RELIGIOUS EDUCATION AT CHRISTOPHER HATTON

Intent

Our aim is for all pupils to be informed, articulate and empowered.

In Religious Education (RE) this means children are given the knowledge and understanding of different religious traditions and worldviews, so that they may appreciate the diversity of beliefs and values present locally, nationally and globally.

Informed

At Christopher Hatton we follow the Camden-agreed syllabus for RE, “Living Difference”. Throughout this syllabus, children engage with and enquire into concepts. Concepts are ‘big ideas’ which enable us to make sense of the world, and have been used within religious traditions to express experiences and communicate human experiences.
Children learn about concepts which are common to all people, for example remembering, celebration, compassion. These are known as A Concepts and are found in every year group.
Children learn about concepts which are shared by many religions, for example worship, symbolism, sacred texts. These are known as B Concepts and are mostly found in KS2.
Children learn about concepts which are distinctive to particular religions, for example dukkha, redemption, Torah. These are known as C Concepts and are only found in upper KS2.
The syllabus aims to “reflect the fact that the religious traditions in Great Britain are in the main Christian, while taking account on the teachings and practices of the other principal religions in Great Britain” (Education Act 1996). Therefore Christianity has a greater presence throughout the key stages than other traditions. We have ensured that the traditions covered represent our local community and the wider community, and therefore children also learn about Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism, and are introduced to Humanism and Sikhism.

Articulate

Each cycle of enquiry has a ‘Communicate’ element, where children are encouraged to give their own responses to a particular concept.
Children are taught specific vocabulary, the meaning of which is clearly defined.
Many lessons have an Oracy focus and are conducted with talk in mind. The children are often given sentence stems so they can express their responses clearly.

Empowered

We are a diverse school with a community drawn from many different cultures and traditions. As such, it is vital that the children learn about different religions (including the lack of a religion), accept and respect each others’ differences.
We provide our children with the opportunities to explore both their own faith or worldview, and those of their classmates, neighbours and communities.
We empower our children with the knowledge of the life, beliefs and practices of people who are different to them, helping them to recognise what they have in common, so that they may have a more peaceful and harmonious future.
All children, including those with SEND, are supported to fully access the curriculum through the use of video clips, religious artefacts and more.

Implementation

Our overview of concepts covered lays out clearly which cycles of enquiry will be taught and when. This can be found at the bottom of this page.
Each cycle of enquiry relates to one concept and takes around six hours. It is usually blocked as one day of learning a half term. This helps children to form a connected view of their particular concept.
The class teacher teaches RE; upon occasion, visitors may be asked into the school to share their experiences of religion. For example, we have had a priest visit, a Hebrew teacher and several Muslim parents have spoken to classes about their beliefs.
We may arrange trips to places of worship, such as the local church.
The RE lead supports teachers and monitors standards by reviewing planning of cycles of enquiry, talking to children with the RE floor books and observing lessons.

Impact

Children at Christopher Hatton are reflective about their own beliefs.
Children are interested in learning about different people’s faiths, feelings and values, and respect these differences.
Children respect, learn and play with children from different religious and cultural backgrounds.

Click here to see progression in R.E. across the school

Click here for an overview of concepts covered across the school