RE at Hawthorn

 
 At Hawthorn Primary School, it is our intent for the Religious Education element of our curriculum to engage and challenge pupils, giving them the confidence and ability to explore and question a range of different religions and world faiths along with their values, traditions and beliefs. Embedded within this, we promote mutual respect and encourage the children to develop an awareness for these individuals, communities, cultures and societies. As well as helping them learn about the world around them, we feel it is important for our children to gain an appreciation for these religions as they are growing up in an ever growing and changing multi-cultural society. 

Additionally, Religious Education at our school significantly contributes towards the growth of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, which we believe at Hawthorn, encourages open mindedness, nurtured the children and prepares them for adult life. 

Please see below a break down of what is taught and covered in each of our Key Stages. By the end of a child’s journey at Hawthorn, they will have learnt, to varying degrees, about different aspects of the six world religions, drawing comparisons along the way to other worldviews and faiths. 

 

Foundation Stage

The SACRE says that “in the EYFS stage, children will encounter religions and worldviews through special people, books, times, places and objects, and by visiting places of worship. They will listen to and talk about stories as well as engage in a mixture of adult-led and child-initiated activities.” Children will begin their journey with RE by learning about aspects of it through five strands, including:

1. Communication and Language

2. Personal, Social and Emotional Development

3. Understanding of the World

4. Expressive Arts and Design

5. Literacy and Mathematics

 

Key Stage One 

In Key Stage One, pupils will develop their knowledge and understanding of religions and worldviews, recognising their local, national and global contexts. They will use basic subject-specific vocabulary. They will raise questions and begin to express their own views in response to the material they learn about and in response to questions about their ideas. Key Stage One children will primarily study Christianity and Islam in Year 1 and Judaism and Islam in Year 2. Children will explore the same ‘requirements’ in both year groups however content will differ owing to the different religions studied and learning and knowledge will be built upon as progress will be evident from the child moving between year groups.

 
 
 

Key Stage Two

In Key Stage Two, pupils will extend their knowledge and understanding of religions and worldviews, recognising their local, national and global contexts. They will be encouraged to be curious and to ask increasingly challenging questions about religion, belief, values and human life. Pupils will learn to express their own ideas in response to the material they engage with, identifying relevant information, selecting examples and giving reasons to support their ideas and views. Key Stage Two children will study different religions in each year group, see below:

Year 3 - Christianity and Sikhism

Year 4 - Hinduism and Sikhism

Year 5 - Christianity and Buddhism 

Year 6 - Islam and Buddhism

Class 7 - age appropriate content for the level of learning at the time of teaching. 

Like Key Stage One, the same requirements are taught in all year groups however this will be differentiated according to ability and progress will be evident as children move up the school. The level of skill and challenge will increase the older the child is.