At Ackton Pastures Primary Academy, Religious Education is delivered through regular classroom lessons. The scheme of work on which we base our lessons was updated and amended according to the Wakefield Agreed Syllabus.
Further to this assemblies are used as an opportunity to help children to reflect on their own experiences and to recognise and celebrate the values and beliefs of the whole community, both in school and the wider world.
It is our intention to enable our pupils to acquire and develop knowledge and understanding major religions and so contribute to their spiritual and moral development.
Lessons are planned in which children are taught to understand and respect the importance of religious beliefs in the world around them. We aim to ensure that the Religious Education curriculum is challenging, engaging and relevant to pupils of all ages and abilities. Teachers plan lessons in which pupils are encouraged to explore their own beliefs (whether they are religious or non-religious) and provide opportunities which enable children to develop respect for others, including people with different faiths and beliefs.
Teachers have flexibility to decide whether lessons are taught discretly (on a week by week basis) or blocked as a wider theme. This may be seen at Christmas time when work about this Christian celebration is taught. Christian views and practices are referred to regularly to compare and contrast with beliefs in other religions.
Assemblies are used as an opportunity to share and examine faith stories (e.g. The Good Samaritan), explore and celebrate focus weeks (e.g. Anti-bullying), festivals (e.g. Easter, Diwali) and observe ‘special days’ within Secular Britain (e.g. Mothering Sunday, Remembrance).
Leaders monitor the standard of teaching and learning in Religious Education as part of a planned monitoring programme. Systems by which teachers can capture and evaluate learning have been established.
Religious Education is seen as a key component in our role of ensuring our children are able to function well within a modern, multicultural and democratic Britain.