Religious Studies

The Religious Education curriculum at Hawksworth Wood Primary School is taught with a reflection of the world as well as our locality, It  is designed to support children in developing their understanding of the world’s religions along with the impact it has on the lives of believers and non-believers. We aim to develop deep thinkers who are open-minded about religion and worldviews.

Our school intake is diverse and this is reflected in our teaching and learning. We aim to ensure that our curriculum is relevant to pupils, reflecting and preparing them for life in modern Britain. Children are supported to understand and articulate their own opinions about religion and world views, and to secure a deep understanding of concepts. They are encouraged to make connections, ask and respond to challenging questions, learn to respect and appreciate worldviews that are different to their own and consider their personal preconceptions, responses and views. It helps them comprehend that not everyone feels the same as them, but teaches them to see other people’s points of view as well. The children are encouraged to develop and share their viewpoints in polite and courteous ways.

Through our curriculum, we explore the children’s own understanding of religion and teach significant theological concepts.

Children at the very start of their learning journey in EYFS learn about various world religions in ‘Understanding of the World’ by exploring questions such as ‘How do we celebrate?’, ‘Who and what are special to us?’ and ‘What is Lunar New Year?’  The children encounter religions and world views through special people, books, times, places and objects. They enjoy a range of activities including exploring artefacts, tasting foods and learning stories related to a variety of festivals.

Key stage one will encounter a range of religions, including Christianity, Islam and Judaism. They will explore age-appropriate questions in each year group such as ‘Why should we care for others?’ ; ‘What do some people believe God looks like?’ and ‘What do candles mean to people?’

Key stage 2 children will build upon this learning and add further religions with the flexibility within the curriculum to respond to local needs and circumstances too. Big questions will be explored such as ‘Where do we get our morals from?’;  ‘Just how important are our beliefs?’ ;  and ‘Why does religion look different around the world?’.

In addition to RE lessons, we encourage our pupils to share celebrations with their classmates and to learn first-hand through educational visits to places of worship. This includes visits to: Synagogue, Local Church and Leeds Grand Mosque.

Religious Studies Curriculum Document