Religion and Worldviews (RWV)

Why do we teach Religion and World Views at Easton CE Academy? 

As a Church of England Academy, we seek to follow the Church of England’s Statement of entitlement for Religious Education.  It says: 

 The aims of Religious Education in Church schools are: 

• To enable pupils to know about and understand Christianity as a living faith that influences the lives of people worldwide and as the religion that has most shaped British culture and heritage. 
• To enable pupils to know and understand about other major world religions and world views, their impact on society, culture and the wider world, enabling pupils to express ideas and insights. 
• To contribute to the development of pupils own spiritual/philosophical convictions, exploring and enriching their own beliefs and values. 

In addition, we want to prepare them for the diverse landscape of modern Britain; welcoming those of all faiths or none.  Especially within the context of our school which is 90%+ intake of Muslim children. For this reason we changed the name of Religious Education to Religion and Worldviews to ensure that children at Easton have a wider understanding of the range of religions that are in our diverse society.

Curriculum Intent:

Our intent for RWV in Easton CE Academy is that all children are provided with a values-led education through a supportive, Christian ethos whereby children develop a strong sense of their community and identity and that of others.  

Embodied in our school phrase: being different, belonging together. 

• At Easton CE Academy we value Religion and Worldviews (RWV) as an important part of the children's entitlement to a broad and balanced curriculum.
• We believe that RWV helps to provoke and answer questions about the wider world around them. We aim to help children to understand the range of religions in our world today to ensure they treat people with respect.
• As pupils progress, their growing knowledge about the different religions should help them to deepen their understanding of what different religions believe and help them to explore their own religions or non-religious views.
• We want our children to gain confidence and be able to treat people with different beliefs with respect as well as developing their own thoughts about the bigger questions in life.

Implementation:

• In EYFS pupils are given daily opportunities to discuss their thoughts and feelings. These are often recorded in their “I Wonder” books which are constantly on display in the classroom. They also complete 3 different units throughout the year to introduce them to the range of religions we have in our communities.
• RWV is taught through unit based work in each year group. We build on the teaching from previous year groups to expand children’s understanding of the range of religions in our community.
• A skills progression is used to ensure that pupils learn a range of skills across the school so that they can more deeply understand the beliefs of themselves and those around them.
• Educational visits are embedded into our curriculum to ensure pupils have many opportunities to explore the local and wider community and their religious buildings.
• Children are given the opportunity to participate in whole school events where they learn about practices of different faith communities and share these with their families and peers.
• Children are given the opportunity to explore their own beliefs and values, develop emphathy and respect for others and reflect on ethical and moral issues through high-quality teaching of RWV and the I Wonder book sessions in each class.

Impact:

• To enable children to develop a positive attitude towards religious diversity and cultural differences.
• Children will leave Easton CE Academy with a good understanding of different religious and non-religious beliefs and practises and are able to respectfully express their ideas and opinions about these.
• Through their learning, children will develop social and emotional skills, as well as their spiritual and moral development.
• Children will be well-prepared with the skills and attitudes necessary for successful multilcultural living.

The Wire Award Gold:

At the end of July 2023, we were finally awarded The Wire Award Gold. This was presented to us in Community Time when school returned in September 2023. Here is a link to the website if you would like to know more.