RE

Religious Education at Farnborough Grange

Intent 

At Farnborough Grange Nursery and Infant School, we believe that Religious Education is central to providing the pupils with the knowledge, values and skills that they will need in order to participate as individuals in their community life, and also to understand the world better as global citizens. Our RE lessons encourage our pupils to develop a strong sense of who they are and what they believe, enabling them to express viewpoints thoughtfully and respectfully. RE is unique as a subject as it gives us the opportunity to examine difference and appreciate everyone’s beliefs and worldviews. We ensure that our children leave with a good understanding of Christianity, Judaism and Islam. In line with our school values, we teach our children to respect all differences and to recognise and celebrate the community that they belong in.   

We have ensured the curriculum for RE contains the right content and progression through each Key Stage because curriculum overviews were created following the Surrey Agreed Syllabus for RE (2023-2028).  


Implementation 

We follow the Agreed Syllabus for Surrey (2023-2028). Therefore, the RE curriculum is implemented at each stage in the following ways:

EYFS

  • In Nursery, children are taught in line with the objectives outlined in Development Matters. They are encouraged to notice differences between people and to develop positive attitudes about these differences. 

  • In Reception, children’s learning is focused around key questions which link directly to their own life experiences, for example, ‘What makes a place special?’. Pupils are given learning experiences that encourage them to: 

  • explore the world of religion and worldviews in terms of special people, stories, times, places and objects, and by visiting places of worship  

  • use appropriate subject-specific vocabulary  

  • explore how and why ‘God’ might be important to some people  

  • listen to and talk about stories from religion and worldviews  

  • use their senses to explore religion, worldviews, practices and beliefs  

  • continue to develop their own sense of who they are and their place in the world, including the communities they are a part of  

  • reflect on their own feelings and experiences  

  • use their imagination and curiosity to develop their awe and wonder of the world around them. 

  • The golden threads of ‘God’, ‘Community’ and ‘Identity’ run throughout all of the children’s learning in RE.  

  • Children have the opportunity to apply their learning in engaging and exciting experiences within Discovery Time.

KS1

  • In Year 1, children are introduced to the study of selected key concepts within Christianity, Judaism and Islam, incorporating appropriate elements of non-religious worldviews. There are also thematic units which are designed to draw together learning across a year group & help to build children's schemata. 

  • Through their learning experiences in KS1, pupils will develop their understanding of the Golden Threads of ‘God’ ‘Community’ & ‘Identity’. 

  • The children will be encouraged to:  

  • explore core concepts & beliefs for Christian, Jewish & Muslim people, and appreciate that some people call themselves ‘non-religious’  

  • develop subject specific vocabulary  

  • encounter how different people view the world in different ways  

  • encounter and respond to ways in which people express their beliefs (e.g. stories, artefacts and other media, such as art and music – and what they might ‘mean’)  

  • begin to understand the importance and value of religion and belief for different people, especially other children, their families and the communities they belong to  

  • ask relevant questions and develop a sense of wonder & curiosity about the world around them, using their imagination  

  • ask questions and express their own views about what it means to be human: what’s important to themselves and to others, valuing themselves, reflecting on their own feelings and experiences and developing a sense of belonging

Provision for key groups at our school

  • We strive to ensure that all pupils, regardless of their ability or additional needs, have equal access to high-quality RE education.  

  • Differentiation/scaffolding strategies are employed to support learners who require additional help, and gifted and talented pupils are appropriately challenged. 

  • Provision is made for pupils with physical disabilities or sensory impairments to participate fully in all activities. 

  • We promote a respectful and supportive learning environment, where pupils value and celebrate each other's contributions 

  • We expect all pupils to experience the full breadth of our curriculum, but parents/carers have the right to withdraw their child from all/part of RE should they wish, in consultation with the Headteacher.

Wider opportunities  

  • Children are given the opportunity to visit local places of worship to bring their understanding of religion to life.  

  • As a school, we mark and celebrate a vast variety of diverse festivals.  

  • Different religious leaders are invited into school to lead the children in collective worship.  

 
Impact 

The children at Farnborough Grange enjoy learning about other religions and why people choose or choose not to follow a religion. They respect differences amongst people and are able to identify the special community in which they belong.  

Through their R.E. learning, the children are able to: 

  • make links between their own lives and those of others in their community and in the wider world 

  • develop an understanding of other people’s cultures and ways of life 

  • extend their knowledge and understanding of religions and beliefs 

  • develop a religious vocabulary and interpret religious symbolism in a variety of forms 

  • reflect on questions of meaning, offering their own thoughtful and informed insights into religious and secular world views 

  • explore ultimate questions of beliefs and values in relation to a range of contemporary issues in an ever-changing society 

This will help them become successful members of modern British society, preparing them for the challenges and opportunities they will face.


What do our children learn in RE?

RE Curriculum Overview

Whole School Curriculum for RE 2023-2038


Religious Education Statement

  • In our school, Religious Education is a part of a broad and balanced curriculum. All pupils receive RE in accordance with the Surrey Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education (2023-2028). This can be viewed here.

  • Within our website, you will find details about the RE that is taught in each year group.

  • We expect all pupils to experience the full breadth of our curriculum, but should parents or carers wish to exercise the right of withdrawal for all or part of RE, they should consult the Headteacher.

Our Year 2 children visited the Church of the Good Shepherd where they had a go at making their own torahs. 

Gallery ImageGallery Image