Religious Education

We aim to provide an RE Curriculum that is exciting, relevant and challenging and enables all pupils to achieve the very best standards in their learning. Our school motto and Bible reading encapsulate this core belief:

'Have faith and strive to achieve, leaving no one behind.'

We follow the Suffolk agreed syllabus for RE and use the multi-faith scheme called 'The Emmanuel Project' (Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich) to support our delivery of the learning themes and key concepts for all major world faiths.

In addition to this, our RE curriculum is enriched through additional focus days/mini-topics throughout the school year. This could be through a ‘Light Day’ as an alternative to Halloween or perhaps a day exploring different religious festivals including Trinity Sunday.

The Emmanuel Project (RE scheme of work) uses an ‘Enquiry Based’ Model of learning into religions and world views and therefore children tend to move through a cycle of learning for each unit taught.

The scheme, which provides for the requirements of the 2023 Suffolk Agreed Syllabus for RE, combines a blend of theology, human and social sciences and philosophy to enable children to develop a better and more balanced understanding of religion and world views. The three disciplines are present in each key stage but with the emphasis shifting slightly, so that human and social science may be more obvious in the Early Years and Key Stage 1 and theology has more focus at Key Stage 2.

Each 'Enquiry' must:

include examples of the lived reality of the religion or worldview, which reflect a selected belief or concept. Examples must include a balance of texts and stories, community practices e.g. celebrations, and individual lifestyles e.g. food rules. This ensures the enquiry is rooted in human and social science.
unpack and illustrate an important belief or concept in the religion or worldview. The beliefs or concepts required are specified. This ensures the heart of the enquiry is theological.
inform and support pupils as they talk about ‘big’ questions. Six ‘big’ questions are specified for KS1 and eight for KS2. This ensures the enquiry is connected to philosophical thinking.

Systematic Enquiries provided for by the Emmanuel Scheme

In each ENQUIRY, the scheme provides opportunities for pupils to:

ENGAGE - draw on experiences which create a link / bridge to a religious belief or concept e.g. personal experiences, or experiences in a story, film or picture

ENQUIRE - puzzle over an artefact or story which will lead into the Enquiry question - consider the Enquiry question and ask what they need to find out and how they could go about it.

EXPLORE - interact with, and ask questions about the meaning, origin, context or use of stories, sayings, art or songs which express the belief or concept - visit, sometimes virtually, places of worship focussing on artefacts, symbols or celebrations, that express the belief or concept, and talk about these.

EVALUATE - recall important facts from their learning, using subject vocabulary correctly e.g. believe, God, pray, celebrate - ask whether they can answer the Enquiry question, sharing ideas as a class

EXPRESS - share both their learning, and their own ideas, with others, through various means e.g. writing, art, craft, dance, drama

EXTEND - puzzle over the related ‘Big’ question together, collecting different ideas, and learning to listen carefully to others - make simple links between the ‘Big’ question and the beliefs and traditions of people they have met /learned about

Use of precise questions

In order to completely fulfil the requirements of the 2023 Agreed Syllabus teachers must also frame a ‘rich and precise’ question for each ENQUIRY; this must clarify what learning about religions and worldviews is to take place. Whenever possible the questions should include the name of the religion or worldview and the belief or concept.

Example: Why is learning to do mitzvot so important to Jewish families? Not: What do Jewish families do?