Intent

Our Religion and world views curriculum aims to develop deep thinkers who are open-minded about religion and world views. Our Religion and World Views curriculum is relevant to pupils, reflecting and preparing them for life in modern Britain.

Children will secure a deep understanding of concepts in order to be able to make connections, ask and respond to challenging questions, learn to respect and appreciate world views that are different to their own and consider their personal preconceptions, responses and views.

 Children will build their conceptual knowledge through studying religions and world views locally, nationally and globally in our curriculum, enabling them to make links and connections between world views, develop disciplinary skills and build on their understanding of their positionality in relation to their learning. By revisiting key ‘big questions’ and building on prior knowledge, pupils will learn about how religion and world views are lived experiences across the world, consider the impact of world views on society and have opportunities to consider their personal world views.

 

Implementation

We use the Kapow curriculum to meet the national curriculum programme of study.

Our lessons are carefully sequenced so that previous conceptual knowledge is returned to and built upon. Children progress by developing and deepening their knowledge and understanding of substantive and disciplinary concepts by experiencing them in a range of contexts.

In EYFS, children begin to talk about the beliefs of their immediate family and community, recognising that people have different beliefs and celebrate special times in different ways. They listen to religious and modern day stories and compare and contrast characters, including figures from the past.

Children develop their awareness of religion and world views in Key stage 1, focusing on conceptual knowledge through the study of a limited range of religions and world views represented in the UK, including Christianity. This will support children in building knowledge they can refer to throughout their learning in Key stage 2 while encountering a greater range of religions and world views and considering further the diverse nature of religious and non-religious lived experience.

Each unit includes overarching ‘big questions’ which will be revisited throughout key stage 1, lower key stage 2 and upper key Stage 2, allowing children to apply the breadth and depth of their learning across various concepts. These ‘big questions’ are:

• Why are we here?
• Why do world views change?
• What is religion?
• How can world views be expressed?
• How do world views affect our daily lives?
• How can we live together in harmony if we have different world views?

Lessons are designed to be varied, engaging and hands-on, allowing children to learn and record their thoughts, answers and ideas in various ways. In each lesson, children will participate in activities involving disciplinary and substantive concepts, developing their knowledge and understanding of diverse religions and world views.

Please see Curriculum Overview Page for further information on coverage across each year.

 

Impact

Pupils will be equipped with a range of disciplinary skills and knowledge to enable them to succeed in their secondary education. They will be prepared for life in modern Britain, being able to interact with others from different religious and non-religious viewpoints in a respectful, knowledgeable and open-minded way. They will be curious learners who ask questions and make connections, confident to explore their personal world view and have the skills to appreciate, evaluate and respond to religious, philosophical and ethical questions.

The children will:

• Know and understand religious concepts relating to beliefs, practices, community and belonging, and wisdom and guidance.
• Develop an understanding of the influence of organised and personal worldviews on individuals, communities, countries and globally.
• Understand some of the ways religions and worldviews are studied (disciplinary knowledge).
• Develop understanding of their relationship with the content studied, being able to talk about their assumptions and preconceptions (personal knowledge).
• Build secure vocabulary which allows them to talk confidently and fluently about their learning.
• Answer questions about worldviews through an enquiry-based approach including investigating, interpreting, evaluating, applying and expressing.
• Talk about the similarities and differences between their own and others’ beliefs with respect and open mindedness.
• Understand the lived experiences of religious and non-religious worldviews to be diverse within and between people and communities.
• Develop an understanding of the ways in which personal and organised worldviews may develop and change across time and place.

 

Fundamental British Values

 

At Norwood we promote the British Values of:

• Democracy
• The rule of law
• Individual liberty
• Mutual respect
• Tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs

Actively promoting these values means challenging opinions or behaviours in school that are contrary to British Values. RE lessons will offer a structured and safe space for reflection, discussion, dialogue and debate. In RE lessons pupils learn the skills and develop attitudes that help protect themselves and others from harm throughout their lives.

Cultural Capital

At Norwood School we aim to develop a child's Cultural Capital.

Cultural capital is the accumulation of knowledge, behaviours, and skills that a pupil can draw upon and which demonstrates their cultural awareness, knowledge and competence; it is one of the key ingredients a student will draw upon to be successful in society, their career and the world of work.

Cultural capital promotes social mobility and success in our stratified society.

Cultural capital gives a student power. It helps them achieve goals, become successful, and rise up the social ladder without necessarily having wealth or financial capital.

Cultural capital is having assets that give pupils the desire to aspire and achieve social mobility whatever their starting point.

Norwood school recognises that there are six key areas of development that are interrelated and cumulatively contribute to the sum of a student’s cultural capital:

1. Personal Development
2. Social Development, including political and current affairs awareness
3. Physical Development
4. Spiritual Development
5. Moral Development
6. Cultural development

At Norwood School through Religious Education we endeavour to ensure that children should think about and interpret religious beliefs. They should communicate their reflections, responses and evaluations about questions of identity, belonging, diversity, meaning, purpose, truth, values and commitments. All of these things are essential to development as a human being.

Impact - What difference is the curriculum making?

Religious Education at Norwood School develops pupils’;

• knowledge and understanding of, and their ability to respond to, Christianity, other principal world religions, other religious traditions and world views;
• understanding and respect for different religions, beliefs, values and traditions (including ethical life stances), through exploring issues within and between faiths;
• understanding of the influence of faith and belief on individuals, societies, communities and cultures;
• skills of enquiry and response through the use of religious vocabulary, questioning and empathy;
• skills of reflection, expression, application, analysis and evaluation of beliefs, values and practices, and the communication of personal responses to these

Religious Education at Norwood Primary encourages pupils to;

consider challenging questions of the meaning and purpose of life; beliefs about God, the self and the nature of reality, issues of right and wrong and what it means to be human;

• understand the influence of religion on individuals, families, communities and cultures;
• learn from different religions, beliefs, values and traditions while exploring questions of meaning and their own beliefs;
• learn about religious and ethical teaching, enabling them to make reasoned and informed responses to religious, moral and social issues;
• develop their sense of identity and belonging, preparing them for life as citizens in a plural, global society;
• develop respect for and sensitivity to others, in particular those whose faiths and beliefs are different from their own.
•  

Religious Education at Norwood Primary enhances pupils’;

• awareness and understanding of religions and beliefs, teachings, practices and forms of expression;
• ability to reflect on, consider, analyse, interpret and evaluate issues of truth, belief, faith and ethics and to communicate their responses.

Religious Education at Norwood Primary offers;

• opportunities for personal reflection and spiritual development.