Religion and Worldviews
Religion and Worldviews Statement of Intent
At Stanton Religious Education is called Religion and Worldviews. This is because it is our intent that through Religious Education children can explore their own values and develop spiritually, morally, socially and culturally. Children learn about the key world religions and are encouraged to reflect on their own beliefs and what we can learn from others. For this reason we have chosen to follow the Emmanuel Project scheme of work, which covers the agreed Suffolk syllabus for Religious Education. It has a strong emphasis on learning about and from religion and ensures clear progression across the whole school. It also takes into account the fact that not all children will follow a religion but that everyone has their own unique view of the world based on their own experiences - their worldview.
Our intent is to ensure that we developed the children’s understanding of the local community as well as the heritage of this country. We feel it’s important that our children have an understanding of why we celebrate Easter, Christmas and other key festivals. We have close connections with the local village Church of England Church, All Saints. The children are regular visitors to the building where they participate in the key church festivals or other activities to support their learning about Christianity. We also benefit from regular ‘Open the Book’ sessions where members of the church congregation come to share Bible stories and to discuss the morals that accompany them.
At Stanton, we do not have children from a diverse number of cultures or religions so we therefore feel it is vital that children across the school are introduced to and immersed in teaching and learning experiences that show a true representation of our country today and the wider world. We feel it is important that as our youngest children enter our Early Years Foundation Stage classrooms, with different experiences, families and different boundaries, that focus is given to them learning how to get along and to form their own community within the school. As children progress across the school they learn about different cultural events and stories through assemblies, special classroom activities, visits and visitors. We embrace and celebrate difference.
Around a quarter of the pupils at Stanton have active parents in the Armed Forces, many of which are based at the local RAF base in Honington. With this is mind, children often have questions in relation to current cultural conflicts in the world and will often question the actions of people from certain cultures. At Stanton, our aim is to address these questions with openness and sensitivity. We facilitate children in understanding that not all people from a culture will behave in the same way, that there is both diversity between and within different groups of people.
Parents have a right of withdrawal from all of RE or part of RE. Some schools choose to state that they are not supportive of selective withdrawal from part of RE. This does not override a parental right to withdraw from part of RE – if requested, this partial withdrawal must be granted.
Overall, our intent through our Religion and Worldviews teaching is that children can learn about their own morals, beliefs and values and can become responsible, respectful and caring members of society as their progress through life.
Children Learning Religion and Worldviews
Early Years and Foundation Stage
In the EYFS, Religion and Worldviews is included within the Understanding of the World area of learning. As with all areas of learning in the EYFS, children learn about key religious celebrations and festivals predominantly through play. The children’s learning is fun and exploratory and enhanced through the use of artefacts, stories, art, role play and songs. Children are encouraged to share what and how they celebrate at home and to start to think about and accept similarities and differences between them and others both within and between different families, religions and communities. Children are encouraged to question what is right and what is wrong and to think about how they can be morally good people.
Alongside this, children in Hazel Class follow the Emmanuel Project scheme of work which is aligned with the Suffolk Syllabus and meets the curriculum requirements for EYFS children in schools.
Useful Documents
For more information on the school's teaching and learning in Religion and Worldviews please do not hesitate to get in contact with Mrs Leighton, the Religion and Worldviews lead, or click on the links below for some informative documents.
Stanton Community Primary School Religion and Worldviews Curriculum
Stanton Community Primary School Progression in Religion and Worldviews
Stanton Community Primary School Threads in Religion and Worldviews
Children Recording Religion and Worldviews
Religion and Worldviews at Home
These web pages have access to a range of different animated stories and short films which will enhance the children's knowledge of the key world religions and issues relating to them.
Key Stage One
https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/class-clips-video/religions-of-the-world/zfxwpg8
Key Stage Two
https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/ks2-religious-studies/z6pbqp3
All year groups
http://www.cleo.net.uk/resources/index.php?ks=1&cur=15
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/z7hs34j
