As a school we follow the Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education which has been created by the Cambridgeshire Agreed Syllabus Conference and approved by the Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education. It is the legal basis for Religious Education (RE) in Cambridgeshire and was updated for the start of September 2023. This will be updated again for September 2028. Our school also uses 'The Emmanuel Project' to shape our Religious Education Learning and the Christian modules have been developed from 'Understanding Christianity' from the Diocese of Ely.

We use a 5 step approach to teaching RE in our school. We engage with the core concepts and how this fits in our own lives, we use our enquiry skills to allow the children to develop knowledge and questions relating to the core concept, we explore our understanding of the key question through texts and narrative, community practice and living and then we evaluate our learning and express it through creative approaches.

Our approach provides a coherent framework to allow for deeper levels of knowledge and understanding of religious and non-religious life stances, and to develop respect and sensitivity, so that, as future citizens, the children will value and celebrate cultural and religious diversity, in peaceful co-existence. It also provides opportunities for pupils to explore their own beliefs, values and traditions.

Essential Agreed Syllabus Requirements for Religious Education

• All pupils on the school roll are entitled to receive Religious Education. Information regarding the right to withdraw can be found on page 13 of the Agreed Syllabus 2023-2028 tab.

Aims
The Agreed Syllabus aims to:

The aims of the syllabus are for pupils:

• to develop religious literacy;

• to acquire and develop knowledge and understanding of Christianity and the other principal religions and world views represented locally, nationally, and globally;

• to develop an understanding of the influence of the beliefs, values and traditions on individuals, communities, societies, and cultures;

• to develop attitudes of respect towards other people who hold views and beliefs different from their own;

• to develop the ability to make reasoned and informed judgements about religious issues, with reference to the principal religions and world views represented locally, nationally, and globally.

Religions and worldviews deal with some of the most profound and difficult questions in human life, questions such as:

• What is the purpose of life?

• How should people treat each other?

• How do we explain and cope with death and suffering?

Religions and worldviews approach these issues in complex ways, in ways of life, culture and action, as well as ritual, tradition, story, symbol and belief. RE must take account of this depth and complexity, helping pupils to an understanding appropriate to their age and aptitude.

To do this RE needs to develop pupils' skills:

• to read fluently:

• to enable them to ask questions;

• to discover information, to approach new material with empathy;

• to reflect on their learning. Pupils should not only acquire knowledge but also be able to use their knowledge to understand their world, build community, and develop their personal position.

Throughout the RE curriculum pupils should be encouraged to explore religions and worldviews, engage with their knowledge, and reflect on their learning and their lives, which we are proud that our curriculum delivers.

The aims from the 'Emmanuel Project' document are:

• Offer a complete RE curriculum - A consistent whole school approach to RE is possible with the Emmanuel Project due to its carefully selected content.
• Keep beliefs central to RE teaching and increase religious literacy - Religious Education teaching which is more than labelling pews and places of worship. Instead an approach that enables learners to understand what drives people of faith to live the way they do. This builds each child’s ‘religious literacy’ helping them understand the nature of religion and belief in the world in which they live. Pupils then have the opportunity to learn from this religious belief e.g. reconciliation and put this into practice in their own lives.
• Focus on the concepts at the heart of the religion  - Based on the concept cracking approach of Margaret Cooling. In short, this approach teaches that any key belief or concept can be understood as long as it is ‘cracked open’ in a way a child understands. The engage section in every unit enables this to happen with activities suggested by experienced teachers, before the religious content is introduced. Focussing on a concept ensures each unit is theologically grounded and focused on belief and practice.
• Look at the experience of believers from the point of view of a child - Characters in the scheme such as Tom and Tessa enable pupils to relate to their experiences. Persona dolls are recommended to encourage empathy and inclusion.
• An enquiry approach to every unit -The Emmanuel Project uses big questions as central to its approach. These questions are then explored in different ways. This is not ‘enquiry’ in the traditional sense of pupils setting and exploring their own learning. However, pupils are encouraged to ask their own questions throughout.
• Keep RE balanced with opportunities to explore a religious key concept through the following areas:

(i) Text or Narrative

(ii) Community Practice

(iii) Living

       This teaching and learning approach enables learners to look first at a religious         text before moving on to looking at the impact of this concept in the religious           community and on the life of the individual. This reflects the SIAMS requirement

       for a religious curriculum which reflects a good balance of theology, philosophy

       and human sciences (strand 7 of the SIAMS Schedule).

• Ensure there is a clear progression of knowledge and skills - The Emmanuel Project has clear outcomes for each phase of primary education which build on each other year on year so children know more and can do more.
• Provide support for teachers with their subject knowledge through high quality resources - Each unit includes detailed yet accessible subject knowledge advice for teachers around the key concept being explored. Detailed notes for the teacher also appear throughout each unit as well as suggested resources.

Content
The are two Attainment Targets which support the aims of the subject Religious Education must be relevant to pupils’ own personal development and awareness.

PT1 – Knowledge and understanding of religion and worldviews

Enquiring into, investigating and understanding religions and beliefs. This includes thinking about and interpreting religious beliefs, teachings, sources, practices, ways of life, and ways of expressing meaning with reference to the specific beliefs and religions studied.

PT2 – Responding to religion and worldviews

Questioning, exploring, reflecting upon and interpreting human experience in the light of religions and beliefs studied. This includes communicating reflections, responses and evaluations about questions of identity, belonging, diversity, meaning, purpose, truth, values, and commitments making increasingly insightful links to the specific religions studied.

Our Yearly overview of progress targets can be found in the above tab.

The themes studies in each Key Stage are as followed:

EYFS - Creation, Incarnation and Salvation

Key Stage 1 - Belonging, Stories, Prayer/Worship, Celebrations, Believing, Symbols, Leaders and Teachers.

Key Stage 2 - Religion and the Individual, Symbols, Religions and Expressions, Beliefs in Action in the World, Inspirational People, Religion, Family and Community, Worship, pilgrimage and sacred places, Beliefs and Questions, Teaching and Authority and Life and Death Journey.

Our RE Timetable