At Ellington Primary School, we have created our RE with the intent that our children will become resilient, mindful, thoughtful, accepting and inquisitive learners. The curriculum has been developed to allow children to encounter religions within our community and wider world. We believe that good quality RE is an essential key for our children in understanding others’ beliefs and making connections between their own values. Through RE at Ellington Primary School the children become more aware of the wider world, and the religions, beliefs and ways of lives of others.
Here at Ellington, we learn about and from all the main religions and faiths through an enriching and engaging RE curriculum. Cross-curricular dimensions such as identity, cultural diversity and community cohesion are reflected in our curriculum. RE lessons also contribute to pupils’ personal development and well-being and to community cohesion by promoting mutual respect and tolerance in a diverse society.
Our RE curriculum also makes important contributions to other parts of the school curriculum such as citizenship, personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE education), the humanities, education for sustainable development and others. It offers opportunities for personal reflection and spiritual development, deepening the understanding of the significance of religion in the lives of others.
Within the curriculum, the children explore: Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Islam and non-religious beliefs. Our thoughtfully structured, spiral curriculum allows the children to build a good understanding of all the different religions over the years in a progressive way. Our school is multi-cultural and our curriculum helps us to encourage a positive attitude to different religions, traditions and beliefs.
EYFS focused upon Christianity and Christian celebrations. This involved a fabulous Christian wedding.
Year 1 focused upon Judaism and the life of Jewish people. The children explained what Shabbat is and how Jews worship at a synagogue.
Year 2 focused upon Islam and shared their findings about the five Pillars of Islam.
Year 3 compared Islamic and Jewish festivals. Explaining the similarities and differences between Eid and Hannukah.
Year 4 focused upon Hinduism. They looked at what Hindu’s believe God is like and shared pictures and information about Hindu Gods and Goddesses.
Year 5 compared and contrasted the holy books the Bible, Torah and Qur'an.
Year 6 focused upon Christianity and retold two stories from the bible through drama.