RE Curriculum Intent

The curriculum at James Bateman is rich in knowledge.

James Bateman Middle School provides opportunities for all our pupils through our curriculum and wider educational opportunities. Our intent is to ensure that all pupils make outstanding progress and that our curriculum will remove any barriers that may affect their learning.

The RE curriculum is built around a progression model that ensures pupils incrementally gain deep knowledge and skills that are fundamental to each subject. Purposeful assessment is integral to the curriculum to ensure knowledge is fully embedded and highlights areas for development.

Throughout the curriculum there is a strong emphasis on developing:

• a ‘love of learning’.
• readiness, resilience and respectfulness: the skills required to be a productive member a diverse 21st century society
• an understanding of ‘British Values’ and the implications for life in modern day Britain.
• pupils spiritual, moral, social and cultural learning.
• independence and enabling pupils to become creative, critical thinkers.
• an understanding of the importance, through the careers programme, of the opportunities available to pupils once they leave school.

At the heart of the school is the focus on broadening pupils’ cultural horizons to ensure they are able to continue to the next stage of their educational journey.

Curriculum Implementation

This curriculum is progressive and supports the implementation of a high quality and ambitious learning RE. It is intended to be intellectually challenging and personally enriching for all students. The specific curriculum themes of Explore, Engage and Reflect support the implementation.

These three curriculum themes are supported by six broad dimensions woven into ‘Programmes of Study’: 

1. Beliefs, teachings and sources 

2. Practices and ways of life 

3. Expressing meaning 

4. Identity, diversity and belonging 

5. Meaning, purpose and truth 

6. Values and commitments 

The curriculum is supported by external trips to places like: The National Memorial Arboretum, Lichfield Cathedral and local Churches. In school we host ‘Faith in Focus’ where each year group engages with a different religion through more creative mediums such as: dance, art, drama or food tasting.

Impact

Ready, resilient, respectful

Emphasis is placed on analytical thinking and questioning which helps students gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of differing faiths. Students learn to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments, and develop perspective and judgement, all of which are invaluable skills for adult life.

Evidence of knowledge/skills

Assessment of student’s learning in RE is an ongoing monitoring of student’s understanding, knowledge and skills by the class teacher, throughout lessons and by way of an end of unit task such as a quiz, presentation or a discussion.

Student voice

Students will demonstrate a positive attitude towards learning in RE. They will articulate their understanding during review and retrieval of learning.

Click here to view the Summer 1 term Knowledge Organisers

Click here to view the RE Progression Map