Religion and Worldviews
Our Religion and Worldviews curriculum provides creative, challenging and thought-provoking education, where children can develop their knowledge, understanding and skills in this subject and are prepared for life in a modern, diverse Britain and world.
Our Philosophy
Our Religion and World Views Curriculum has significant importance within the schools Christian Vision in enabling all our pupils to flourish, grow together and shine within an investigative and reflective environment, whilst celebrating achievement. We believe that Religion and Worldviews is of fundamental importance in helping children to learn about the foundations of our Christian ethos that underpin all aspects of our church school life and our core values of courage, compassion and curiosity that are woven through all aspects of our curriculum and the relationships we build and sustain with each other.
Our Intent for Religion and Worldviews
It is our intent that Religion and Worldviews enables our children to investigate and reflect on some of the most fundamental questions people can ask, whilst developing their knowledge and understanding of Christianity, other major world religions and non-religious views. We believe that our curriculum helps our children to gain a deep awareness and understanding of their own and others’ unique identities as they explore life’s big mysteries and consider the answers to ‘big questions’ that are presented through a wide variety of world religions and belief systems. With love and open minds, we will achieve such deep learning, which is indeed the principal goal of our curriculum.
Through Religion and Worldviews children can become literate and articulate about religion and beliefs in order to become caring and compassionate members of society. The subject encourages children to demonstrate curiosity about faith and recognise how it impacts upon the lives of individuals, society and culture. Through Religion and Worldviews children reflect on their own beliefs and values in the light of their learning, and in doing so their respect for themselves and others develops and they feel drawn to imagine and to contribute towards a better world for all.
Our Religion and Worldviews curriculum aims to equip our children with the knowledge and Cultural Capital they need to succeed in life. It encompasses the three dimensions to cultural humility: lifelong learning and critical self-reflection; recognising and challenging power imbalances; respectful partnerships and institutional accountability. We see Religion and Worldviews as key in offering ‘the best that has been thought and said’. For example, when studying sacred texts and learning about the legacy of inspirational people who make a way out of no way from generation to generation.
S.M.S.C. Development and British Values
Support for pupils’ S.M.S.C. development is intrinsic to our Religion and Worldviews curriculum. Indeed, it can be seen as the ‘golden thread’ which has a significant impact on learners. We aim to support:
• Spiritual development by developing pupils’ knowledge of, and respect for, different people’s faiths, feelings and values and their sense of fascination in learning about themselves and others.
• Moral development by developing pupils’ interest in investigating and offering reasoned views about moral and ethical issues and ability to understand the viewpoints of others on these issues.
• Social development by pupils working and socialising with those from different religious backgrounds and by them developing mutual respect / tolerance of those with different beliefs.
• Cultural development by developing pupils’ understanding and appreciation of the range of cultural influences that have shaped their heritage and others and the range of different cultures in school and further afield, whilst also recognising and valuing the things we share in common.
Religion and Worldviews play a fundamental part in promoting British Values. Our curriculum learning pathways will help our children to recognise that religions are committed to morality, social justice, a deepening of personal development and stewardship of the world. Our children will explore British Values in relation to religions and belief, through lessons in school, visits to places of worship and by meeting people from a diverse range of religious and belief societies.
In doing so, they will become better informed, more empathetic and compassionate, which will in turn promote cohesion and integration in society.
Implementation of Religion and Worldviews
At Brailes C of E Primary School, we value the fundamental importance of Religion and Worldviews both in the curriculum and in the lives of our children. Religion and Worldviews has a high profile within our school. Each class engages with a weekly Religion and Worldviews lesson. Our teachers of Religion and Worldviews have good subject knowledge and are continually supported to develop their expertise and address any gaps. We regard undertaking a breadth of further professional development opportunities as crucial in ensuring high quality teaching and learning.
Our Religion and Worldviews curriculum is supported by two schemes. Teachers use the New 2024 Coventry and Warwickshire Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education along with the National Society’s Understanding Christianity (Text Impact, Connections) Scheme.
