Intent

Using the Agreed Syllabus, will ensure that Religious Education plays a significant role at Wynndale and will enable our pupils to develop their own sense of identity and belonging through self-awareness and reflection.

We believe the teaching of RE should be ambitious, rigorous and exciting, taught through a worldview approach that increases awareness of the spiritual, moral, social and cultural dimensions of the curriculum.

As teachers of RE we aim to ensure that diversity is explored fully and that our pupils find out about lived experiences of people from different religions and non-religious worldviews. Through this approach, our pupils will be encouraged to express ideas and insights and ask and answer key questions to enable deeper understanding of life issues that face all human beings as we travel through life. They will take part in lessons that promote respect, open-mindedness, curiosity and creativity.  To support the teaching of high quality RE, our children will receive visitors to school who will share a range of different viewpoints and life experiences that fosters inquisitiveness and the desire to find out more.  They will also be encouraged to study a range of different information sources, texts, artefacts both in the classroom and through arranged visits to varied places of worship.  

Through these experiences they will gain insights and knowledge to help equip them as responsible citizens, ready to contribute positively to our local, national and wider global community.

The three-fold aims of RE in Nottingham City and the County will ensure that our pupils:

1. Know and understand a range of religions and world views which will allow them to recognise the diversity which exists in our local community and wider society.
2. Can express ideas and insights about the nature, significance and the impact of religions and world views as they develop their own personal views on a range of issues
3. Develop and use skills which will assist them to engage seriously with religions and world views

By following the Agreed Syllabus, RE will also contribute to a whole range of our school priorities.  Study of religious and world views will also promote spiritual, cultural, social and moral development, and will support pupils’ understanding of British and Wynndale Values such as acceptance and respect for others who hold different world views.

Implementation

The new Nottinghamshire RE Syllabus will be in use from September 2021 and will be fully implemented by Spring Term 2022. Each year we will cover several units of learning based upon Christianity, with each year group then looking to study further religions, beliefs and values through Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and World Views. The whole school focuses on the Christian celebration of Christmas and Easter at appropriate levels, using different aspects of study and a variety of lesson themes. 

RE is taught for at least one hour each week in a discrete lesson; it is often developed further through linked cross-curricular themes and seasonal celebrations. Lessons are creatively taught so that pupils of all abilities can engage in the learning. We ensure that RE is taught in an open and unbiased way in order to help instil respect for different views, faiths and opinions. Lessons are creatively presented and children are encouraged to explore and express their thoughts through art, music and drama. RE lessons involve visits and visitors, discussion and debate, as well as videos and times for reflection.

We enjoy links with our local place of worship – Mansfield Methodist Church - where we participate in joint acts of worship both in our school setting and through our annual visit the Church for our Christmas service.

Impact

Pupils at Wynndale, are confident at sharing their knowledge and understanding, and expressing their thoughts and feelings linked to their RE learning. They are encouraged to develop their love of learning and religious literacy. This leads to a deeply rooted respect for the range of beliefs and cultures they study and a thirst for discovering more about the world around them. Pupils are also able to talk about their own journey of faith, belief or spiritualism and are confident in articulating their thoughts and opinions.

RE work is evaluated and monitored through teacher assessment and whole school moderation.