RE
Our aim at Wymondley School is for all children to be inspired and excited by religious education. We do this by providing children with an experiential and mindful approach to RE. This includes giving our children opportunities to go on local trips to religious settings, as well as inviting visitors from different religious settings in the community to visit classes. In order to enhance children’s knowledge and understanding of the subject, we are committed to providing ample opportunities for children to learn about different religions in a fun, engaging way, enabling children to be able to talk confidently about their learning in RE and remember it. Children celebrate their learning in many ways, including; through drama, role play, art, debate and collaborative group work. We invite children to share celebrations from home in the classroom too.
Teaching and learning in RE follows these key 6 principles:
- Beliefs and Practices
- Sources of Wisdom
- Symbols and Actions
- Prayer, Worship and Reflection
- Identity and Belonging
- Ultimate Questions
- Human Responsibility and Values
- Justice and Fairness
In years 1 – 6, children have RE lessons, covering a wide range of beliefs and practices. Please see the overview below to see how the skills and knowledge progress as children move through the school, revisiting the same subject areas to build on prior knowledge.
Reception
In Early Years, children explore the world around them through accessing their provision. They are given opportunities to celebrate festivals and celebrations such as Diwali, Christmas and Chinese New Year. Children are taught about the symbols and religious buildings that may be associated with these celebrations. Children are taught about ceremonies including weddings and baptisms. Children in Reception are taught to understand that people have different beliefs and enjoy learning about them through active and engaging exploration.
RE at Wymondley is taught following the Hertfordshire Agreed Syllabus through the following content...
 | Year 1/2 | Year 3/4 | Year 5/6 |
| Cycle A | Sources of Wisdom Beliefs and Practices Symbols and Actions - Diwali Beliefs and Practices - Easter Identity and Belonging Human Responsibility and Values Justice and Fairness
| Christianity, Islam, Sikhism Ultimate Questions Justice and Fairness Symbols and Actions Identity and Belonging Belief and Practices Human Responsibility and Values Sources of Wisdom
| Judaism, Christianity Belief and Practices Symbols and Actions Identity and Belonging Prayer, Worship and Reflection Sources of Wisdom Ultimate Questions Human Responsibility and Values Justice and Fairness |
| Cycle B | Prayer, Worship and Reflection Beliefs and Practices - Christmas, Diwali, Hanukkah Ultimate Questions Beliefs and Practices - Easter, Eid, Holi Justice & Fairness Human Responsibility and Values
| Christianity, Islam, Sikhism, Hinduism Belief and Practices Respect for People & Human Rights Sources of Wisdom Belief that people can bring about change Identity and Belonging Sense of Identity & Self-esteem | Buddhism, Christianity Human Responsibility and Values Justice and Fairness Sources of Wisdom Symbols and Actions Identity and Belonging Ultimate Questions
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| Enrichment Opportunities | Links across the curriculum |
Harvest shared assembly Wheatsheaf making workshop Christmas performance Carols by Candlelight Christingle service and making Easter shared assembly Celebrating main festivals in class through linked activities Reflection time in classrooms Guest speakers/class visits to places of worship St Alban's Cathedral activity days | Stories from different cultures (English/PSHE) Diwali artwork, rangoli patterns (Art and Maths)
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Through this content, the children learn and develop the following skills...
EYFS | KS1 | Lower KS2 | Upper KS2 | |
| Beliefs and Practices | Explore different ways of living including beliefs and festivals.
| Give examples of different beliefs and practices, including festivals, worship, rituals and ways of life and explain some meanings behind them. | Describe, make connections and reflect on some religious beliefs and practices studied, including how celebrations and key moments in life are marked.
| Describe, make connections and reflect on some religious and worldwide view studied, using specific religious vocabulary, about how celebrations and key moments in life are marked by different communities. |
| Sources of Wisdom | Listen and respond to religious stories.
| Retell and suggest meanings to some religious and moral stories; think, talk and ask questions about some sacred writings and sources of wisdom and the traditions from which they come. | Show awareness, describe and interpret a range of stories, sacred writings, psalms, poems, hymns, prayers and artefacts. Develop an understanding of the impact on individual believers.
| Show awareness, respond to and interpret a range of stories, sacred writing and sources of wisdom, recognising and understanding the impact within different communities and on individual believers.
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| Symbols and Actions | Communicate about people, places, religious symbols and artefacts.
| Give examples of symbols and actions explaining how and why they express religious meaning; notice some similarities between communities.
| Explain how a range of beliefs, symbolic expression and actions can communicate meaning to individual followers. Describe some similarities between communities.
| Compare how and why a range of beliefs, expression and actions communicate different meaning to individuals within different communities. Identify and describe similarities and difference between and within communities. |
Prayer, Worship, Reflection | Communicate through talk or gesture about prayer. Participate in periods of stillness and reflection.
| Explore how and where worshippers' connect to prayer and worship. Participate in periods of stillness and reflection.
| Describe why and where worshippers' connect to prayer and worship. Participate in periods of stillness and quiet thought and where appropriate express personal reflections. | Through enquiry and experience, demonstrate worshippers' connection to prayer faith and sacred spaces.
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| Identity and Belonging | Show awareness of things and people that matter to them.
| Talk with others about how groups express who they are and how individuals belong to communities including faith groups. Describe what a leader does and why.
| Show and understanding of some of the challenges individuals face when belonging to a faith community. Demonstrate how it may help them. Explore how some religious people are guided by their religious leaders. | Show and express insights into the challenges of individual commitment, belonging and faith. Raise questions on guidance and leadership in their own and others' lives.
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| Ultimate Questions | Use imagination and curiosity to develop their wonder of the world and ask questions about it. | Ask and answer a range of 'how' and 'why' questions about belonging, meaning and truth expressing their own ideas and opinions. | Respond to a range of challenging 'if' and 'why' questions about making sense of the world, expressing personal reflections. | Present a range of views and answers to challenging questions about belonging, meaning and truth.
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| Human Responsibility and Values | Explore how people show concern for each other and the world around them.
| Tell stories and share real life examples of how people show care and concern for humanity in the world; think, talk and ask questions about why people do this.
| Illustrate how diverse communities can live together respectfully sharing the same important values and sense of responsibility.
| Explain how diverse communities can live together identifying common values, justice, respect and shared human responsibility. Use personal and critical responses to challenge how individual and collective responsibility is shaped by faith and belief. |
| Justice and Fairness | Understand what is right, wrong and fair.
| Explain the influence of rules. Explore moral stories and consider what is right and wrong, just and fair.
| Consider and discuss questions on matters that are important on the world including choices about what is right and what is wrong.
| Evaluate and ask challenging questions applying their own and others ideas about responsibility and what is right and wrong, considering possible effects of different moral choices. |
Learning from and about different religions, festivals and celebrations across the school