Key Purpose of the Understanding Christianity Scheme:
To support pupils in developing their understanding of Christianity, as a contribution to their understanding of the world and their own experience within it. This is done by integrating pupils’ developing understanding of significant theological concepts within Christianity with their own self understanding and understanding of the world, as part of their wider religious literacy.
Principal Aim of the Coventry and Warwickshire Agreed Syllabus 2024:
To engage pupils in systematic enquiry into significant human questions which religion and worldviews address, so that they can develop the understanding and skills needed to appreciate and appraise varied responses to these questions and develop responses of their own.
Mary Myatt states, “A good plan is like a road map: it shows the final destination and usually the best way to get there.” By carefully combining the two schemes, we can ensure a coherent and comprehensive curriculum with a clear outline of core learning ‘building-blocks’.
We can also provide high quality, engaging and inspiring learning experiences, which reflect both the Christian nature of our school and the range of backgrounds (religious and non-religious) of our families. Therefore, we can meet the needs of ALL of our children.
Our long-term plan for Religion and Worldviews has been designed to ensure depth, breadth, balance and progression in terms of:
• The religious and non-religious worldviews we address.
• The approaches taken (systematic or thematic).
• The disciplines focused on (through different strands).
• The key concepts taught.
• The knowledge, understanding and skills pupils develop.
Our curriculum is constructed with understanding as the goal of knowledge, so that religious literacy (the knowledge of, and ability to understand, religion) is developed in line with the changing religious landscape.
Our curriculum functions like a journey with multiple disciplines acting as navigational tools as knowledge and skills are acquired.
Theology: Beliefs about God, life, the world.
Philosophy: Ways of thinking about ourselves, our existence, the meaning of life and big questions.
Human and Social Sciences: Practices and ways of living.
Our curriculum embraces a worldviews approach.
A worldview is a person’s way of understanding, experiencing and responding to the world. It can be described as a philosophy of life or an approach to life. This includes how a person understands the nature of reality and their own place in the world. A person’s worldview is likely to influence and be influenced by their beliefs, values, behaviours, experiences, identities and commitments.
Units start locally and lead to understanding Religion and Worldviews nationally and globally. Encounter and enquiry are two key drivers.
Encounter: With one’s own and other people’s worldviews, with people and their lived experience of religion, with sacred texts / artefacts, religious art and places of worship. Enquiry: Through posing key questions, predicting, engaging with sources and people, interpreting data, and thinking critically.
Whenever possible, we have visitors from a range of religious and non-religious beliefs into school. Year groups also enjoy trips to different places of worship. By doing so, we enrich the children's learning, knowing that first hand experiences really do help to cement and develop their understanding of concepts and help them to make connections between religious and non-religious beliefs and how these are lived out through different communities. Courageous advocacy helps children appreciate the importance of putting beliefs into action.
Our curriculum ensures different types of knowledge are built upon.
Substantive knowledge: Knowledge about religious and non-religious traditions.
Disciplinary knowledge: Learning how to know about religion and non-religion through these disciplines: Theology, Philosophy, Human and Social Sciences.
Personal knowledge: Building awareness of one’s own presuppositions and values about the religious and non-religious traditions of study.
Teachers recognise that children cannot learn everything about Religion and Worldviews. Knowledge pays off when it is conceptual and facts are related to each other. We have carefully sequenced the concepts learners encounter for maximum success. Teachers help children to understand key concepts, presenting information clearly and encouraging appropriate discussion. Concept cards support the learning so children embed key concepts in their long-term memory and apply them fluently. Our curriculum is sequenced so that new knowledge
builds on what has been taught before and children can work towards clearly defined end points.
Skills are presented in various learning opportunities. Through investigating, reflecting, expressing, interpreting, empathising, applying, discerning, analysing, synthesising and evaluating, children are able to deepen their knowledge and understanding of Religion and Worldviews.
