Warwick Road Primary School

Religious Education

We help our children to learn from religions as well as about religions. Furthermore, children will reflect on what it means to have a faith and to develop their own spiritual knowledge and understanding. We aim to promote the spiritual, moral and cultural development of all pupils. RE enables children to investigate and reflect on some of the most fundamental questions asked by people. We organise visits to places of worship e.g. Dewsbury Minster, Madina Masjid (Batley), Trinity Church and the United Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Leeds.  Regularly, we invite representatives of local religious groups to come into school and talk to the children e.g. a local priest before Christmas and Easter or a member of the Sikh community to talk about Sikhism. Pupils develop their sense of identity and belonging, preparing them for life as citizens in a multicultural society.

All materials are handled very sensitively and with respect.  All children irrespective of background, race, gender and capability have equal access to the RE curriculum. Tasks are broken down into small steps, giving children achievable goals. Children are provided with open-ended tasks/ opportunities for further research and reflection.

The school believes that religious education should provide a contemporary study of religion, preparing children for later life. The school bears in mind that the British Isles is a multi-cultural nation which has Christianity as the main religion of the indigenous population. Due consideration is given to other faiths and so respect, tolerance and understanding for the beliefs of others will be promoted. Pupils develop their sense of identity and belonging, preparing them for life as citizens in a multicultural society.

Below is a a snapshot of one of the units in the RE curriculum for each year group. Please use your child's class newsletter to find out what they are learning about each half term.

EYFS (Reception): Where do we live and who lives there?

This unit sets the scene for other units in EYFS. It establishes a sense of belonging to a community of family, school and the wider world. Pupils are encouraged to talk about and describe where they live and who lives with them, as well as learning about other aspects of belonging to different and wider communities.

Year 1: What does it mean to belong to a church or mosque?

The pupils learn about what they might see in a mosque or church building and what the people do when they go there.  They begin to understand some of the differences and similarities between churches and mosques.  They learn that churches and mosques are special places for the people who go there.

Year 2: How do people pray?

They begin to understand how Christians and Muslims pray. Pupils develop an understanding of the importance of prayer to those who belong to that religion.

Year 3: How do Jews remember God's covenant with Abraham and Moses?

This unit focusses on what it is like to be Jewish and the covenant with God. It explores beliefs about God, about how Moses is viewed as a key leader in the Jewish tradition and about the Torah as a sacred text. Pupils learn about the festivals of Pesach (Passover) and the weekly celebration of Shabbat

Year 4: How do the Five Pillars guide Muslims?

This unit explores Muslim beliefs and practices including the belief in Allah SWT and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). It expands and develops learning about the Five Pillars of Islam as key beliefs for Muslims and how these reflect and affect the values and lives of Muslims. 

Year 5: Why are some places and journeys special?

This unit explores the special journeys that people make. It also looks at where these journeys are to and why and what people learn from them.  It looks at the sacrifices that people make in order to carry out the journeys and how this enriches people’s lives.

Year 6: What do Christians believe about Jesus' death and resurrection?

This unit explores how Christians understand the significance of Jesus' death and resurrection. Pupils explore stories from the Gospels around Holy Week and the Easter story and study the celebrations of Jesus' death and resurrection, in an attempt to explain links between scripture sources and Christian beliefs.