Religious Education
Living in an ever increasingly diverse world and community, at Richmond Hill Academy, we recognise the importance of developing our student’s knowledge, understanding and appreciation of world religions.
The Religious Education curriculum is for all students and every pupil has a legal entitlement to receive religious education. It is an essential part of an inclusive and broad curriculum offer which allows students to develop not only specific knowledge about a range of religions but also the characteristics of what makes a well-rounded young person who is prepared for life in modern Britain and their responsibilities as a global citizen.
One of the key roles of Religious Education in schools is to support community cohesion and the development of SMSC and Fundamental British Values. We do this through:
- Celebrating a variety of local, national and international festivals;
- Understanding how different people celebrate both religious and non-religious festivals;
- Charity work;
- Remembrance Day;
- Interfaith Week and including diversity of religious belief and faiths;
- National and international awareness days/ weeks.
Locally Agreed Syllabus:
The starting point for our curriculum is the locally agreed Leeds SACRE syllabus which is statutory for all maintained schools within Leeds, Kirklees and Calderdale. Although we are an academy and are not required to follow the locally agreed syllabus we do believe that by working in strong partnership with all members of the SACRE and the West Yorkshire RE Hub that we are able to deliver a rich and diverse curriculum offer to our students.
Curriculum Summary:
In Key Stage 1, pupils should develop their knowledge and understanding of religions and world views, recognising local, national and global contexts. They will use subject specific vocabulary which will be explicitly taught using our Vocabulary Acquisition Model. Words will be revisited in different year groups when common themes are studied, but are done so in more depth to further enhance the learning of the children. Pupils should raise questions about beliefs and find out about questions of right and wrong and begin to respond with their own views. Teaching and learning should be focused around Christianity and Islam, alongside understanding of non-religious approaches to life. Aspects of other faiths may be included as appropriate, such as teaching about specific festivals or rituals.
In Key Stage 2, pupils should extend their knowledge and understanding of religions, beliefs and values, recognising personal, local, national and global contexts. They should be introduced to an extended range of sources and subject specific vocabulary. They should be encouraged to be curious and to ask and discuss increasingly challenging questions about beliefs, values and human life, drawing on the insights of religions and other world views. Pupils should respond with their own ideas, identifying relevant information, selecting examples and giving reasons to support their ideas and views. Teaching and learning should build on the KS1 focus around Christianity and Islam, and be extended to the study of Judaism and Sikhism, alongside developing understanding of nonreligious approaches to life. Aspects of other faiths may be included as appropriate, such as teaching about a specific concept, festival or practice. As part of investigating the beliefs and practices of religions and other world views, pupils should be taught to:
- Describe and understand links between stories and other aspects of the communities they are investigating, responding thoughtfully to beliefs and teachings that arise from them;
- Describe and make connections between different features of the religions and other world views, discovering more about prayer, celebrations, worship, pilgrimages and the rituals which mark important points in life.
Our curriculum explores various SMSC and RSHE topics, providing students with space to ask questions about important issues in a safe and stimulating environment, whilst also developing an understanding of various views held in Great British society as a whole, preparing them to become thoughtful and valued members of society.
Right to Withdraw:
Parents have the right to withdraw their children from RE on the grounds that they wish to make their own provision. This alternative will be the parents’ responsibility. This right of withdrawal exists for all pupils in all types of school, including schools with and without a religious designation. Students aged 18 or over have the right to withdraw themselves from RE. Parents also have the right to withdraw their child from part of RE and can do so without giving any explanation.