We ensure that disadvantaged children and children with SEND acquire the knowledge and cultural capital they need to succeed in life. Our Religion and Worldviews curriculum is appropriately demanding. Mary Myatt says, “It is our job to help pupils reach the marvels and jewels which are contained within our curriculum.” Within our Religion and Worldviews lessons, we cater to the subject strengths and learning style preferences of our children. Children have regular opportunities to extend and apply their English, Maths, Science, I.T., Geography and History skills. We work creatively, often using Art, Music and Drama as a way of exploring themes and key questions. Children work in a variety of ways and produce a variety of outcomes (intellectual, practical, personal and social).
Reflection time is built into lessons to develop the following key skills.
Reflectivity: Active, persistent, and careful consideration of any belief or supposed form of knowledge in the light of the grounds that support it.
Reflexivity: The process of becoming self-aware, considering one’s own thoughts and actions in light of different contexts.
Positionality: Describes one’s identity, influences and potential biases, ones understanding of and outlook on the world.
In every lesson, we encourage independent, thoughtful and reflective practice upon a range of questions about spirituality and identity, morality, values and commitments. Children carefully consider their developing understanding of the world and become passionate about and learn to take responsibility for their place within their school, community, country and the wider world. They understand what it means to ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’ (Luke 10:27) but more importantly they learn to live by it, like Good Samaritans.
As a school, we enjoy three whole days for Religion and Worldviews each year (one in Autumn, one in Spring and one in Summer). Such special days enable us to focus on a religious concept or line of enquiry in greater depth and to develop our knowledge, understanding and skills in this area – both as children and teachers! These special days also help to unite the whole school through shared themes and content during the day and a closing assembly where successes can be celebrated.
Teachers use assessments to show how well children are doing, what they need to do next to make progress and how effective the curriculum and teaching are.
Teachers check children’s understanding to inform teaching, help them embed and use knowledge fluently and develop their understanding.
All of these amazing opportunities provide the stimulus for truly exciting and memorable learning experiences for our children which stick and can be built upon. With open, curious minds and compassionate loving hearts, we know that all can, and will, achieve and shine.
Impact of Religion and Worldviews
The following are forms of evidence show the impact of our Religion and Worldviews curriculum:
• Attendance of teachers at a breadth of subject training and increased use of subject knowledge.
• Attitudes to learning, e.g. children engaged and inspired by their learning, taking initiative, posing own enquiry questions, conducting further research, completing extra tasks.
• Formative teacher assessments, e.g. ongoing questioning, dialogue, verbal and written feedback, day to day work, reflections.
• Quality assurance, e.g. Book Studies
• Pupil voice, e.g. classroom dialogue which encourages self-evaluation, self and peer assessment, surveys.
• Religion and Worldviews displays which represent the learning journey and celebrate outcomes achieved.
• Prayer spaces valued by adults and children for both prayer and reflections.
• Summative teacher assessments, e.g. tasks used for assessment opportunities, end of unit judgements about attainment, end of year reports.
• Data analysis in terms of pupil attainment / progress and comparison of results to previous years.
• Participation in school, community and wider world events, e.g. whole school Religion and Worldviews Days, guests from different faith and non-faith backgrounds, church visits, school trips to places of worship, supporting charities
• Parental feedback, e.g. informal meetings, parent / teacher meetings, parent surveys, Religion and Worldviews related feedback from school reports.
A well-constructed, well taught curriculum leads to good outcomes. We can show this through class data for each unit taught and through progression in children’s work. Having said that, the impact of what we do and what the children achieve in Religion and Worldviews cannot always be measured in data and numbers, so we try to look holistically at the whole child. Truly learning to ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’ (Luke 10:27) and to be Good Samaritans is an important impact of our Religion and Worldviews curriculum, but this is best evidenced in how our children conduct themselves within our school community and in wider community contexts.
We know that we have been successful when our children hold well informed conversations about religion and belief and when they understand that it is acceptable to have doubts and to disagree as long as this is done so in a reasoned and sensitive way. In learning from religion, we know that we have achieved our goals when our children are able to make informed choices about how they want to live their lives, whilst also understanding more about the religious and non-religious beliefs of other people they meet.