Religious Education

A World citizen from Three Rivers Foundation will:

• Be interested in learning about different World Views
• Show respect to the different beliefs and traditions of others
• Have a broad knowledge of a variety of beliefs, traditions, values and cultures
• Explore awe and wonder through asking questions and discussion
• Make links across different faiths and beliefs
• Refer to different scriptures

We follow the Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education (SACRE) produced by The Educational Framework for Religious Education in Devon. Religious Education (RE) is taught to all children except those who are taken out by their parents. Our teaching promotes the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of our pupils. It reflects the fact that the religious traditions in Great Britain are in the main Christian whilst taking account of the teaching and practices of other principal religions represented in Great Britain. Our teaching enables pupils to acquire knowledge and understanding of religious beliefs, attitudes, practices and rituals. They will also develop their own beliefs and values. They will also be aware that some people have no attachment to religious beliefs and follow secular philosophies.

Intent

Our mission statement, aims and values are at the core of Stoke Canon. We all aspire to make them evident in all we do and by doing so give the children strong foundations for their future lives. Our Mission Statement is 'Nurture and grow together - through compassion, integrity and kindness' and we encourage our pupils to embody these values and live "life in all its fullness" John 10:10. Christian ethos is at the heart of our school community. The principal aim of religious education is to explore what people believe and what difference this makes to how they live, so that pupils can gain the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to handle questions raised by religion and belief, reflecting on their own ideas and ways of living.

Implementation

As the children progress through the school they will learn about different religious and non-religious world views. In KS1 children will learn about Christianity, Judaism and Islam, as well as non-religious world views. In KS2 children will revisit these religious and non-religious world views, but will also learn about Hinduism. We provide a space for all children to express their home faith or worldview, however our teaching is rooted in the Church of England. We follow the Devon/Torbay Agreed Syllabus and use Understanding Christianity to complement this.

Impact

In RE we aim to give children a grounded understanding of Christianity and religious and non-religious world views through encounters with living world views. An important aim of RE is that children are encouraged to reflect on their learning and make their own decisions about what they believe. The aim of RE is not to make children into religious believers, but to understand that religion and world views still influence and sustain many people in the world today. Also, to consider the wisdom of traditions within religious and non-religious world views, and reflect on what they might take from these.

Religious Education DfE Guidance

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/religious-education-guidance-in-english-schools-nonstatutory-guidance-2010

PSHE

A citizen from Three Rivers Federation will:

• respect and value differences between people in their community and the world.
• show respect for themselves, others and their community.
• feel safe, secure and resilient enough to fulfill their potential.
• thrive as happy, successful and productive individuals, family members and members of society.
• know how to foster their own wellbeing and feel confident in real-life situations.
• be kind to themselves, others and the environment.

Intent

At Stoke Canon C of E Primary School we believe PSHE (personal, social, health and education) plays a vital part in primary education.  PSHE enables our children to acquire the knowledge, understanding and skills they need to manage their lives.  As part of a whole school approach, our aim is to develop the qualities and attributes pupils need to thrive as happy, successful and productive individuals, family members and members of society.  We aim to prepare them to manage many of the most critical opportunities, challenges and responsibilities they will face growing up in such rapidly changing and challenging times (and take these management skills into adulthood).  Our intention is that PSHE will foster pupils’ wellbeing and confidence, helping them to connect their PSHE skills and understanding to all subjects and to practical, real-life situations.  We intend that our PSHE teaching and their ongoing development and understanding in PSHE will help them to feel safe and secure enough to fulfil their academic potential.  Furthermore, we aim to provide our children with opportunities for them to learn about rights and responsibilities and appreciate what it means to be a member of a diverse society. 

Implementation

All our year groups have timetabled PSHE lessons and we use the spiral scheme of work SCARF (Safety, Caring, Achievement, Resilience, Friendship) from reception to year 6 to create our PSHE curriculum that ensures progression, development and consolidation of the knowledge, understanding and skills our pupils need.  Please see our overview of PSHE planning below.  These skills are not just taught in isolation, but across the school day in incidental opportunities to support children, in assemblies, school clubs, circle time, visits and trips, community and school events, break times and within other lessons.  Some of our key visits include CAP UK who support us by delivering regular workshops on online and personal safety.  

In our programme (planned and integrated within the school day) we actively promote British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs to prepare our pupils for life in modern day Britain.  Pupils learn about similarities and differences between people and cultures and our citizenship lessons enable our pupils to understand the British democratic process, including how to affect peaceful changes in society.  

Impact

Through our PSHE curriculum, we believe we can enhance children’s education and help them to become caring, respectful, responsible and confident individuals and citizens.  Children will have the knowledge of how to develop their self-esteem and self-awareness and make informed choices and decisions. They will be able to make sense of their own personal and social experiences and will be able to understand and manage their own feelings. 

• Children will demonstrate and apply the British Values of Democracy, Tolerance, Mutual Respect, Rule of Law and Individual Liberty 

• Children will demonstrate a healthy outlook towards school

• Children will demonstrate understanding of how to keep themselves healthy

• Children will understand how to keep themselves safe at school, in the community and locality and wider world (including online)

• Children will develop positive and healthy relationships with peers, both now and in the future

• Children will understand the physical and emotional aspects involved in RSE at an age appropriate level

• Children will have respect for themselves

• Children will have positive body images

Children’s progress in PSHE is monitored through the year and these assessments are used to identify further areas of development.  PSHE assessment is measured against the pupil’s own starting points.  Children also reflect on their own PSHE learning to further their own progress and development.

Statutory PSHE and Relationships Education Curriculum (including Parent Consultation)

From September 2020, we are now required to teach Relationships Education as part of our PSHE curriculum.  These documents published by the DfE (Department of Education) can be viewed below.  A draft Relationships Education policy is now in place and available below to view. We welcome your comments on the policy.  High quality Relationships Education in primary schools will be focused on the fundamental building blocks and characteristics of positive relationships with particular reference to friendships, family relationships, and relationships with other children and adults. In school we are teaching through the SCARF programme which builds in all aspects of relationship education. The Relationships Education curriculum will be based around these topics: ‘Families and people who care for me’, ‘Caring friendships’, ‘Respectful relationships’, ‘Online relationships’, ‘Being safe’.  If you’d like more information on what Relationships Education will include, please see pages 19 - 22 of the DfE document ‘Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education and Health Guidance’ (please note that Relationships and Sex Education is mandatory at secondary level only).

National Curriculum PSHE programmes of Study

Personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)