Curriculum - RE - Departmental Information

Religious Education Aims & Objectives

Preface:
The Religious Education Department offers Key Stage 3, GCSE, and ‘A’ Level courses and also contributes significantly to the delivery of some of the National Curriculum Cross-Curricular Themes. The Religious Education Department also contributes in a significant but separate way to the delivery of the Personal, Social Education course (PSE). The following is the policy on Religious Education. It should clearly describe the rights
of parents from different religious and cultural groups, e.g.
• If predominance is placed upon Christianity, which is unacceptable to those children in a class who follow a different faith, parents may request that their children be withdrawn from RE lessons.
• If the predominant faith in the School community is non-Christian and the majority of parents and school governors so wish, then the Education Reform Act allows the Head teacher to seek/obtain permission from the local Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education for the character of RE and worship, to be that of the predominant faith in the School. We recognise that this is unlikely, but it is not beyond the bounds of possibility at some point in the future.

Aims:
1. To maintain and/or stimulate student curiosity, interest and enjoyment in Religious Education.
2.
a) To enable students to be familiar with a body of Religious knowledge, principles, skills and vocabulary.
b) To enable students to see Religious Education in the context of a wider body of knowledge and skills.
c) To enable students to understand and use investigative/deductive methods.
3.
a)
i. To contribute to the moral, social and ethical development of the students.
ii. To enable students to develop a range of desirable personal qualities such as politeness, perseverance, initiative and independence.
b) To enable students to be able to work independently and as part of a team.
4. To offer a course of study and employ teaching methods and resources that allow all students (irrespective of their religion, beliefs, gender, ethnic origin, academic ability, etc.) to have equal access to Religious Education and to experience success and enjoyment in their RE work.
5.
a) To develop an awareness in students of the implications of Religion
(past and present) for the individual, the community and the environment.

b) To allow students to develop informed opinions and to be able to support them by reasonable arguments that recognise the possible limitations of the ideas and concepts used.

Objectives:
These objectives relate directly to the five aims of the Religious Education Department at Walton High School and are intended to show how the aims are actually put into practice.
1. Staff should provide a variety of experiences/activities during a course of study and during a lesson if possible. The activities need to be relevant to students’ everyday concerns and experiences within the rest of the Curriculum. It is important that students learn about religion in the context of human experience, e.g. “What makes me happy?” This helps development of their own beliefs and values. Art work, role play, discussion, drama, music, etc. are all used within the course
2.
a)
i. DFE. guidelines on Religious Education, relevant National Curriculum Cross Curricular themes and GCSE. requirements inform the basic core of the scheme of work. Information will be available about the various religions of Great Britain and the World with specific reference to the teachings and practices of the principal religions represented in Great Britain. The course will reflect the fact that the religious traditions in Great Britain are in the main Christian. Staff will use language which is both representative of the religious traditions under study and which are appropriate to the ability levels of the students.
ii. The Department endeavours to empower the students to:
• make balanced and informed choices and decisions with regard to Religious, Moral and Social issues;
• critically evaluate alternative choices, decisions, faiths and beliefs;
• understand and use Religious terminology and explanations.
iii. Staff will encourage students to recall and apply their knowledge and skills in familiar and unfamiliar situations. Students should be able to express information in a variety of forms. Students should also be able to obtain information from various sources and make reasoned judgements, spot patterns/relationships in the information and draw/present conclusions accurately and appropriately.
b) Staff should refer to work in other subject areas when appropriate. The Religious Education Department aims to help the students develop core skills in addition to those mentioned previously, e.g.
• applying their knowledge and understanding in a range of
contexts;
c) Students should be able to follow both verbal and written instructions accurately.

3.
a)
i. Lessons should be conducted in a secure, supportive and disciplined manner. The students and the staff should interact in a manner that demonstrates mutual respect. Lessons should foster a respect and informed judgements within the students for each other’s religions, beliefs and cultures from a position of understanding.
ii. Students should have regular homework that has a direct relationship with the course work and a clear purpose.
b)
i. There will be a variety of forms of assessment.
ii. Students should experience a variety of experiences/activities during a course of study and during a lesson if possible. There will be opportunities for individual and/or group activities.
iii. Staff will encourage students to pursue some pieces of work over a period time, e.g. project work where research is carried out at least once in each year.
iv. For younger students staff will use the school’s reward system, e.g. the merit system. This will encourage students to work to their full potential and to experience a sense of achievement.
4.
a) All students follow the same ‘Scheme of Work’, and all students have equality of access to all options offered in the GCSE.
b) Students are to be encouraged to share their religions, beliefs, experiences and culture with others in order to enhance the quality of learning.
c) Staff should attempt not to spend inequitable amounts of time with any one student, group of students or gender group, etc. However, staff often spend considerable amounts of their own time helping individual students.
5.
a) Staff should attempt to show the benefits that Religion has given to us as well as the problems. This will be done by well-chosen resources and carefully phrased comment.
b) The staff will allow opportunities at various times for group discussion. At these times we can listen to each other’s views and hopefully reflect upon them.