Statement of Intent

An important part of our aim of the curriculum at St Oswald’s Primary School is to equip our pupils for today and prepare them for their future. R.E. is a considered a core subject and St Oswald’s ensures that it delivers a curriculum that meets the expectations set out in the statement of entitlement for R.E. Further information can be found within our R.E. policy.

We believe that Religious Education in our school helps children to do just that. The pupils acquire a deep knowledge and understanding of Christianity and the other principal religions represented in Great Britain, which enables our children to better understand the world around them. By enhancing our pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, our aspiration is for pupils to become independent and responsible members of the school and wider community. Alongside other areas of the curriculum, Religious Education plays an important role in developing a pupil’s ability to make informed and reasoned judgements in their future. By understanding how religious beliefs can shape life and the behaviour of others, we hope that children will be able to ask big questions about the world whilst reflecting on their own beliefs and values.

Implementation

At St Oswald’s Religious Education is at the heart of our curriculum. The thematic two-year long plan is based, where appropriate, around the RE Units we follow using the Agreed Syllabus developed by York Diocese. The widely used, ‘Understanding Christianity’ learning resource is used alongside the City of York Agreed Syllabus to supplement the Christianity elements of our curriculum. 

At St Oswald’s, it has been agreed that the following religions have been selected for study: 

• Christianity
• Islam
• Judaism
• Hinduism  
• Buddhism
• Sikhism

From the syllabus it is required that:-

Early Years	Learning outcomes are in reference to Christianity only. However, the curriculum has been adapted at an appropriate level to incorporate a range of other beliefs.
KS1	Christianity is studied (and one other principal religion in some depth)
KS2	Christianity is studied (and two other principal religions in some depth)

At St Oswald’s we celebrate the diversity we hold as a school. All religious backgrounds are valued and respected, and individuals are encouraged to be proud and share their uniqueness; fostering confidence and self-belief among our school community and beyond. Children and adults alike, are supported in sharing their individual experiences and beliefs. We want our children to be ready for their next stage of education and to leave our school with the foundations for becoming well-rounded and confident adults, prepared for life in modern Britain.

The Religious Education curriculum, like all of the subjects at St Oswald’s, is mapped out with a progression of knowledge, skills and vocabulary to ensure that learning is sequenced effectively.  Opportunities for rich, first-hand experiences that link to our locality are encouraged wherever possible.  

Christianity as Global Faith

Christianity is and should be taught in a multicultural, global and diverse way. At St Oswald’s, we consider it important to do this to enable children to appreciate how the lived experience of a Christian looks different outside of York and around the world. We want children to recognise that Christianity is a living, breathing and vibrant religion and that Christianity is not necessarily experienced everywhere in the same way as the Christians of Fulford experience it in our local church.

We ensure our children can encounter and engage in learning that opens pupils’ eyes to the wider world, ensuring our school helps to prepare pupils to be informed and curious citizens of the world they live in. To do this, we have unpicked the RE curriculum we offer and ensured children understand about diversity in Christianity and see it as a multicultural worldwide faith.

Rather than individual sessions and units of work, we have discussion points woven into our curriculum and throughout lessons, like a golden thread. These are often part of lesson inputs and may feature in some completed activities. We use a consistent image to symbolise when we are considering how Christianity is a global faith.

Spirituality

At St Oswald’s CE Primary School, we aim to promote the spiritual development of all of our community, including pupils, staff and more. 

Spirituality is a core component to ‘living life in all its fullness’ as the mind, body and soul needs to be nurtured equally. It relates to fundamental questions about the meaning and purpose of life which affect everyone and is not dependent on a religious belief. It is also based on the search for ways to answer questions about life and a search for identity.

Although spirituality is threaded through school as a whole, spirituality takes a prominent role within our religious education lessons. Teachers carefully plan in moments of reflection and develop their spirituality into lessons to allow children to consider how lesson content looks in their life, the lives of others and how to apply the messages provided in the future A mirror signifies a moment of spirituality within R.E. lessons.

For more information about how spirituality is embedded at St Oswald’s Primary School, follow the link below:

Impact

The children at St Oswald’s Primary School enjoy learning about a variety of religions and are motivated to deepen their understanding about the beliefs of others. Lessons are vibrant and thought-provoking, giving children time and space to reflect and make links between their own lives and the lives of others in their community and the wider world. Through their Religious Education learning, our pupils are exposed to new ideas, experiences and insight; opening their minds and laying the foundations for their future in society.

Christian Distinctiveness at St. Oswald’s

As a church school, Christian distinctiveness underpins all that we do. Our values of respect, compassion, friendship, service, trust and justice are woven through school life for pupils and adults alike.

Although the Religious Education curriculum is a key aspect of our curriculum, our church school identity is recognised in it’s own entity. Find out further information below:

Responsibility for R.E.

As a school, we recognise that all staff have a responsibility to uphold to expectations of Religious Education however, we have key members of staff responsible for the leading and monitoring of the curriculum area. These include:

• Mrs Houston – Religious Education Lead
• Mr Barker – Religious Education Lead
• Mrs Dunne – Head Teacher
• Rev Sheriff – Governor and part of Church School Working Group
• Mrs Toal – Governor and part of Church School Working Group
• Mrs Sinclair – Governor and part of Church School Working Group
• Mrs Bland – Governor and part of Church School Working Group
• Mr Wilson – Governor and part of Church School Working Group