RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
‘Religious Education intends to play an educational part in the lives of children and young people as they come to speak, think and act in the world.’
‘This entails teachers bringing children and young people first to attend to their own experience and that of others, to engage intellectually with material that is new and to discern with others what is valuable with regard to living a religious life or one informed by a non-religious or other perspective.’
Living Difference IV purpose statement.
In Religious Education, we study the diversity of the world and different religious beliefs and practices. We follow the Hampshire Agreed syllabus, ‘Living Difference IV’ which encapsulates the key religions represented in the UK. Much of our RE teaching is carried out through exploring the children’s ideas and emphasis is given to discussion and positive, quality talk. Our religious education learning provides a rich and wide range of experiences which give children opportunities to develop concepts and skills that will help them to make sense of their own experiences and beliefs, and to understand the beliefs and practices of members of faith communities through open, fair-minded enquiry. Indoctrination and conversion are not part of the educational process and therefore have no place in religious education. Religious education is an educational subject in its own right, taught within an educational framework.
Golden thread concepts/words
At Elson Infant School we teach using concepts, which are ideas, like community, belonging, special and love. We think about these ideas in different ways and link these to the children’s own experiences.
The golden threads are concepts that the children will encounter throughout their time at Elson. They will be continually visited and developed upon across Reception and Key Stage 1.
The Cycle of Enquiry
At Elson Infant School we teach religious education using the cycle of enquiry. This begins with the teacher finding interesting ways to bring the concept/word alive for children. This experimental moment is there to ensure that RE always starts with real and concrete situations and encounters, and also makes room for the different ways in which children and young people experience what they encounter.
Subject Highlights
Kindness Assembly – Year R
We welcomed Steven from St Thomas Church into school. He led an assembly about kindness and the year R children especially loved being taking part.
Easter Assembly March 2024
Today we welcomed Mother Samantha into school to lead an assembly about Easter. Tomorrow year 2 look forward to joining Mother Samantha in church for a Palm Sunday service
Advent Assembly December 2023
