R.E

Intent

At Hill Top Academy, the aim of the RE curriculum is to engage all pupils in systematic enquiry into significant human questions that religion and worldviews address. Our belief is that, when using an enquiry-based model effectively, children’s critical thinking skills can be developed, their motivation to learn increased, and their knowledge and understanding of – and empathy with – people and their beliefs, religious or otherwise, enhanced.

This approach takes seriously the philosophy that children are free to make their own choices and decisions concerning religion and belief. RE does not try to persuade but rather aims to inform and develop the skills through which evaluation can take place.

Parents or carers who wish to withdraw their children from Religious Education or from the collective worship part of the morning assembly are invited to discuss the matter with the Principal so that appropriate arrangements can be made. Children will be given suitable work and will be supervised by a member of staff.

RE contributes to the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and provides crucial elements of a child’s identity, therefore by exploring a wide variety of questions and themes across each year children are exposed to a diverse and creative subject content which  our supports our school community. The sequence of the curriculum is planned to ensure links and progression throughout school, this ensures knowledge and skills are revisited and embedded. RE is taught using a variety of different approaches to enable all children to be able to access the learning, regardless of personal barriers. In the Foundation Stage, RE is taught through topics based upon the children’s own lives and their own experiences, this links to many curriculum areas specifically Communication and Language and Understanding the World. Children’s knowledge, application and understanding is assessed regularly against the end of key stage outcomes as outlined in the Doncaster Agreed Syllabus for RE. 

British Values

Religious Education is a key player in engendering knowledge and understanding which can lead to tolerance and respect for others and their beliefs. It does not, however, teach children to passively accept, but rather encourages evaluation and critical thinking, equipping them to consider belief positions they encounter.

Implementation

We use 'Discovery R.E' to implement our R.E curriculum.

An overview of whole school progression can be found below. 

Religious Education whole school progression

Progression of understanding