Intent

The school follows the Ealing Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education 2020-2025 Religion and worldviews: Believing, Behaving, Belonging.  

The Ealing Agreed Syllabus for RE covers aspects of different religions, including Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam and Sikhism.  It also includes study of the philosophy of Humanism.  Coverage reflects the diversity of belief in the London Borough of Ealing and within the school community. 

The Religious Education curriculum covers aspects of belief, how these beliefs inform behaviour and how they are expressed. The curriculum also addresses the importance of respect, tolerance and sensitivity towards those whose beliefs are different from their own.  Children also consider spiritual and moral questions addressed by religion and philosophy generally, reflecting on what it is humans have in common.

Implementation

The curriculum is structured so that different religions are studied from year to year and in greater depth. All units are organised around a ‘Big Question’. For some units, the focus is on an aspect of a specific religion and in others the focus is on a theme which has relevance across religions, such as pilgrimage, or symbols.   

Children learn about religion and religions using a variety of resources, including written texts, visuals, visits and encounters with members of different faith communities. They are encouraged to raise questions and express their understanding in different ways, sharing their viewpoints, in order to help them embed their knowledge and develop awareness of their own beliefs and attitudes. 

Impact

Children at Gifford eagerly engage in discussions relating to religious and philosophical questions. They are aware that the school community is made up of people from different faith groups and show tolerance and respect to those whose beliefs are different from their own. Children are able to identify some aspects of religions that are shared, including those relating to beliefs, religious practices and spiritual and moral questions. Increasingly, children understand how reflecting on spiritual and moral questions impacts positively on their lives.