“Education’s purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one.”

Malcolm Forbes

Intent

At Chivenor School – we are theologians. As a school, we believe that every child has the right to access a meaningful and valuable RE curriculum. The principal aim of RE is to engage pupils in an inquiry approach where they can develop an understanding and appreciation for the expression of beliefs, cultural practices and influence of principal religions and world views in the local, national and wider global community.

Our curriculum inspires and engages children with the importance of British values such as tolerance and mutual respect. At Chivenor, we equip children with valuable skills to allow them to flourish as an individual in our diverse society. Our goal is to ensure children are thinking critically about the world around them as we, as facilitators, develop the children as curious, open-minded and self-reflective learners who have autonomy over their learning and explore the deeper meaning that religious education provides.

Implementation

At Chivenor Primary School RE is overseen by the humanities HUB which implements a regular programme of monitoring, evaluation and review to ensure high expectations amongst all staff in the delivery of an engaging curriculum.

Chivenor School follows The Birmingham Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education, adopted in February 2022 and promotes an inquiry-based approach.

The syllabus encompasses a spiral curriculum of 24 dispositions and a progression of faith knowledge which aim to teach children: the principal religions represented in Great Britain; to appreciate the way that religious beliefs shape life and our behaviour; to develop the ability to make reasoned and informed judgements about religious and moral issues and to enhance their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

Assessment of R.E. is in line with the whole school feedback policy. Teachers assess the progress and attainment of R.E. cultivating a culture of 100% achievement in the subject.

Impact

Children at Chivenor Primary enjoy learning about world religions and why people choose or choose not to follow a religion. They leave with a stronger awareness of the world around them and are mindful of the beliefs of others
They have a sense of belonging, championing our Chivenor values and understanding their links to a tightly knit community where they have the confidence and skills to make decisions, self-evaluate, make connections and become lifelong learners.

Through their R.E. learning, they feel safe to learn new things and share their beliefs with others in an accepting environment. They develop an understanding of other people’s cultures and ways of life and have the foundations to become responsible global citizens who are ready to contribute positively to society.