Religion & World Views – Our intent, aims and concepts
Aim
The principal aim of religious education is to explore what people believe and what difference this makes to how they live, so that pupils can gain the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to handle questions raised by religion and belief, reflecting on their own ideas and ways of living.
The curriculum for RWE aims to ensure that all pupils:
Make sense of a range of religious and non-religious beliefs, so that they can:
• Identify, describe, explain and analyse beliefs and concepts in the context of living religions, using appropriate vocabulary
• Explain how and why these beliefs are understood in different ways, by individuals and within communities
• Recognise how and why sources of authority (e.g. texts, teachings, traditions, leaders) are used, expressed and interpreted in different ways, developing skills of interpretation
Understand the impact and significance of religious
and non-religious beliefs, so that they can:
• Examine and explain how and why people express their beliefs in diverse ways
• Recognise and account for ways in which people put their beliefs into action in diverse ways, in their everyday lives, within their communities and in the wider world
• Appreciate and appraise the significance of different ways of life and ways of expressing meaning
Make connections between religious and non-religious beliefs,
concepts, practices and ideas studied, so that they can:
•Evaluate, reflect on and enquire into key concepts and questions studied, responding thoughtfully and creatively, giving good reasons for their responses
•Challenge the ideas studied, and allow the ideas studied to challenge their own thinking, articulating beliefs, values and commitments clearly in response
•Discern possible connections between the ideas studied and their own ways of understanding the world, expressing their critical responses and personal reflections with increasing clarity and understanding
Religion & World Views at Totnes St. John's
For more detailed information around our RWE curriculum, please go to our church school page on this website where you will find information around the agreed Devon syllabus.
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As a core subject, RWE is taught weekly in all classes.
We take an enquiry based approach to this subject too, ensuring that whilst developing RWE knowledge and skills we are also developing character values and metacognitive strategies at the same time.
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To develop children's understanding around different faiths and those of no faith, we often invite visitors to school and use places of worship locally and within Exeter to support children's learning.
Children also explore different religions and faiths as part of our cultural diversity work. We believe that it is essential that our children are curious around the beliefs of others and that this is essential to securing our outcomes of caring citizens who can create change in the world.
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Religion & World Views – Examples of Religion & World View Experiences at Totnes St. John's
Religion & World Views – Examples of Religion & World View Learning Journals