R.E.

We are a diverse school with children and families from many faiths and those of none. As a secular community school, we do not promote any specific religion, but we welcome all children and families. We think that learning about how different people live is an exciting and engaging topic, which we aim to teach in a respectful manner, reflecting one of our core school values. In order to structure this page, we have split it into three broad sections which aim to expand on our approach to RE at Navigation:

Intent: the knowledge and skills that pupils will gain 

Implementation: how the curriculum developed or adopted by the school is taught 

Impact: the outcomes that pupils achieve as a result of the education they have received

Curriculum Vision Statement:

By the time children leave Navigation they will be learners who can reflect on their own beliefs and values through studying different religions and developing knowledge and understanding of different belief systems both religious and non religious. Children are encouraged to respect the opinions of others, to understand that everyone has a right to their own beliefs and are taught that a person’s beliefs may be a mixture of different religious and non-religious viewpoints. RE provides a key context to develop children’s understanding and appreciation of diversity, to promote shared values and to challenge racism and discrimination'

Intent:

Our curriculum vision statement outlines our broad goals for RE, whereas our whole school curriculum progression map gives a detailed breakdown of what each year group is taught.  There is also an overview of the different units of work that each year group covers. Go to the bottom of the page and you can open these documents and take a look.

Implementation:

We follow the 'SACRE' scheme. This scheme has been agreed upon by most of the Greater Manchester authorities and has been written by a range of experts in RE. This is reviewed in light of the census and any changes to the demographics with the area, but also with regard to any feedback that has been provided. Schools are obligated by law to teach a curriculum largely of a Christian nature; however, we look at many different faiths and within the scheme where there are elements of choice with regard to units, we have selected those which we feel reflect the composition of our community. Each unit within the scheme begins with a big question which the children then go on to learn about in greater detail, gaining insights into faith-based perspectives on given issues. Primarily, this is a scheme that utilizes meaningful conversation and debate in class and supplements this with various activities to deepen pupils' understanding. In cases where religion has previously been encountered by the children, the scheme builds upon the pupil's existing knowledge. 

Each class uses a floor book that evidences what the pupils have been learning in each lesson across the unit. Children will also record some pieces each half-term in their foundation books. 

To engage the children we often have visitors come to the school and enhance the lessons by discussing their faiths. The visitors are vetted carefully to ensure their visits to the school are there for the purposes of education and not conversion. Invitations are given to speakers from a range of faiths so the children can hear firsthand about different religions. At certain times of the year, speakers from local institutions may come in and discuss their approaches in assemblies, for example at Easter or Ramadan. Where visits to places of worship can be arranged, we also endeavor to do this too.

As a secular community school, we do not promote any particular religion or faith over another, nor do we seek to evangelise or indoctrinate any children into specific beliefs or faiths. All lessons have a foundation of respect for different views and tolerance. Often children in the class who practice the religion that the class is learning about are keen to give examples of their own experiences and these contributions are most welcome. We have a welcoming ethos and children from all backgrounds are welcome at our school. We do not tolerate any form of discrimination at Navigation. 

Impact:

Each subject is driven forward by a member of staff who monitors the attainment and progress of our children. We do this in a variety of ways including speaking to children, observing lessons and using data gathered from our school’s assessment system. This analysis can then be used to provide support and resources where needed to maintain high standards across all subjects.

The right to withdraw:

Parents have a legal right to withdraw their child from religious education lessons. As we approach this subject with sensitivity and with a view to educate children about what different groups believe, without promoting any one faith over others, we have not had any requests for this. However, should you wish to discuss withdrawing your child from religious education lessons please contact your class teacher, Mr Bonsall or Ms Patterson and we would be happy to discuss this with you. Following this, should you still wish to withdraw you child from R.E., a parent must give written notification to the school. We hope that if you have any concerns that we can address these first. If you would like any more information about R.E. at Navigation, please do let us know.

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