Religious Education
“Differences were not meant to divide, but enrich”
J H Oldham
What we teach
At Mersey Park Primary School, we teach Religious Education, following the Wirral Agreed Syllabus, in line with the National Curriculum, to engage, inspire, challenge and encourage our pupils, so they develop a better understanding of the many religions that make up our multi-cultural society. We equip our pupils with the knowledge and skills needed to explore these different religious beliefs, whilst learning how to answer challenging questions concerning them. Through trips, visitors to the school and our curriculum, we teach the children to know how Religious Education promotes discernment, combats prejudice and therefore prepares them for adult life.
How we teach it
People, cultures and communities is part of Understanding the World in Early Years. Children are introduced to a range of religious festivals and cultures. They are taught to be tolerant and respectful of others through educational visits, stories, music, visitors and food tasting from around the world.
In Key Stage 1 and 2, we follow the Wirral Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education. As well as delivering inspiring and creative lessons, children have the opportunity to visit different places of worship and identify with members of the community from different cultures and beliefs. Our curriculum is designed to use creativity, imagination, discussion, debate and enquiry. Pupils will acquire a wide range of subject specific vocabulary. All activities are adapted to meet the needs of our learners.
We deliver engaging and educational assemblies throughout the school year, led by special people from the community and our own staff to share information around a range of topics within RE and SMSC.
Please click here to see our Religious Education curriculum overview for each Year Group.
Impact
Religious Education has a significant role for the development of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. It promotes respect and open-mindedness towards others with different faiths and beliefs and encourages pupils to develop their sense of identity and belonging through self-awareness and reflection. Our principle aim for RE is to engage pupils in an enquiry approach where they can gain knowledge and appreciation for the expression of beliefs, cultural practices and the influence of the main religions of the UK and worldviews in the local, national and wider global community.
Religious Education at Mersey Park
Autumn Term
Foundation 1
In Foundation 1 the children begin to appreciate the differences between people and are encouraged to develop positive attitudes. They look at each other and talk about what is the same and different about themselves. They also look at each other’s family photographs which are displayed in the classroom and in a class-book. Children play with resources such as small world figures and dolls which reflect diversity.
Foundation 2
In Foundation 2 children develop their understanding of the differences between people and begin to learn that people have different beliefs and celebrate special times in different ways. The children learn about the festival of Diwali and make their own diva lamps. They also use henna to create mehndi patterns on each other’s hands. They visit St. Catherine’s church and learn that it is a special place to some people.
Year 1
In Year 1 the children learn about the story of creation in different religions and begin to retell the stories themselves. The children also explore some of the festivals celebrated across religions such as Diwali and the Christmas Story and begin to sequence and retell these.
Year 2
In Year 2 the children learn about empathy and look through glasses with empathetic eyes. They create a kindness tree and acknowledge different acts of kindness.
Year 3
In Year 3 the children learn about the story of Moses and why he is an important figure in the bible. The children also look into the importance of Angels and Cherubs and their significance within religion. They look at why Angel Gabriel is one of the most important Angels and the impact angels have at Christmas.
Year 4
Year 4 read parables together and learn about their wider meanings. They learn how parables were used by Jesus to show people how to live and behave. The children also learn the 5Ks of Sikhism and how they are used in the Gurdwara. They learn about Gurus and the importance of their stories. The children also make birthday cards for Guru Nanak.
Year 5
In Year 5 the children will learn about the differences between Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant Christians. They then learn about the life of Martin Luther and how he split the church into Catholics and Protestants. They also learn the difference between the key symbols of different faiths.
Year 6
In Year 6 the children learn about what a spirit or soul is and how someone can look after it. They learn about the concept of Mother Earth and learn about Solstice celebrations. They also find out about Buddhist meditation.
Spring Term
Foundation 1
In Foundation 1 the children learn about how Christians celebrate Easter. They go on an Easter hunt in the outdoor area.
Foundation 2
Year 1
In Year 1 the children learn all about Water in the Bible. They explore different bible stories and the theme of morals. They learn about Noah’s Ark and Baptism. The children also enjoy regular trips to St Catherine’s Church to help consolidate the learning, for example, the Easter story and how Baptisms occur.
Year 2
In Year 2 the children look at specific events in the Easter story and make palm leaves. They look at the Last Supper, Palm Sunday, Lent, Maundy Thursday and Shrove Tuesday.
Year 3
In Year 3 the children learn about a number of different faiths and beliefs including; Sikhism, Hinduism and Buddhism. The children learn about how different religions live their lives through following The 5Ks and The Wheel of Dharma.
Year 4
This term, Year 4 enjoy learning all about the practices and religion of the Ancient Celts. They look at some of our well known saints, such as St Cuthbert and St Patrick and their special days.
Year 5
In R.E the children look at symbols in different religions, their meanings, origins and how important they are to their faith. They design their own symbols to express their own characters strengths.
Year 6
In Year 6 the children revise lent and fasting and the importance of self-sacrifice in different religions. They look at the sacrifices different people make both religious and non-religious and the symbolism behind it. They also look at how religious figures in the past tackled hardship and fasting.
Spring Term
Foundation 1
In Foundation 1 the children continue to develop their positive attitudes about the difference between people. They look carefully at themselves and their friends and describe how they are all different.
Foundation 2
In Foundation 2 the children use litter pickers to collect rubbish which has been left in their outdoor area. They find out about how to care for their environment and think about people in the community who help to keep everywhere tidy. They enjoy a visit to St. Catherine’s church where they listen to the story of creation from the Bible. They are fascinated by the church building and what they see inside.
Year 1
In Year 1 the children learn key facts about Judaisim. They learn about Christian Sunday’s of the past and compare them to what they will learn about Shabbat. They learn about Jewish rituals, candles and Challah bread. They listen to Jewish prayer and consider Jewish food blessings and compare these to Christian Grace. They are introduced to the concept of hidden meanings (morals) within stories. They learn three Bible stories, the moral behind them and how this moral can be applied to daily modern life for Christians.
Year 2
In Year 2 the children learn about Islam and compare it what they know about Christianity. They learn about rules to live by in different settings of their lives including the ten commandments and the five pillars of Islam.
Year 3
In Year 3 the children understand the importance of pilgrimages. In Hinduism the children describe the features of Ganesh.
Year 4
In Year 4 the children look at images and videos of both Bishops and Arch Bishops, and together they create posters which show the importance of what they wear and why.
Year 5
In Year 5 the children learn what a rabbi and a chief rabbi are and what they do and revise the purpose and symbolism of Jewish artefacts. They learn what a synagogue is and its features and revise some important events in some Jews lives. They move onto Christians and learn how they treat their dead and what happens at funerals and compare to other religions.
Year 6
In Year 6 the children look at different religious sites and beliefs. They research the various temples of Koh Ker, Borobudur and Ellora Caves. Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism are the main focus of the research.
Extra-curricular Activities and Trips
- Harvest
- Christmas Service
- Easter Service
- Multi-Faith Week
- Trips to St Catherine’s Church and Tranmere Methodist Church
- Assemblies led by Tranmere Methodist Church and St Catherine’s Church
- Bible club run by St Catherine’s Church
Religious Education Displays in the Local Community
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION REPORT TO GOVERNORS
RE Subject Leaders Report 2023