In our religious teaching and learning, we aim for our children to leave Beckstone Primary school with:
- A high level of religious understanding and knowledge.
- The ability to ask significant and reflective questions about religion and demonstrate an excellent understanding of issues related to the nature, truth and value of religion.
- A strong understanding of how the beliefs, values, practices and ways of life within any religion cohere together.
- Independence; the ability to think for themselves and take the initiative in, for example, asking questions, carrying out investigations, evaluating ideas and working constructively with others.
- The confidence to think with originality, imagination or creativity, which is shown in responses to their learning in RE.
- The ability to link the study of religion and belief to personal reflections on meaning and purpose.
- A wide knowledge and deep understanding across a wide range of religions and beliefs.
Implementation
Year 1/2
By the end of Key Stage 1 children will be able to demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of:
The Concept of Thankfulness
(Harvest festivals - Christianity and Judaism-Sukkot)
They will:
- recognise how it feels when someone says thank you.
- think of some things to be thankful for.
- know what a harvest is and know that some Christians like to say thank you to God for the harvest.
- help plan our Harvest Festival.
- know that some people like to show their thankfulness by sharing their harvest with others.
- know some facts about the Jewish festival of Sukko.
The Concept of Incarnation
(The good news in the story of Christmas)
They will:
- retell the Christmas story and talk about a favourite person in the story.
- say which parts of the story are good news and which are bad news.
- say which parts of the story are good news to Christians.
- describe a time when they have heard good news.
Concepts in Humanism
They will:
- be familiar with the term – Humanist.
- Know that Humanists believe in working together (or alone) to improve life for everyone and that Humanists believe we should take care of the world.
- know that Humanists are atheists and they do not believe in a deity or deities.
- Recognise the ‘happy human’ logo.
- know how a Humanist family might celebrate the birth or the naming of a child.
How the Church celebrates Easter
They will:
- know the story of the Last Supper and relate the Last Supper to a meal that they have shared.
- explore ways in which the church celebrates Easter.
- recognise that they celebrate Easter as part of their school community.
- understand that candles are a symbol of Jesus as the light of the world.
- recognise other symbols of Easter.
The Concept of God and the covenant in Judaism
They will:
- know that Jews believe in one God who created the universe and know the basic elements of the Genesis story-Jews believe that God made the world from nothing.
- know that the Jewish name for God is Adonai, which means ‘Lord’ and that Jews use the name with great respect, never carelessly and sometimes they write the word as God because of its sacredness.
- recognise the Star of David as a symbol of Judaism.
- know that Jews live all over the world and that Israel is special to Jews.
The Concept of Belonging
They will:
- think about who they are and where they belong.
- reflect on their own understanding of belonging and understand what belonging means.
- recognise baptism as a sign of belonging in Christianity.
- recognise symbols of belonging.
- recognise signs of belonging in Judaism.
The Concept of Giving and Receiving
They will:
- become familiar with the first Christmas story.
- recognise customs associated with Christmas-giving and receiving gifts and cards.
- recognise Christmas as a time of joy, hope and happiness.
The Concept of Forgiveness in Christianity
They will:
- explain what forgiveness means.
- choose an inspiring hero of their own.
- recognise that Jesus taught that people should be kind to everyone.
- understand the message in the story of Zacchaeus. And relate the story of Zacchaeus to their own lives.
- identify the Lord’s Prayer as a special prayer for Christians.
- suggest what Christians might find inspiring about Jesus.
- think of ways to help people make the right choices.
- create a piece of art which reflects my thoughts about Jesus.
The Concept of Salvation in Christianity
They will:
- know the Christian holy book is called the Bible and it is divided into two parts.
- recognise some Christian symbols.
- know and retell the story of Palm Sunday.
- recognise that Christians believe that Jesus died and rose, giving hope of a new life.
- recognise the cross as a symbol of Christianity.
- recall the story of the Last Supper.
- demonstrate their understanding of the resurrection through art.
The Concept of Torah in Judaism
They will:
- recognise the Bible as a special book.
- recognise the Torah as a very special book.
- know that the Torah is the most important part of Jewish scriptures.
- know that Jews live by the rules of the Torah.
- think about rules that they would like to live by.
- understand how Jews observe the Sabbath.
- use role play to learn about Shabbat.
- recognise some of the ways Jews celebrate Simchat Torah.
Year 3/4
By the end of Lower Key Stage 2, children will be able to demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of:
The Concept of Atman in Hinduism
They will:
- know that Hindus believe in a spiritual self or soul called the Atman.
- know that Hindus believe in a ‘Supreme Spirit’ called Brahman.
- reflect on the different aspects of their own character.
- know that Hindus use different forms of the ‘Supreme Spirit’ as a focus for worship.
- recognise one form of Hindu worship.
- know that Hindus have a special place of worship at home for performing puja.
- know that Hindus can perform puja in a place of worship called a mandir.
- understand the concept of dharma.
Light
They will:
- retell the story of Rama and Sita.
- identify why the story of Rama and Sita is important to Hindus.
- identify ways in which the story of Divali can help Hindus.
- reflect on ways I can do the right thing.
- identify the significance of light in religious stories.
- describe different ways of showing Jesus in art.
Concepts in Humanism
They will:
- be able to say what the ‘happy human’ logo tells us about the Humanist perspective.
- understand that Humanists do not believe in gods.
- understand that Humanists are concerned with the happiness and peace of individuals and societies.
- think about our own personal values.
- know that humanists believe in doing good and that Humanism is an alternative to religion.
- begin to understand that non-religious people can have codes for living.
Easter
They will:
- understand the events of Palm Sunday.
