Compassion, Courage, Justice

Jesus said, "Go and do the same."

Intent

Religious education at Monkton strives to enable every child to flourish and to live life in all its fullness (John 10:10) It encourages everyone who is a part of our school to live well together, show compassion and live our lives in a just manner. It is our intention to provide high-quality religious education. Through our holistic curriculum, we provide opportunities, responsibilities and experiences that are relevant to life in modern Britain.

As a Church of England School, Christianity is central to RE here and is studied as a living and diverse faith, with a focus on the teachings of Jesus and the life and work of the Church.

Within our inclusive community, we aim to provide learning opportunities which explore a range of religions and worldviews, fostering respect for others. Through a shared learning journey, we present RE as an innovative and dynamic subject, which can open a window on our community and the world beyond.

Implementation

Our RE curriculum enables pupils to acquire a rich, deep knowledge and understanding of Christian belief and practice. This is done by following the Kent Agreed Syllabus, using the high-quality resources from Understanding Christianity. This approach engages with biblical text and theological ideas. Together, we explore core concepts of faith, asking questions and promoting positive dialogue.

Within the curriculum, a spiral progression builds on both the core concepts of Christianity and major world faiths, including Sikhism, Hinduism, Judaism and Islam. This allows the golden threads of common themes to be interwoven throughout all learning, both in RE and in the wider curriculum.

The RE curriculum is intrinsic to our Christian vision, supporting our Christian Foundations and Learning Values. RE provides a vast wealth of opportunities to explore British values and spiritual moral social and cultural issues and ideas. Within these moments, we are able to challenge stereotypes, prejudice and extremism, whilst providing a balanced and informed dialogue.

Pupils develop a wide range of skills including enquiry, analysis, interpretation, evaluation and reflection. We provide a safe space for them to explore their own religious and spiritual experiences, by holding a mirror to their actions and opening doors to take their learning further.

In order to see RE as a living subject, staff are encouraged to use trips and visitors to enrich the curriculum and offer children experiences which will foster their respect for others.

RE is an academic subject, delivered through theology, sociology and philosophy. As a church school, Christianity has at least 50% of the curriculum time. The teaching of RE is between 5 and 10% of the teaching week, however, the shape that this teaching takes can be wide and varied, drawing on the children’s wider knowledge and experiences in order to give them a hook into the learning.

We work closely with Canterbury Diocese. Staff are encouraged to attend regular training and the RE lead attends network meetings in order to update knowledge and share good practice. We work closely with our neighbouring schools to support staff, share resources, moderate work and offer opportunities for children to explore RE in new and meaningful ways.

Impact

Children leaving Monkton will be religiously literate and able to hold a balanced and well-informed conversation about religions and beliefs. They will have an appreciation for how different faiths and cultures intersect in day to day life, but will also understand the importance of religious and world views on government, society and the wider world. As our children move forward in their personal spiritual journeys, they will feel supported in exploring their questions, reflections and experiences of life.

 

Kent Agreed Syllabus

2023-2024 ACADEMIC YEAR - WE ARE TEACHING EYFS, YEAR 2, 4 AND 6