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Religious Education
Aim
At Wolvercote, we aim to support the spiritual, moral, cultural, social, mental and physical development of pupils and prepare them for their responsibilities and experiences in later life. Through Religious Education, we want to develop children’s critical thinking skills, alongside their knowledge and understanding of, and empathy with, themselves and other people.
We aim to support children in deepening their understanding of their own beliefs about the world - religious or otherwise - as well as understanding more about the beliefs of others and to celebrate diversity.
Teaching & Learning
Schemes of Work
At Wolvercote, we use the Discovery RE scheme of work.
RE is taught through ‘Discovery Days’ - one every short term and explores six of the world’s principal religions.
The teaching on Discovery Days follows four steps, starting with a key question to explore:
• Engagement: a key question prompts children’s thinking about their own experience. This acts as a ‘bridge’ from their world (which may or may not include religion) into the world of the religion being studied.
• Investigation: the teacher guides the children to explore and investigate appropriate subject knowledge relevant to the key question.
•Evaluation: Children show their thinking and the depth of critical evaluation through an activity.
• Expression: Children have the opportunity to reflect on whether their findings have influenced their own thinking.
The children’s learning and thinking is recorded in a whole class RE journal, or 'Floor Book', which is regularly reflected on and celebrated.
Equality of opportunity
The Discovery RE scheme supports the school culture of tolerance and of celebrating diversity. Children’s own beliefs and traditions are welcomed as part of our learning are those of our communities; we encourage visits from parents and carers as ‘experts’ to support the teaching of key knowledge and traditions. Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Sikhism are also taught, and Humanism is touched upon. Not all religions are taught in every year group, but by the end of their primary experience, children will have learned about each of these religions.
