Religious Education

Intent

At Betty Layward our Religious Education curriculum helps to provide pupils with a solid knowledge and understanding of both religious and non-religious festivals, events and beliefs, ways of life and morals of people around the world. By exploring many different cultures and religions, we enable pupils to engage with their community, as well as wider communities. We provide children with the knowledge and understanding to enable them to ask questions, discuss ideas and celebrate together. Our RE curriculum is designed to support children develop positive attitudes and good moral values, as well as a respect for those who do, and don’t choose to follow a religion.

The curriculum allows children to investigate big ideas, providing key talk points and questions, from “what does Diwali teach us about good and evil” in year 1, to “what happens when we die” in year 4, and “what happened to Islam in the Middle Ages” in year 5.  Throughout the children’s time at Betty Layward they will have the chance to visit, and revisit different religions, cultures and concepts; this enables them to build upon their knowledge and grow their understanding as they develop their understanding of themselves, and their thoughts and ideas.

It is important that children feel able to relate to our teaching, whether or not they follow a religion. We work to create mutual respect for all religions, races, and cultures through understanding, questioning and respect.

Implementation

As a school we follow Hackney’s Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education, as agreed by Hackney’s ‘Standing Advisory Council of Religious Education’ (SACRE). At Betty Layward RE is taught in blocks over the final week of every half term, from EYFS right up to year 6. This helps us create a solid understanding of our learning as we immerse ourselves in each topic and allows us to embed our skills over a few days of continuously revisiting the subject. RE Lessons will be delivered by class teachers, with plenty of opportunity for questions and discussion.

Throughout the year we visit and revisit the following areas of learning, which often ties in with religious festivals.  Please see the curriculum overview below.

By visiting and revisiting religions, concepts and values we encourage children to develop their questioning, and think more deeply about the spiritual, ethical, moral and social context of their learning. Pupils have the opportunity to ask ‘why’, ‘how’ and ‘who’, and are able to relate their thinking to a wider range of cultures and religions. As we recap prior knowledge, pupils will feel more able to link their learning; they begin to see similarities and differences between religions, where beliefs originated from, and how they have developed over time.

Impact

Here at Betty Layward our RE curriculum supports pupils in developing a strong sense of self, as well becoming a part the community surrounding them. Through their learning, pupils will be able to discuss religious, cultural, social, emotional, spiritual and moral lessons with those in their classroom, throughout the school, as well as the wider community. We encourage links with our local community through regular events, such as our celebrations of harvest, Christmas, Eid and Diwali, all of which involve pupils, parents, and members of our local religious community. This is a fantastic way to encourage children to reach out and get involved, and explore in real life their values, festivities and celebrations in our wonderfully multicultural borough.