Our Religious Education curriculum is based on the Learning and Growing as the People of God Scheme of Work, provided by the Archdiocese of Birmingham. Through this scheme, all pupils engage in high-quality teaching and learning about the Catholic Faith. This includes: the Sacraments, Scripture, the Church’s Liturgical Year, living as Christians, Church Teaching, vocational teaching, and much more.
The R.E. curriculum covers 10% of our weekly timetable. Within their R.E. lessons, children are encouraged to develop higher-level thinking skills, and an ability to ask and respond to questions about the Faith (see Philosophical Thinking in R.E.) Reflective questioning is used as a form of feedback and assessment for learning, ensuring that all children have ample opportunity for focusing on how their learning is relevant to their personal journeys of faith.
R.E Long-Term Plan (attached below)
Assessment of Religious Education
EYFS Baseline
Every year, during the early Autumn Term, a Baseline Assessment is carried out with Reception children and with a sample of Nursery children. This assessment is teacher-led and its purpose is to discover the religious knowledge, vocabulary, and experiences children already have when they enter school. To measure progress, the baseline is completed a second time towards the end of the academic year.
KS1/KS2 Assessment
Ongoing assessment is carried out by class teachers throughout the school year, in relation to the Diocesan Scheme of Work (see above). The purpose of assessment in R.E. is to measure the progress and attainment of children in two key areas:
- Knowledge and understanding of religion (engaging with Scripture, Liturgy, and Church Teaching).
- Learning from Religion (engaging with questions about religion and making links to personal beliefs).
Philosophical Thinking in RE
Over the past three years, we have given great focus to the importance of deeper thinking and reflective questioning in R.E. Being able to ask and discuss questions is a crucial aspect of faith formation, and encourages children to link what they learn in class to their personal journeys of faith.
We are continuing to embed the use of Philosophy for Children (P4C) in R.E. lessons, most particularly in Scripture-related lessons. Scripture, religious signs/symbols, and religious artwork are among an inexhaustible list of possible stimuli for discussion.
There are also numerous ways in which children engage with a stimulus, including:
- Philosophical enquiries (in which children ask deeper-level questions, vote on a favourite question, and discuss responses to the question)
- Lectio Divina and Visio Divina (Divine Reading/Looking)
- Close reading/annotations of the meaning of words and phrases within Sacred Scripture
- Writing personal reflections about Sacred Scripture, making links to personal faith and links across Scripture
- Considering, discussing, and writing about ‘I Wonder…’ statements in relation to Scripture
Here are some resources that could be used at home to encourage children to ask and discuss philosophical questions
*Big Questions Grid (attached below)
*Example activities (attached below)
Multi-Cultural Teaching and Learning
St. Elizabeth’s is a beautifully diverse and inclusive school family. We welcome children, staff, and families from a range of cultures and religious backgrounds.
Within our R.E. curriculum (see R.E. LTP), we plan a Multi-Cultural Week, which usually takes place during the Autumn Term. During this week, classes focus their teaching and learning on a specific world religion (other than Christianity), and they are encouraged to visit a place of worship or to invite somebody in to speak to their class.