R.E. at FPJS

At FPJS we value Religious Education.  Religious education contributes towards teaching Tolerance and respect for all. Religious Education enables pupils to gain knowledge and understanding of a range of religions and the world they live in order to engage in informed and balanced conversations about religions and beliefs. In addition to learning about religions and worldviews, Religious Education offers students the chance to develop spiritually, morally, socially and culturally and to reflect on their own beliefs. RE plays an important role in preparing pupils for life in the modern world, and should enable them to flourish as citizens in a multi-cultural community.

How we teach R.E. at FPJS

At FPJS, we use the Discovery RE programme and schemes of work. Discovery RE is an enquiry-based scheme of work, covering the 6 principal world faiths in a progressive way from Reception to Year 6. 

We have selected topics and lessons to ensure that the children get a joined up approach to their RE lessons form Year 3 to Year 6 whilst also adhering to the Pan Berkshire SACRE expectations.

Each enquiry lasts for half a term and begins with a “big” question such as “What is the best way for a Christian/Jew/Muslim etc. to show commitment to God?” The children then start discussing the theme of the enquiry (in this case, commitment) from their own experience. What have they shown commitment to? Brownies? Cubs? Their sporting team? Playing an instrument?

Only when the children fully understand the concept they are considering, do they then move on to investigating what the people following the studied religion believe about it. They will spend approximately 3 sessions on this, learning in a variety of ways, so they can adapt their responses and come to a measured conclusion. In session 5 they will complete an activity which can assess their learning, by answering their “big” question. The assessment activities are child friendly and can be answered in a variety of ways, as long as the child can justify their view with the knowledge they have gained throughout the enquiry. This demonstrates the level of critical thinking that the children can apply – a valuable skill for them throughout the school curriculum.

Discovery RE gives schools a choice of which religions to teach in different year groups. At Furze Platt Junior School we have chosen the following options as we feel this best suits the needs of our children and our community:

Progression through year groups

Christianity is taught in every year group. Christmas and Easter are revisited each year and children are expected to apply what they have learnt so far to further their knowledge. For example, when learning about Christmas, year 3 children will learn the Christmas story and are introduced to the concept of incarnation. The concept of incarnation is built upon in year 4 and children think about the symbols in the Christmas story and what these mean to Christians. In year 5, children are expected to explain the term ‘incarnation’ and know that this means that Jesus is God in human form as well as exploring the ‘truth’ in the Christmas story from historical, personal and scientific viewpoints. By year 6, children bring together all of this knowledge to describe different Christmas traditions and symbols to understand who Jesus was and why his birth is so important for Christians. They also explore the importance of incarnation.

Commitment to faith is another area which is taught progressively across the year groups. In year 3, children discuss the different ways that Sikhs show commitment to God, in year 4, children explore whether children need to go to Church to be good Christians or if there are other ways to show their commitment to their faith; in year 5 children revisit their learning from year 3 and think about how far a Sikh would go for their religion. They also explore the best ways for Christians to show their commitment to God. In year 6, children learn about then various ways that Muslim people show commitment to God and link this to how a Muslim person’s belief in Akirah helps them to lead good lives.

SMSC 

RE can be a key contributor in emphasising and developing the opportunities children are offered for SMSC development. There are opportunities in every enquiry to develop SMSC skills for all children.

British Values

Through using Discovery RE, we are ensuring that our children are not passively accepting other religious beliefs or tolerance and understanding of those with different beliefs. Instead, it encourages evaluation and critical thinking, which equips them to consider beliefs that they encounter. 

All British Values are mapped out on our red grid to ensure coverage of these through the RE curriculum. 

Right to withdraw form RE

Parents/carers have a right to withdraw their child from RE lessons and any trip that is part of the RE curriculum. For more information, please contact the school office.