All true education is essentially religious, and all true religion is essentially educational.

John Taylor

Religious Education Intent

At All Saints, Religious Education (R.E.) plays an important role in our curriculum and school life and is taught either weekly or as a block each term.  R.E. enables our children to explore and question spiritual and religious experience and search for a sense of belonging, meaning and purpose in life and aims to develop religious literacy. Our R.E. curriculum is centred around using a termly ‘big question.’  These help to spark the children’s curiosity and give them the opportunity to discover, explore and consider different answers to these questions. They learn to develop and express their own insights and beliefs in response, and to agree or disagree respectfully with the views and beliefs of others. They will learn about different religious and non-religious beliefs and practices that influence and shape our community and culture today.  We aim for a good balance between theology, philosophy and human science. As children progress, they will be able to talk about and understand a range of religions and world-views which will enable them to explain and analyse beliefs and practices, recognising the diversity which exists within our community.  They also explore diversity within different religions and world-views to develop an awareness that not all Christians, for example, hold the same beliefs and practices. Throughout all of our RE, we use the same wording: "some, many, most." For example, “many Christians believe that God made the world and everything in it.” “Most Jews will keep Kosher laws.”  

At All Saints School, there is an emphasis on the teaching of Christianity as a world faith. Our curriculum draws pupils into a deeper understanding of the Bible, explores how Christian belief and practice are shaped, makes connections with other areas of belief and understanding, and encourages reflection, evaluation and application. The resource ‘Understanding Christianity’ provides a framework that builds on skills and knowledge as well as providing exciting and engaging teaching and learning opportunities. The core concepts of God, creation and the fall, the people of God, incarnation, gospel, salvation and the kingdom of God are explored. The core concepts fit into a spiral curriculum, whereby concepts are revisited and explored in greater depth as pupils move through the school. Questions are explored in relation to the Bible, the Christian community and wider Christian living. The Oxfordshire Diocese Scheme of Work provides us with a framework of units that support the teaching of other religions and world-views. In key Stage 1, Judaism is taught alongside Christianity and in Key Stage 2 Islam and Hinduism are explored. Again, children have the opportunity to investigate core concepts, beliefs and practices, make connections and reflect and develop an understanding, appreciation and respect for beliefs, values and customs that may differ from their own.  Non-religious world-views are investigated and discussed as part of the RE curriculum in every year group, through at least one unit per year.

At All Saints School the RE curriculum is ambitious and designed to give all pupils, particularly disadvantaged pupils and including pupils with SEN and/or disabilities, the knowledge and cultural capital they need to succeed in life. We use various strategies to support the teaching and learning of RE, such as; 

• Using simpler texts and visuals, 

• Overlays, enlarging print, pairing children, 

• Breaking learning into smaller chunks and using simplified instructions. 

Supporting your child in RE

1. Talk to your child about what they are learning in RE, encouraging them to reflect on what they have learnt and develop their own views and beliefs.

2. Encourage curiosity about the cultures and beliefs that they come across, for example through the news. 

3. Value their own ‘big questions’ and together search for and talk about possible answers, acknowledging that people will have different points of view but that we respect and value our differences. 

BBC Bitesize https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/zmyb4wx have useful videos to help learn about different religious and non-religious beliefs.