Learning Hub

RE

Religious Education is an important part of our curriculum at At Keyworth Primary School. We strongly believe that an understanding of and appreciation for all religions and spiritual beliefs is an important part of our children’s education and personal development; an appreciation that is underpinned by our core school values: tolerance, respect and connection to the community.

By learning about Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Sikhism, Judaism and all the other major faiths practised around the world, our children not only develop the ability to ask challenging questions about life and their perception of right and wrong, but are able to articulate and appreciate their own faiths and traditions; they are able to explore similarities and differences and reflect on the commonalities that unite them. As a multi-faith school, within a multi-faith community, we encourage our children to be open-minded and curious, to respect the beliefs of others and recognise the value of a society that is diverse and rich with culture, beliefs and traditions.
 
The aim of religious education at our school is to promote the spiritual, moral, social, emotional, cultural and intellectual development of pupils by encouraging an exploration of and response to those aspects of religion and human experience which raise fundamental questions of belief and value. 
 
The teaching and learning of RE runs parallel with our PSHE curriculum, and our school and British Values. All of which contribute to the embedding of a fundamental understanding of what is right and wrong; where discrimination, racism and bullying is challenged and we all work together to make our school a warm, positive and safe place to be.

Year 1’s Big Question is ‘What does it mean to belong?’ The children have been talking about what is important to themselves, what it means to belong to different religions (with a focus on Hinduism, Islam and Christianity) and how different faiths and religions live with their families in their homes. 

Year 2 have enjoyed learning about the various stories and texts from world religions. Their Big Question is ‘Can stories change people?’ They have been looking at why different books are special to different religions, comparing and contrasting holy books and recreating stories from the Bible, Qur’an, Torah, Guru Granth sahib and Shrimad Bhagwad. They learn through stories, role play, art and discussions.

In Year 3, the children further develop their knowledge of world religions and its skills of comparing, understanding, empathising and analysing. Their Big Question ‘How are symbols and saying important in religion?’ allows the children to look at symbols and their importance across Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, Buddhism and Judaism. The children have been exploring the importance of light to people of different faiths and are exploring the similarities and differences of how light is celebrated and valued across religions.

In Year 4 the children build on their prior knowledge of world religions and their skills of communicating their opinions and ideas, respecting differences, explaining, comparing and understanding. The Big Question is ‘What is special to me and the people in my community?’ The children have been learning about the different faiths and communities in our local area. They have been comparing different places of worship and what similarities they share within their own faiths. They are also exploring religious festivals and how they are celebrated within religious stories and in religious communities.

Throughout the year, Year 5 will be exploring ‘How do beliefs influence actions?’ The children are developing their skills in analysis to explore religious stories and explain the importance of their meaning to people of different world faiths. They have also been discussing and understanding the impact of people’s beliefs within their lives and the importance of a God to followers of faiths and religions.

By Year 6, RE allows the children to present their understanding, analysing, empathy and communication skills by studying the main world religions through the Big Question: ‘How important are the similarities and differences between and within religions?’. Pupils are building of their knowledge of world religions; their practices and beliefs. They are now exploring the meaning of life for people of different faiths and for themselves. They are explaining how religious sources are used to provide answers to important questions about life and death. They have been making links between the beliefs (teachings, sources, etc.) of different religious groups and show how they are connected to believers’ lives.

Our children celebrated World Religion Day (21st January 2024) by learning about the celebrations and festivals of religions around the world. By celebrating World Religion Day we teach our children to promote understanding and peace between all religions, as well as mutual understanding and tolerance between peoples from different backgrounds. Pupils explored a range of festivals from Diwali, Eid, Wesak and Rosh Hashanah and made some creative crafts, written pieces and artworks to celebrate the religious traditions.