Religious Education

Intent

Religious Education is concerned with spiritual, moral, cultural and social growth, encouraging children to explore and ask big questions about life, whilst discovering and celebrating their own and others' beliefs. Through progressive learning of key knowledge within core religions, pupils have the opportunity to develop a sense of self worth, respect those that hold different beliefs and customs and encourage a desire to seek after truth.

At Manor Park, pupils, parents and staff hold a wide variety of beliefs and values, but there are common shared values that are of worth and relevance.  It is these we seek to reflect and celebrate. 

Religious Education at Manor Park provides educational experiences, which will enhance pupils understanding and enable them to acquire and develop both substantive and disciplinary knowledge of Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism and an awareness of other principal religions reflected in the school community. The progressive and sequenced teaching of RE will give the children the tools and confidence to discuss and understand a range of religions and world views, express ideas and insights about the nature, significance and impact of religions and world views. Through discussion, childen will develop their personal skills and be able to articulate their own opinions. Our approach aims to nurture inquisitive minds that respect and tolerate people of all cultures, backgrounds, faith and beliefs. It is for children to gain an understanding of the influence of beliefs, values and traditions on the way people live so that they can have reasoned and informed attitudes to religious and moral issues and show positive attitudes towards others as they grow up and live in a religiously diverse society.

Implementation

Our RE curriculum is adapted from the Sutton SACRE and the Yorkshire Scheme of work agreed syllabus's. The curriculum focuses primarily on Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism. These six main religions are taught across EYFS, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 with clear progression of knowledge, skills and vocabulary.  The amount of time spent on each religion across the school reflects the school and local community. As pupils progress through school they learn about key festivals and celebrations, religious buildings, books, stories, ideas and opinions in a way that suits their age, understanding and development.

The teaching of skills is progressive and promotes enquiry based, open-ended learning that encourages questioning, making comparisons, explaining, expressing, discussing, exploring religious stories and vocabulary, developing insight, knowledge, empathy and respect. Each year group has an annual Big Question to aid pupils in covering the AT2 - Reflection and Response objectives.

Please see below for the whole school RE Overview and Progression Map.

Pupils have the opportunity to experience a trip or workshop for each of the six main religions at least once during their time at Manor Park. Each term, we also participate in assemblies led by Sutton Schools Work as well as participating in the annual Easter Experience at Sutton Baptist Church. 

Impact

The impact our RE curriculum is evidenced in a number of ways, including:

• Pupil’s voice
• Through connections made during other Transdisciplinary inquiry
• Action that individuals, year groups or the whole school take part in
• Through the respect that pupils show for others of different faiths and beliefs to their own

The teaching of RE skills enable pupils to know and understand about a range of religions and world views, express ideas about the nature, significance and impact of religions and world views. Religious Education fulfils a vital role within the curriculum and is relevant to all pupils, regardless of their religious (or non- religious) background. It introduces them to a world beyond their own experience of culture and belief, enabling them to make links between their own lives and that of those in their community and in the wider world, developing an understanding of other people’s cultures, reasons for being and ways of life. As such, RE is invaluable in a rapidly changing world.

RE Enrichment

At Manor Park school, we celebrate and learn about a variety of religions from nursery through to year 6. Children follow a diverse range of religions, having often moved to Sutton from other countries all over the world; we aim to ensure that children acquire the knowledge to understand and respect other faiths. We enhance their learning by providing an extensive range of workshops, trips and themed days throughout the year in order to create memorable learning experiences. 

Across the school, themed days and months are celebrated to ensure that children are aware of key dates and festivals within other religions, for example 'Holi', 'World Religion Day', 'Easter' and 'Ramadan'. Children will benefit from themed assemblies on these days, as well as activities that can be completed in class; children are also given a chance to share their own experiences and knowledge about their own religions during these times and throughout the year. We have assemblies led by the 'Sutton Church Service', who share key parts of the Christian religion with the school. 

Trips and workshops are intertwined within the RE curriculum, where every year group from year 1 to year 6 travel outside of school to visit religious buildings. Specialist leaders then talk to the children about different areas of their religions, including looking at traditional clothing and services that may take place. These trips and workshops include: The Shang Dynasty workshop in year 5, a Christmas workshop and synagogue visit in year 3 and a visit to Sutton Muslim centre in year 2. 

The Sutton Agreed Syllabus

Although RE is a statutory requirement for all schools, it isn’t part of the national curriculum. SACRE agrees the RE syllabus used in maintained Sutton schools and holds a conference to review the syllabus every five years. 

The Sutton Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education for KS1/KS2 and KS3 were reviewed in 2015 and 2017 and again in 2020/2021. Reviews are in-line with the Education Act, which now contains a new section on Assessment as guidance for schools.

Read the Sutton Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education