Religious Studies

Intent:

At Farncombe Infants we aim for children to receive a range of first-hand experiences to enrich their Religious Education, through whole school themed days, visits to our local church and workshops. We aim for the children to develop a positive attitude towards people of different religions and to become aware of their own beliefs and values, responding sensitively to their own and others’ ideas, experiences and feelings. 

We follow the Surrey Agreed Syllabus, in which it states its purpose, that Religious Education ‘should also develop in pupils and students an aptitude for dialogue so that they can participate positively in our society with its diversity of beliefs. They learn to articulate clearly and coherently their personal beliefs, ideas, values and experiences, whilst respecting the right of others to differ. Religious education supports pupils and students in developing their sense of identity and belonging and enables them to flourish individually within their communities and as citizens in a diverse world.’ 

Implementation:  

In Reception, Religious Education is taught through six themes throughout the year, building firm foundations for further study in year 1 and 2. In key stage one, RE is taught in half termly units.  Lessons are planned and delivered in a variety of ways ensuring that all children can access and participate in lessons.  Interactive, practical activities encourage the children to discuss their ideas and extend their understanding of difficult concepts and challenging questions. Three themed days are planned and take place once a term. ‘Values Day’ in the Autumn, ‘Easter Pause Day’ in the Spring and ‘Bibles Story Day’ in the Summer term. Whole school daily worship takes place along with celebration assemblies on Fridays. Birthdays, individual and class achievements are recognised.   Recently, children of Swedish heritage were celebrated in assembly, promoting diversity within our school. 

What it looks like in the classroom

If you were to walk into an RE lesson at Farncombe Infants, you would expect to see…

• Children being respectful of each other and religious objects

• Children using specific religious vocabulary

• Engaged learners participating in meaningful discussion in a safe and secure environment that respects and values all beliefs and viewpoints

• Children working collaboratively to deepen their understanding through conversation, questioning, games, role-play and art