The Newsome Junior Academy R.E curriculum recognises the importance of developing our pupil’s as individuals so they can grow up to be responsible citizens. It develops our values, behaviours, knowledge and understanding of religions and beliefs. The Newsome Junior Academy RE curriculum is based on the Local Agreed Syllabus for Calderdale, Kirklees and Leeds produced by SACRE for teaching from September 2019. Every R.E unit is framed around an overarching enquiry question. The aims of RE in our school reflect the three aims of the syllabus for pupils:
A. To investigate the beliefs and practices of religions and other world views, including:
• Beliefs and authority: core beliefs and concepts; sources of authority including written traditions and leaders;
• Worship and Spirituality: how individuals and communities’ express belief, commitment and emotion.
B. To investigate how religions and other world views address questions of meaning, purpose and value, including:
• The nature of religion and belief and its key concepts;
• Ultimate Questions of belonging, meaning, purpose and truth.
C. To investigate how religions and other world views influence morality, identity and diversity, including:
• Moral decisions: teachings of religions and other world views on moral and ethical questions; evaluation, reflection and critical responses;
• Identity and Diversity: diversity among and within religions and other world views; individual and community responses to difference and shared human values.
At Key Stage 1, teaching and learning is focused around Christianity and Islam, alongside understanding of non-religious approaches to life. At Key Stage 2, teaching and learning is extended to include Christianity, Islam, Judaism and Sikhism, alongside understanding of non-religious approaches to life. RE also recognises that there is wide diversity within faiths and in our local community. RE is timetabled as a discrete weekly lesson.