“RE makes you open your mind” Aairon, Year 6 |
The RE curriculum at RMPA aims to create world citizens who respectfully and thoughtfully express and develop their opinions about a range of religious and non religious world views as they progress through our school. We aim to spark curiosity and interest in different beliefs and inspire children to dig deeper into, and question, their own opinions.
We follow the ‘The Agreed Syllabus for RE in Nottinghamshire’, which provides a clear and progressive spiral curriculum, building on pupils’ knowledge and understanding as they progress through the year groups. We use an investigative approach to allow pupils ownership and promote an inquisitive attitude towards viewpoints that may differ from their own.
We use our Make a Difference values (Respect, Responsibility, Focus, Resilience, Compassion and Teamwork) to underpin this, encouraging the children to grow in each area throughout their time at our school. RE is particularly pertinent to the values of Respect and Responsibility, aiming to develop individuals prepared for life in modern Britain, encouraging them to express their own opinions and world views respectfully and thoughtfully, considering how the beliefs and opinions of others may differ, and for what reasons. As one child explains: “Everyone has their own thoughts when it comes to RE but we can also see other peoples’ opinions which can help a lot with our understanding of it”.
Our investigative approach encourages and promotes balanced and informed conversations, challenging misconceptions, prejudices and stereotypes where they may arise, allowing the children to stretch and grow their understanding of RE and their role in society, and therefore build their cultural capital.
The values of Compassion and Teamwork are highlighted through an inclusive curriculum with an emphasis on considering others, supporting local charities such as the Arnold foodbank, and allowing plenty of opportunities for sensitive group discussion where children explain that ‘We get to discuss what we think about it and we don’t get embarrassed about what we say because there is no wrong answer’.
“RE is the lesson that makes me speak and think the most” Kayla, Year 6 |
Our RE curriculum is intrinsically linked to our PSHE curriculum. There are many areas where these subjects overlap, and staff are aware of this and make links explicit. This is especially true in identified focus areas such as Respect.