Kapow Primary’s Religion and worldviews curriculum is used throughout The Stoke Poges School to develop deep thinkers who are open-minded about religion and worldviews.  The curriculum is relevant to our pupils, reflecting and preparing them for life in modern Britain.  Through the scheme, our children will secure a deep understanding of concepts in order to be able 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.

Our children will build their conceptual knowledge through studying religions and worldviews locally, nationally and globally in our progressive curriculum, enabling them to make links and connections between worldviews, develop disciplinary skills and build on their understanding of their positionality in relation to their learning.  By revisiting key ‘big questions’ and building on prior knowledge, the children will learn about how religion and worldviews are lived experiences across the world, consider the impact of worldviews on society and have opportunities to consider their personal worldviews.

Kapow Primary R&W scheme of work enables pupils to meet the government guidance, which states that RE must reflect that ‘the religious traditions in Great Britain are, in the main, Christian while taking account of the teaching and practices of the other principal religions represented in Great Britain’.  The scheme is designed to fulfil the aims of ‘A Curriculum framework for Religious Education in England’.  For EYFS, the lessons allow the children to work towards targeted ‘Understanding the World’ Development matters statements and Early learning goals, while covering foundational knowledge that will support them in their further Religion and worldviews learning in Key Stage 1.

Parents/carers are able to withdraw their child from RE or collective worship but should discuss this with the Headteacher.

What are we aiming for?

Through the Kapow Primary Religion and worldviews curriculum we aim to:

• Meet the relevant Early learning goals at the end of Reception and the End of Key Stage 1 and 2 requirements from the Curriculum framework for Religious Education for England.
• Know and understand religious concepts relating to beliefs, practices, community and belonging, and wisdom and guidance.
• Develop an understanding of the influence of organised and personal worldviews on individuals, communities, countries and globally.
• Understand some of the ways religions and worldviews are studied.
• Develop understanding of their relationship with the content studied, being able to talk about their assumptions and preconceptions
• Build secure vocabulary which allows them to talk confidently and fluently about their learning.
• Answer questions about worldviews through an enquiry-based approach including investigating, interpreting, evaluating, applying and expressing.
• Talk about the similarities and differences between their own and others’ beliefs with respect and open mindedness.
• Understand the lived experiences of religious and non-religious worldviews to be diverse within and between people and communities.
• Develop an understanding of the ways in which personal and organised worldviews may develop and change across time and place.

How do we achieve this?

The scheme has three strands running through it:

• Substantive knowledge (conceptual and worldviews related)
• Disciplinary knowledge
• Personal knowledge

These strands are interwoven across all units to create lessons that build children’s conceptual knowledge and understanding of religion and worldviews (substantive knowledge) and use a range of disciplinary lenses (ways of knowing).  The children will also be equipped to explore and express their preconceptions, personal worldviews and positionality (personal knowledge) through varied and engaging learning experiences.

The scheme follows the spiral curriculum model, where units and lessons are carefully sequenced so that previous conceptual knowledge is returned to and built upon.  Our children will progress by developing and deepening their knowledge and understanding of substantive and disciplinary concepts by experiencing them in a range of contexts.

Each unit includes overarching ‘big questions’ which will be revisited throughout key stage 1, lower key stage 2 and upper key stage 2, allowing children to apply the breadth and depth of their learning across various concepts.

A more specific, focused enquiry question frames the learning across each unit.  Both the ‘big questions’ and the focused enquiry question will allow our children to explore the content they are studying, make comparisons and links within and across religions and worldviews, and explore their personal views.

Lessons are designed to be varied, engaging and hands-on, allowing children to learn and record their thoughts, answers and ideas in various ways. 

The Kapow Primary Religion and worldviews curriculum emphasises the importance of diverse representation within and across religions and worldviews, focusing on real people’s lived experiences of their beliefs.

Assessment

The children’s learning will be constantly monitored through both formative and summative assessment opportunities.