Arboretum Overview (21-22 Curriculum)

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Our approach to R.E. at Arboretum

Children at Arboretum are offered high quality teaching and learning opportunities in RE across the school. We aim for our pupils to develop a sense of passion and commitment to RE, linking their study of religion and belief to their own lives. RE should make an outstanding contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

The main bulk of our RE teaching comes in the form of termly RE weeks. These are weeks where every afternoon is set aside to deliver RE lessons all based around a ‘BIG Question.’ This question or theme, is shared by each phase with each of them being given a focus religion. In line with the Derby City agreed syllabus, our teaching is centred on three key areas;

1.To gain Knowledge about world religions and worldviews.

This entails having the key facts and awareness of the major world religions including humanistic perspectives, with special attention given to the religions within our school and community. Alongside this, it outlines the key values of our wider British society and how faith has played a role in shaping this within the UK.

2.To express appreciation and appraisal of different ideas.

As we are a multicultural school, we seek to build a highly respectful atmosphere of learning about other faith perspectives, emphasising tolerance and understanding. Every topic must be studied from a base of mutual co-existence and empathy. Alongside this, children are given the space to discuss what they have learnt and evaluate it from their own perspective.

3.To gain skills needed to engage with religions and other worldviews.

Children at Arboretum are given opportunities to develop skills in the study of R.E., which are transferrable to Literacy and other Humanities subjects. Unbiased enquiry into other faiths, critical thinking skills, evidence based argumentation, understanding philosophical premises and the ability to clearly articulate someone else’s point of view are all key to building a community of respectful yet freethinking learners.

Teaching and Learning in Religious Education

RE is a core subject as is taught mainly within our RE weeks at Arboretum, by our excellent teaching staff. Teachers communicate high expectations, enthusiasm and passion about RE to pupils and use the knowledge progressions to ensure pupils have a clear grasp of the purpose and direction of their learning and how it is extending their subject understanding. Through reflection and collaborative planning, teachers develop a high level of confidence and expertise both in terms of their specialist knowledge and their understanding of effective learning in R.E. We aim for pupils to secure outstanding progress due to carefully planned, imaginative lessons.

RE across the Curriculum

Also key to comprehensively delivering R.E. at Arboretum, is through its links with other areas of the curriculum. For example English, Science, the other Humanities and the Arts, to enable pupils to see connections between RE and their wider learning. In PSHE and particular focus months (such as Black History Month) children are presented with opportunities to employ their gained knowledge, ideas and skills in wider social topics. These also come to the fore in assemblies, where a religious/moral focus is presented weekly. Alongside this, trips and visitors (either digital or in person) contribute to provide a ‘human face’ to the children’s learning. Many of these incorporate our children getting involved in a social cause or working directly with a religious organisation as they express their faith in the world for the greater good of others.

Subject Leadership in RE

We are committed to provide exceptional Subject Leadership, promoting a culture of high expectations and reflective practice. To achieve this, our subject leaders actively engage with all phases in the planning and teaching of RE, sourcing high-quality and innovative resources that will inspire curiosity and engagement from our children. Leaders also facilitate whole school displays of work, representing the diverse means of reflection throughout school and a corporate sense of learning.