Religious Education
Curriculum subject leader: Mrs Hannah Trickett
Religious Education (RE) Curriculum- 2020 and beyond
A studier of religion at Maple Cross is a pupil who is taught to think deeply, question and reflect upon the views, values and beliefs of others as well as themselves.
RE follows the locally agreed syllabus by Hertfordshire County Council. The current syllabus runs from 2023 until 2028. At Maple Cross JMI and Nursery we follow our locally agreed syllabus using Jigsaw RE to fulfil our local needs.
Jigsaw RE is an enquiry-based scheme of work, covering the principal world faiths and humanism in a progressive way from Nursery to Year 6. In the early years, the learning is closely matched to Development Matters to contribute meaningfully to your child’s holistic development. Throughout all the enquiries, the children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is carefully considered.
Each enquiry lasts for half a term and begins with a “big” question such as “What is the best way for a Christian/Jew/Muslim etc. to show commitment to God?” The children then start discussing the theme of the enquiry (in this case, commitment) from their own experience. What have they shown commitment to? Brownies? Cubs? Their sporting team? Playing an instrument?
Only when the children fully understand the concept they are considering, do they then move on to investigating what the people following the studied religion or worldview believe about it. They will spend approximately 3 lessons on this, learning in a variety of ways, so they can adapt their responses and come to a measured conclusion. In week 5 they will complete an activity which can assess their learning, by answering their “big” question. The assessment activities are child friendly and can be answered in a variety of ways, as long as the child can justify their view with the knowledge they have gained throughout the enquiry. This demonstrates the level of critical thinking that the children can apply – a valuable skill for them throughout the school curriculum.
The final week in every enquiry gives the children time to reflect on what they have learnt about the concept and apply to it their own lives, thus allowing them to form their own beliefs and identity. For example, learning that Sikhs share their food with all who attend has taught me ……… about sharing that I would like to take forward with me. These lessons are often very creative and children have opportunities to make items to express themselves in ways other than just writing.
information for parents 2023.pdf
The aim of the RE curriculum at Maple Cross School is to raise children’s aspirations.
RE raises aspirations when our pupils learn about people, celebrations and traditions from their community and their wider world. Children visit many places of worship within our local community and London as well as inviting members of religious communities into school to host workshops and share personal stories.
The RE curriculum will recognise, acknowledge and celebrate the children’s various starting points and concurrently provide opportunities to broaden and enrich their horizons.
We recognise and respect the different religious beliefs, including those pupils and families with no religious belief, across our community. Pupils share proudly their family and its traditions when they start in EYFS and home visits allow school to know the personal story of each pupil.
The structure of the RE curriculum is informed by both professional research and the context, needs and interests of the children.
The RE curriculum leader works with guidance from Hertfordshire and the locally agreed syllabus as well as making links within the local community and the expert of families within school. Families of different communities share their own personal knowledge, experiences and traditions.
The curriculum will focus on the growth of and deepening in knowledge, the development and application of skills, the exposure to challenging concepts and the exploration of values and attitudes.
Connections and links within and across the RE curriculum will be made to promote and support learning. The curriculum will develop children as lead learners by developing inquisitive and curious minds and by providing them with opportunities to crucially reflect
Links with organisations such as The Holocaust Education Trust allow are pupils to learn about the interconnections of RE with other areas of learning. Links are always purposeful.
RE Charter
EYFS progression document
Useful Websites links for pupils, parents and families
Many places of worship have useful websites and welcome visitors.