Curriculum Intent, Implementation and Impact

Curriculum Intent

Students will have a consistent religious education from EYFS to year 6. At each stage, what is taught and how it is taught will look different to ensure the students are able to access the curriculum. We will give students the knowledge and understanding of different cultures, religions and traditions. Throughout our curriculum we will recognise beliefs that can be found within the wider world and our own community, embracing the diversity of the students that we have at Summerswood. At each stage we will encourage question asking to gain a full understanding of the actions performed by people within the context of their religion, allowing students to see how beliefs affect people’s lives. Our curriculum will focus around discovering different religious answers to key questions such as ‘How did humans behave at the beginning of creation?’ and ‘How does religions affect approaches to world ethical dilemmas?’

Curriculum Implementation

We follow the Hertfordshire Agreed Syllabus of Religious Education that was updated for 2023-2028. This delves into 8 key areas of study.

1. Beliefs and practices
2. Sources of wisdom
3. Symbols and actions
4. Prayer, worship and reflection
5. Identity and belonging
6. Ultimate questions
7. Human responsibility and values
8. Justice and fairness

Each area of study will be looked at in each year and students will progress throughout their religious education journey. Students will learn different skills to go along with each. For example, students will begin with learning about beliefs and practices, then describing and explaining beliefs and practices, next they will be able to compare beliefs and practices.

Curriculum Impact

Students will be provided with an engaging and diverse curriculum that demonstrates the amount of cultures and religions within the world. To go further, students will also learn how beliefs and traditions differ between cultures and religions, even within the same religion. For example, students will not just learn Catholic Christianity, they will also have the opportunity to learn Protestant Christianity and about the Church of England. Covering all this will allow students to make links between their own traditions and the religion they believe.

The curriculum will also have cross curricular benefits as students will learn about social skills, science, geography and history. Students will be able to develop their writing skills through the curriculum in their study of the 8 key areas set out by Hertfordshire Agreed Syllabus.