Religious Education

Religious Education Leader: Mrs Marsden

Vision

At Hinchliffe Mill we are guided by our core values:

To be honest

To communicate clearly

To be respectful

To have confidence

To embrace responsibility

To support one another

To have resilience in all we do

These values shape our vision for our Religious Education curriculum and  promotes our commitment to nurturing well – rounded, confident individuals who have an understanding of the wider world around them and are equipped with this knowledge as they fledge and fly high to the next stage of their school life.

To be honest: Pupils are taught to  show honesty in Religious Education by expressing their true thoughts and feelings when discussing religious topics, even if their views differ from others.

To communicate clearly: Our RE curriculum emphasises the importance of clear and effective communication. Whether listening to others, discussing ideas or presenting work, pupils learn to articulate their thoughts with respect and confidence, fostering an environment of mutual respect and understanding.

To be respectful: Religious Education fosters respect for the traditions, beliefs and practices of others. We teach our pupils to approach religious and non-religious worldviews with respect, both for the subject itself and for their fellow learners. We value collaboration, teamwork, and a respectful exchange of ideas in our Religious Education community.

To have confidence: We empower our pupils to become confident thinkers and learners. We provide them with the skills and knowledge to explore and understand religious and non-religious worldviews on their own, instilling confidence in their abilities and fostering a sense of self-reliance.

To embrace responsibility: Our curriculum encourages pupils to embrace responsibility by reflecting on how religious and non-religious teachings might apply to their own lives. Pupils learn to respect others’ opinions and promote kindness and empathy to one another.

To support one another: Our pupils are encouraged to  support one another in RE by listening attentively to others when their thoughts are being shared. They collaborate on projects and share resources helping each other understand religious concepts in a way that makes learning more enjoyable for everyone.

To have resilience in all we do: The path to understanding religion and worldviews is often filled with challenges. We teach our pupils the importance of resilience and persistence in the face of these challenges. We believe that encountering and overcoming misunderstandings and difficulties is a valuable part of the learning process, and we encourage our pupils to view setbacks as opportunities for growth.

       Our vision is to cultivate learners who are not only knowledgeable about Religious Education but who also embody these values. We aim to develop            learners who:

• show honesty in their exploration of world views
• can clearly communicate their understanding of religious and non-religious teachings
• who are respectful of diverse beliefs
• have the confidence to explore world wide religious and non-religious views
• support each other and who are well-prepared for a future where religious literacy and sensitivity to diversity are essential
• show resilience in the face of challenges

Implementation

Long Term Plans:

Welcome to the Religious Education at Hinchliffe Mill Junior and Infant School, where our long-term overviews have been planned to bring the richness and diversity of global faiths, beliefs, and worldviews to every child. Through this journey, we aim to nurture understanding, respect, and empathy, fostering a lifelong appreciation for the diverse religious and cultural landscape of our world. Long Term Plans can be found below.

Medium Term Plans:

Medium Term Plans are carefully sequenced  to meet the structure of our complex mixed-age classes. Our six pathways are revisited throughout a child's school life, with substantive knowledge continually developed. Mapped out is the disciplinary knowledge amongst key phases to ensure that all outcomes from each lesson are age-appropriate and enhance the learning experience.

Based on the Kirklees RE Agreed Syllabus (2024-29) 'Believing and Belonging', our plans emphasise the six learning pathways outlined in the syllabus:

1. The Nature of Religion and Belief: Exploring the diversity and evolution of religious beliefs and practices, acknowledging the potential for debate and creative development.
2. Expressing Belief: Understanding the varied ways in which people convey their deepest beliefs, through both verbal and non-verbal forms such as art, music, and literature.
3. A Good Life: Investigating how religious and non-religious communities define moral behaviour and strive to live according to their understanding of a good life, including points of agreement and disagreement.
4. Personal Journey: Reflecting on the deeply felt experiences that shape individual beliefs and can transform lives, including the formation of new religions or worldviews.
5. Influence and Authority: Examining how religious and non-religious communities shape societies and cultures, influencing traditions, laws, values, and more.
6. The Big Picture: Addressing the grand narratives of religions and worldviews that seek to answer fundamental questions about the universe and humanity.

These pathways ensure a coherent and sequential learning experience, building a rich and profound knowledge of religions and worldviews. As your child engages in these lessons, they embark on a collaborative and empowering educational journey, building confidence, deepening understanding, and developing a genuine respect for the diversity of beliefs and practices around them.

What adjustments are made to ensure that learning is accessible to all pupils?

Planning identifies areas for support for all pupils with additional needs and differentiation of outcomes, resources and tasks are in place so that all pupils can meet the desired learning outcomes for the lesson and unit of work.  This supports our mixed age classes to ensure that challenge and support is present as part of their learning diet.

Impact

We measure  pupils' skills and knowledge against our own curriculum design, ensuring clarity in what and how pupils are learning on a day-to-day basis.

To measure the impact of our teaching and learning for each child, we focus on three key areas of assessment:

• Substantive Knowledge: What do they know and understand about religious education?
• Disciplinary Knowledge: What skills have they learned in exploring religious concepts and practices?
• Personal Knowledge: How has religious education shaped their personal views and expressions?

Each unit of work is developed through careful curriculum planning, allowing pupils to make progress through key stages of learning: Remembering, Understanding, Applying, Analysing, Evaluating, and Creating.

As pupils advance through these stages, teachers conduct formative assessments to build a  picture of each pupil's progress.

At the end of each unit, teachers make a summative assessment based on these key stages. Our exemplar planning, supporting the syllabus, uses a mastery model including:

• Expected Standard: Pupils meeting the expected level of understanding and skill.
• Working Towards the Expected Standard: Pupils developing towards the expected level.
• Working Deeper Within the Expected Standard: Pupils exceeding the expected level with deeper understanding and skills.

This model helps in reporting progress and achievement to the next teacher or key stage and can be found in the  Kirklees RE Syllabus 2024 - 2029. This serves as a helpful tool in assessing progress and supporting teachers in developing learning objectives, ensuring that each sentence stem is applied to a specific task or knowledge content.

Through this structured approach, we ensure that every child at Hinchliffe Mill Junior and Infant School experiences meaningful and impactful Religious Education, tailored to their individual learning journey.

Enter text...