Intent

The religious education curriculum is designed to reflect the diversity of our school. Through learning about major religions and philosophies, children are able to develop a critical and respectful understanding of important religious and moral issues. We believe that quality-first RE teaching can help to instil children with a better and more holistic understanding of modern British values, such as diversity, tolerance and respect. At Thomas Fairchild we believe strongly in the importance of developing children’s appreciation of how different religious beliefs have helped to shape the society and communities in which we live.

Implementation

The implementation of religious education at Thomas Fairchild is concerned with the six major world religions: Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, Judaism and Buddhism. Children learn about each religion over the course of the academic year. This allows the children to build on their previous learning, as they move from one school year to the next. There are no presumptions made as to the religious backgrounds and values of the children and staff, and we therefore ensure that all children receive the same experience of religious education during their time at our school.

Impact

We use a number of different strategies to assess the impact of religious education. Teachers use varied and robust forms of formative assessment to track progress throughout a topic. These low stakes assessment methods allow children the opportunity to reflect on their learning and develop their understanding. Regular monitoring of books, planning and pupils’ voice ensure the standard of religious education teaching remains consistently high.

Enrichment

Children are given many enriching opportunities as part of the wider religious education curriculum. Trips to places of worship, as well as visits from religious leaders, provide the children with a wealth of experience and opportunities, which complement and support the learning which takes place in class.