Miss Messenger is the subject leader for Religious Education. This is what she says about her subject. 

I have always been interested in learning about different religions. Having completed an A level in theology, I then went to university to further my studies in Religious Education.

It soon became clear to me that the study of religious belief is one of the great educational forces which lead to understanding of the world. This can be a great force for good, since understanding what is unfamiliar is the best way to learn to respect and value it.

Religious Education can work to destroy prejudice and ignorance and helps to prevent or heal divisions in society, as well as addressing many of the really momentous questions which confront us.

I am committed to creating a positive, safe and nurturing Christian environment, where all members of the school and wider community are respected and valued.

This is what the children say about Religious Education. {Coming soon}

Religious Education

At All Saints Primary School, we have the privilege of providing a rich, broad, balanced curriculum, which is the entitlement of every pupil, against the backdrop of a caring Christian institution within the universal church where each person matters, where each achievement no matter how small is recognised and where each person grows, to recognise the importance of religion in life.

What are our aims?

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.

The curriculum for RE at All Saints Primary School aims to ensure that all pupils:

1. make sense of a range of religious and non-religious beliefs, so that they can:

• identify, describe, explain and analyse beliefs and concepts in the context of living religions, using appropriate vocabulary.

• explain how and why these beliefs are understood in different ways, by individuals and within communities.

• recognise how and why sources of authority (e.g. texts, teachings, traditions, leaders) are used, expressed and interpreted in different ways, developing skills of interpretation.

2. understand the impact and significance of religious and non-religious beliefs, so that they can:

• examine and explain how and why people express their beliefs in diverse ways.

• recognise and account for ways in which people put their beliefs into action in diverse ways, in their everyday lives, within their communities and in the wider world.

• appreciate and appraise the significance of different ways of life and ways of expressing meaning.

3. make connections between religious and non-religious beliefs, concepts, practices and ideas studied, so that they can:

• evaluate, reflect on and enquire into key concepts and questions studied, responding thoughtfully and creatively, giving good reasons for their responses.

• challenge the ideas studied, and allow the ideas studied to challenge their own thinking, articulating beliefs, values and commitments clearly in response.

• discern possible connections between the ideas studied and their own ways of understanding the world, expressing their critical responses and personal reflections with increasing clarity and understanding. 

How is RE assessed?

Assessment requires teachers to know what individual pupils know and can do. The learning outcomes on each key question outline will help teachers to assess this, and to devise appropriate learning activities to enable pupils to secure their understanding and skills.

Using the unit learning outcomes as stepping stones towards the end of phase outcomes will allow teachers to track progress across a year group. 

Class teachers use their own professional judgement and look at work samples, recall discussions and other responses to teaching and learning and then record whether a pupil is (for example) working towards, meeting expectations or exceeding the specific unit outcomes. 

Resources

We use a range of resources to teach Religious Education. Encouragement is given to the children to ask questions in order to gain information, to make comparisons and to understand the various aspects of religion. Religious texts, beliefs, practices and traditions and festivals, together with signs and symbols, are studied and their meaning investigated. The use of religious artefacts make an important contribution to the teaching and learning process. Time and opportunities for reflection are built into the R.E programme at appropriate points.

How can you support your child at home?

We welcome you to take the children to All Saints Church at any time.  We have extremely strong links with the church, through the members of the governing body, many of whom play an active role in the life of the school.

We are also committed to openness and value links with other churches and denominations. 

Our Harvest, Christmas and Easter teachings culminate in celebrations at our church, led by the children. In the summer term the pupils and members of staff who are leaving, reflect on the past and look forward to their future, by sharing with the rest of us the highs and lows of their years at All Saints. It is a celebration of their successes and anticipation of ways in which they hope to consolidate on what they have learnt at our school.