Religion & Worldviews

At Winston Way Academy, our RE curriculum is designed to engage and enthuse our pupils. We believe that it is an essential area of study which ensures that pupils are well prepared for life in a world where there are a multitude of viewpoints, especially in our local area, Ilford. Redbridge is a progressively diverse borough with over hundred different places of worship including mosques, temples, Gurdwaras, churches, synagogues and kingdom halls. 

We aim for all pupils to:  

Know about and understand a range of religions and worldviews, so that they can:  

• describe, explain and analyse beliefs and practices, recognise the diversity which exist within and between communities and amongst individuals; 
• identify, investigate and respond to questions posed, and responses offered by some of the sources of wisdom found in religion and worldviews; 
• appreciate and appraise the nature, significance and impact of different ways of life and ways of expressing meaning. 

Express ideas and insights about the nature, significance and impact of religions and worldviews, so that they can: 

• explain reasonably their ideas about how beliefs, practices and forms of expression influence individuals and communities; 
• express with increasing discernment their personal reflection and responses to questions and teachings about identity, diversity, meaning and value, including ethical issues;  
• appreciate and appraise varied dimensions of religion or a worldview. 

Gain and deploy the skills needed to engage seriously with religious and worldviews, so that they can: 

• find out about and investigate key concepts and questions of belonging, meaning, purpose and truth, responding creatively; 
• enquire into what enables different individuals and communities to live together respectfully for the wellbeing of all; 
• articulate beliefs, values and commitments clearly in order to explain why they may be important in their own and other people’s lives. 

We want our pupils to enjoy RE and develop resilient responses to misunderstandings, stereotyping and division. We want to offer pupils a place where difficult or ‘risky’ questions can be tackled within a safe but challenging context.  

At Winston Way, we follow the UL syllabus (replace with the chosen curriculum) to plan for RE within the context of our school, whilst keeping to the framework of the religions and beliefs to be studied, the themes, experiences and opportunities outlined.  

The long and medium term plans ensure that there is clear progression throughout the school and that children are building upon knowledge learnt in previous years. The topics are designed so that pupils develop knowledge and understanding of the principal religions in Great Britain.   

Our RE curriculum allows children to explore what people believe and what difference this makes to how they live, so that pupils can gain the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to handle questions raised by religion and belief, reflecting on their own ideas and ways of living. Where appropriate, teaching will be supported with trips to places of worship or visits from people from religious communities.   

Our Religious Education Curriculum is high quality, well thought out and is planned to demonstrate progression. If children are keeping up with the curriculum, they are deemed to be making good or better progress. In addition, we measure the impact of our curriculum through the following methods: 

• A reflection on standards achieved against the planned outcomes for Religious Education; 
•  A celebration of learning for each term which demonstrates progression across the school; 
•  Pupil discussions about their learning; 

Our children are challenged in their thought process to acknowledge, accept and understand different religions and ways of thinking.  By visiting different places of worship in Redbridge(add links to our EVs), handling different artefacts, being immersed in culture, food, singing, dancing and festivals, children will build up not only a tolerance but a deep respect for our community and the wider world we live in.    

While parents have the option to withdraw their children from all or part of the RE lessons, we strongly advise against it. Doing so could disrupt their learning experience. We believe that consistent participation is crucial for their success, development and broader knowledge.