RE

Intent

RE teaching at Westcliff Primary Academy aims to give all children a strong understanding of religions of the world as well as secular beliefs. Children will be encouraged to explore their own spirituality and think about how to demonstrate courageous advocacy.

RE is taught in a stimulating, interesting and enjoyable way which encourages the children to learn, enquire and evaluate the fundamental questions of life.  We give the pupils the ability to evaluate their own and others’ views. At Westcliff, RE will be delivered primarily through oracy teaching, giving the children opportunity to talk to explore ideas and beliefs. As part of our aim to work on personal development, we work to develop the children’s social, moral and cultural awareness by appreciating different religions, beliefs, viewpoints and cultures and develop their own views through enquiry, questioning and investigation, leading to a deep understanding of diversity and inclusion. RE learning at Westcliff School will prepare the children with the right skills and attitudes to flourish in the community and be good citizens in a diverse society.

Implementation

At Westcliff Primary we implement our science curriculum using these 5 golden threads:

• Love for the subject- children see RE as an interesting subject where they are heard and feel part of the school and wider community.
• Taught through oracy- difficulties in other subject areas such as in writing should not impede children’s ability to succeed in RE. Teaching through oracy not only strengthens the children’s ability to talk about their ideas with others but allows children to engage in the subject. 
• Steering clear of a ‘them’ and ‘us’ approach- Religious and non-religious beliefs should be taught without a feeling of being separate from those taking part in the lesson. Instead, language should be carefully thought about by teachers in order to demonstrate the inclusivity which we strive for.
• Experiencing real life applications- we have invested in many RE artefacts to support RE learning becoming more tangible. We aim to give children experiences by visiting places of worship, as well as by inviting visitors to share their point of view with students.
• Community- learning through our links with the local community in order to explore and appreciate diversity where we live.

Impact

The impact of our curriculum is assessed through;

• Discussions with children.
• Work in books (where appropriate) or on Seesaw.

The children at Westcliff learn about other religions and why people choose to follow or not follow a religion. RE is assessed through pupils understanding of and their ability to talk about their own beliefs and those of others and how these impact on our community.  Through learning in RE, the children can make links between their lives and the lives of others in their community and wider world, developing an understanding of other people’s cultures and ways of life. RE is invaluable in an ever changing and shrinking world.