- know when Palm Sunday falls in the Holy Week calendar.
- know that Palm Sunday links with Ash Wednesday.
- know the signs and symbols of Palm Sunday and the Palm cross.
- understand why places of worship are special.
- know what activities are allowed in places of worship.
- understand the significance of the resurrection to Christians.
The Concept of God and the Covenant in Judaism
They will:
- retell the story of Moses in the bulrushes.
- show some understanding of why Moses fled into the desert.
- predict how Moses might have felt when he was asked to return to Egypt.
- think of a time when they have felt reluctant.
- know the story of the 10 plagues.
- be able to recall some facts about the Seder plate and recognise the symbolism of the Seder plate.
- know that the Bible says that Moses received the 10 commandments from God.
- understand that the Jews made a covenant with God to live by the rules and write own rules for life.
Christmas Journeys
They will:
- understand that people make special journeys to places of religious significance.
- recognise the importance of Bethlehem for many Christians.
- know the story of Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem.
- understand the importance of the story of Jesus’ birth in Christianity.
- explain the significance to Christians of key features of the nativity story.
- understand that music can be used to give a religious message and to appreciate that the basis of this music is the story they have listened to.
- learn about ways in which beliefs and religious ideas can be expressed through words and music, art and literature.
- learn that although the people in the story lived in a very different world, their emotions would have been similar to those of people today and that fear and jealousy continue to cause problems.
The Concept of Incarnation
They will:
- describe and make links between the representations of Jesus and the beliefs of different artists.
- create their own image of Jesus.
- know the meaning of the word ‘miracle’.
- retell a story of one of Jesus’ miracles.
- understand some of the symbolic language used to describe Jesus.
- suggest a meaning for some of the parables of Jesus.
- understand that some Christians are inspired by Jesus.
- draw or describe some of the important things that Christians believe about Jesus.
- describe how believing in Jesus might make a difference to a Christian’s life.
The Concept of Salvation in Christianity
They will:
- understand the meaning of Salvation.
- recognise that Christians refer to Jesus as ‘the Saviour’.
- draw their own image of Jesus as ‘the Saviour’.
- know the story of Adam and Eve.
- understand why Christians refer to Jesus as ‘the Saviour.’
The Concept of Atman in Hinduism
They will:
- know that Hindus believe in a spiritual self or soul called the Atman and believe in a ‘Supreme Spirit’ called Brahman.
- reflect on the different aspects of their own character.
- know that Hindus use different forms of the ‘Supreme Spirit’ as a focus for worship.
- recognise one form of Hindu worship.
- know that Hindus have a special place of worship at home for performing puja.
- know that Hindus can perform puja in a place of worship called a mandir.
- understand the concept of dharma.
Year 5/6
By the end of Upper Key Stage 2, children will be able to demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of:
Concepts in Humanism
They will:
- know what the ‘happy human’ logo tells us about the Humanist perspective.
- be able to say why Humanism is a life stance but not a religion.
- know that some Humanists are agnostic.
- know how Humanists celebrate marriage and how this differs from a religious ceremony.
- explain the contribution to the world of a Humanist scientist ie Marie Curie, Albert Einsten, Helen Caldicott.
- give examples of the Humanist perspective informing music, song, poetry, literature and art, e.g. Lennon’s Imagine.
- be aware of the work of the British Humanist Association (BHA) in promoting understanding of Humanism.
Pilgramages
They will:
- understand the difference between a pilgrimage and a holiday and that Christians still make pilgrimages today.
- that Hajj is an important pilgrimage for Muslims.
- that Jerusalem is important to Muslims, Christians and Jews and why.
- understand that pilgrimage is an inner journey.
Rites of Passage
They will:
- consider how to mark stages in life.
- draw and recognise the main symbols used in baptism.
- understand what a Bar/Bat Mizvah is.
- understand why people get married and identify symbols relating to a wedding.
- identify similarities and differences between Jewish and Christian wedding celebrations.
The Concept of God and the Covenant in Judaism
They will:
- identify the Star of David as a symbol of Judaism.
- understand why Jews consider Yom Kippur as the holiest day of the year.
- know when Jewish people become responsible for following the Torah.
- recognise that Jewish people regard Abraham as the father of Judaism.
- retell the story of Abraham and Isaac.
The Concept of Incarnation in Christianity
They will:
- understand two different points of view about the birth of Jesus.
- give reasons why I think a work of art can be an expression of Christian belief.
- create a work of art that demonstrates my understanding of ‘incarnation’.
- find evidence of Christian beliefs.
The Concept of Leadership
They will:
- give examples of some qualities that make a good leader.
- describe who inspires me.
- make links between Gandhi’s beliefs and the way he chose to live his life.
- say what impact believing in Jesus might have on a Christian’s life.
- express my own ideas about Christian values.
- find similarities and differences between the beliefs and stories about Jesus in Christianity and Islam.
- explain the significance of Prophet Mohammed to Muslims.
The Concept of Salvation
They will:
- know the meaning of the word ‘atonement’ in Christianity.
- know that Christians emphasize that Jesus is the Saviour and through his death the sins of humanity are forgiven.
- understand that Christians believe that Jesus died to atone for their sins.
- recognise that Christians believe that Jesus rose again.
- know why Easter is an important Christian festival.
The Concept of Worship
They will:
- name some places and artefacts involved in worship.
- know what worship is important to some people.
- identify how some people worship and know what worship means to some people.
- use some religious vocabulary to describe the way some people pray.
- identify some of the places where people show their devotion to God.
- express my learning through music, talk and movement.
- think about their own spiritual place.
