The principal aim of Religious Education (RE) at Marden Primary Academy is to engage pupils in systematic enquiry into significant human questions which religion and worldviews address, so that they can develop the understanding and skills needed to appreciate and appraise varied responses to these questions, as well as develop responses of their own. This enquiry led approach links directly to the IB PYP enquiries.
This principal aim in divided into three key areas:
- knowing about and understanding a range of religions and world views
- expressing ideas and insights about the nature, significance and impact of religions and world views
- gaining and using the skills needed to engage seriously with religions and world views
RE explores big questions about life, to find out what people believe and what difference this makes to how they live, so that pupils can make sense of religion, reflecting on their own ideas and ways of living.
These are some of the enquiry questions we might encounter:
- Which stories are special and why?
- Who made the world?
- Why do some people think life is a journey and what significant experiences mark this?
- Is it better to express your beliefs in arts and architecture or in charity and generosity?
- Creation and science: conflicting or complimentary?
Learning from religion IS…
- Relevant to all pupils regardless of their background
- Linked with learning about religions
- Open-ended, allowing pupils to explore their own ideas
- Active! Pupils respond to what they are learning about
- Valuing pupil’s own ideas and concerns
- About challenging ideas and putting alternative ideas forward for discussion
- Helping pupils to apply the meaning and significance of religious ideas to their own lives
- Open-ended, allowing pupils to explore their ideas
- Raising questions
- Enabling pupils to evaluate their conclusions
Learning from religion IS NOT…
- Confined to pupils from a faith background
- Promoting a religious life
- Free of religious content
- Passive learning
- Providing set or teacher-led answers