Quick Links

Quick Links Open/Close

'Do unto others as you would have them do to you'. (Mt 7.12)

St Matthew's Primary

Friendship • Discovery • Prayer

Religious Education

Religious Education at St Matthew's

“In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you.”

Matthew 7 verse 12

Friendship, Discovery, Prayer

Intent

We are guided by the The Church of England RE statement of entitlement which says: Religious education in a Church school should enable every child to flourish and to live life in all its fullness. (John 10:10). It will help educate for dignity and respect, encouraging all to live well together.

Here at St Matthew’s we recognise, value and accept every individual as special and unique within our Christian community.

We encourage children to ask questions, make discoveries and reflect upon their faith and the beliefs of others. 

We enable children to learn about and from religion, developing a strong knowledge and understanding of Christianity, its impact on Britain’s cultural heritage and those of other world faiths.        

We equip children with the knowledge, values and skills to understand the World around them, having the confidence to stay true to their beliefs, while celebrating those which differ to theirs.

We develop their understanding of the ways which belief influences and shapes people's lives, while also developing the skills to challenge cultural and religious stereotypes and prejudice.

Implementation

Religious Education lies at the heart of the curriculum and has an important role in reflecting and conveying the distinctively Christian character of our school. The curriculum engages and challenges children through an exploration of core concepts and questions. At St Matthews’s we follow the Southwark Diocese scheme of learning. The curriculum teaches pupils about religion in accordance with two attainment targets, Learning About Religion (AT1) and Learning From Religion (AT2). Children have weekly RE lessons, where they have the opportunity to consider what it means to be a practising member of a faith, learn about Christianity, as well as other World faiths such as Judaism, Sikhism, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism.

  

  • New units of work are taught half termly. At the start of each new topic, children create a knowledge harvest, sharing their existing knowledge and asking questions about what they would like to discover.
  • Lessons are planned and taught in a variety of ways to engage the children and provide them with opportunities to explore different religious artefacts, music, artwork and religious texts etc.
  • Learning activities provide fully for the needs of all children and they are able to explore their learning through art, drama, discussions and debates.
  • Throughout the year, children have the opportunity to visit different local places of worship as well as visiting our local parish, St Matthews Church.
  • Children have opportunities to engage in meaningful, informed discussions and are encouraged to ask ‘big questions.’
  • Each classroom has an RE area, displaying these ‘big questions’, celebrating the children’s learning and providing opportunities for reflection and prayer.
  • Children are challenged and encouraged to think beyond their learning through marking and the use of ‘next step’ questions.
  • At the end of each unit, children complete a self reflection sheet, evaluating their knowledge and understanding of the unit based on the AT1 and AT2 skills taught.
  • Children are assessed at the end of each unit and their progress is tracked termly, following the expected AT1 and AT2 skills for each year group.
  • Children’s progress in RE is included in their end of year report.

 

Impact

 

Religious Education at St Matthew’s enables children to:

  • Develop a knowledge and understanding of Christianity as a diverse World faith, focused on the teachings of Jesus and the Church.
  • Develop a knowledge and understanding of a range of religions, world views and faiths, their beliefs, practices and traditions.
  • Develop an understanding of how faith and belief influences our thinking and choices.
  • Feel safe to share their beliefs and experiences, creating an environment of mutual trust and respect.
  • Develop a wide range of skills including enquiry, analysis, interpretation, evaluation and reflection.
  • Develop their sense of identity, belonging and spirituality, creating a greater awareness of their impact, preparing them for life in a global society.
  • Develop respect, empathy and sensitivity to others, particularly those whose faith and beliefs are different from their own.
  • Learn from different religious beliefs and values, enabling them to ask challenging questions and make informed responses to religious, moral and social issues.
  • Seek out opportunities for personal reflection and spiritual development.

Please click here to see the RE progression map.

↑