as RE must be relevant to the children’s own personal development and awareness.

AT1 – Learning about Religion and Belief.

(Enquiring into, investigating and understanding religions and beliefs.)

AT2 – Learning from Religion and Belief.

(Questioning, exploring, reflecting upon and interpreting human experience in the light of religions and beliefs studied). 

The 2022 Buckinghamshire syllabus recommends an ‘enquiry’ method when planning and teaching units of work. At HCJS, we have adopted ‘Kapow’ materials as an approach to deliver the syllabus.

Kapow structures the scheme with the following three strands running through it: 

• Substantive knowledge (conceptual and worldviews related).

• Disciplinary knowledge. 

• Personal knowledge. 

These strands are interwoven across all units to create lessons that build children’s conceptual knowledge and understanding of religion and worldviews (substantive knowledge) and use a range of disciplinary lenses (ways of knowing). Children will also be equipped to explore and express their preconceptions, personal worldviews and positionality (personal knowledge) through varied and engaging learning experiences. 

The Kapow Primary Religion and worldviews scheme follows the spiral curriculum model, where units and lessons are carefully sequenced so that previous conceptual knowledge is returned to and built upon. Children progress by developing and deepening their knowledge and understanding of substantive and disciplinary concepts by experiencing them in a range of contexts. 

Each unit includes overarching ‘big questions’ which will be revisited throughout lower key stage 2 and upper key Stage 2, allowing children to apply the breadth and depth of their learning across various concepts. These ‘big questions’ are: 

• Why are we here? 

• Why do worldviews change? 

• What is religion? 

• How can worldviews be expressed? 

• How do worldviews affect our daily lives? 

• How can we live together in harmony if we have different worldviews?

The following religions and worldviews will be taught and revisited across the year groups within Haddenham Community Junior school:

• Christian

• Jewish

• Buddhist

• Muslim

• Hindu

• Humanist

• Sikh

• Shinto

• Jain

• Bahá’í

• Zoroastrianist.

The teaching of Religious Education lends itself to a variety of teaching styles, all of which are employed as and when appropriate. Pupils could be taught as individuals, as part of a small group, or as part of a whole class. A variety of teaching approaches will be used including discussions, role play, debates, music, writing and art. 

Equality and Inclusion

We ensure that all pupils receive equal access to educational opportunities, regardless of their religious beliefs, gender, race, ability, social background or physical capacity. Care is taken in RE to avoid the reinforcement of negative or stereotypical images and RE aims to celebrate and appreciate cultural diversity through a variety of materials and experiences, in order to reflect the cultural diversities of Britain.

Where special educational needs are identified, teachers will provide such pupils with appropriate opportunities, in line with the requirements of the local authority agreed syllabus.

Impact (how do we measure attainment?)

The impact of Kapow Primary’s scheme can be constantly monitored through assessment opportunities, first-hand observation of how students perform at lesson objective level, drawing on evidence from pupil voice interview, book scrutiny and curriculum reviews. Furthermore, each unit has a unit quiz which can be used at the end of the unit to provide a summative assessment.Collaboratively, this bank of information allows teachers to assess the children robustly and informatively at key assessment points.

The expected impact of following the Kapow Primary Religion and worldviews scheme of work is that children will: 

• Meet the relevant Key stage 2 requirements from the Curriculum framework for Religious Education for England.
  
  

• Know and understand religious concepts relating to beliefs, practices, community and belonging, and wisdom and guidance.
  
  

• Develop an understanding of the influence of organised and personal worldviews on individuals, communities, countries and globally.
  
  

• Understand some of the ways religions and worldviews are studied (disciplinary knowledge).
  
  

• Develop understanding of their relationship with the content studied, being able to talk about their assumptions and preconceptions (personal knowledge).
  
  

• Build secure vocabulary which allows them to talk confidently and fluently about their learning.
  
  

• Answer questions about worldviews through an enquiry-based approach including investigating, interpreting, evaluating, applying and expressing.
  
  

• Talk about the similarities and differences between their own and others’ beliefs with respect and open mindedness.
  
  

• Understand the lived experiences of religious and non-religious worldviews to be diverse within and between people and communities.
  
  

• Develop an understanding of the ways in which personal and organised worldviews may develop and change across time and place.