Religious Education

 Our Vision

The principal aim of religious education is to explore what people believe and what difference this makes to how they live, so that our pupils can gain knowledge, understanding and skills needed to handle questions raised by religion and belief, reflecting on their own ideas and ways of living.

The Sunderland Agreed Syllabus 2021 asserts the importance and value of religious education for all pupils with o- going benefits for an open, articulate and understanding society.  The following statements underpins the syllabus.

• Religious education contributes dynamically to children and young people’s education in schools by provoking challenging questions about meaning and purpose in life, beliefs about God, issues of right and wrong and what it means to be human
• In RE pupils learn about religions and beliefs in local, national and global contexts
• Pupils learn to weigh up the value of wisdom from different sources, to develop and express their insights in response and to agree or disagree respectfully
• Teaching should equip pupils with systematic knowledge and understanding of a range of religions and beliefs
• RE should develop in pupils an aptitude for dialogue so that they can participate positively in our society, with its diverse religions and beliefs
• Pupils should learn to articulate clearly and coherently their personal beliefs, ideas, values and experiences while respecting the right of others to differ.

How we plan and teach Religious Education

At Thorney Close Primary School we follow the Sunderland Agreed Syllabus 2021.  This allows for a deepening in pupils’ knowledge about religion and for developing religious literacy.  We achieve this by studying one religion at a time and then including thematic units which build on learning by comparing the religions, beliefs and practices studied.

The teaching and learning of RE at Thorney Close Primary has three core elements which are woven together to provide breadth and balance within teaching and learning about religions and beliefs, underpinning our vision statement.

How we evaluate learning

In RE, by the end of each key stage, pupils are expected to know, understand and apply the concepts, skills and processes specified in the relevant Programme of Study.

Assessment in the Sunderland Agreed Syllabus 2021 is related to end of phase expectations.  The end of phase outcomes are set out on pp.18-19 in the Agreed Syllabus document.  These outcomes for each unit are expressed in relation to the three elements of the teaching and learning approach (making sense of beliefs, understanding the impact, making connections).

RE Plan

sunderland agreed syllabus for re.pdf

 Look at our learning