Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Brent Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education 1 Brent Agreed Syllabus for Religios Education Contents Foreword 3 1. Introduction 4 2. Special needs and inclusion 10 3. The Foundation Stage 13 4. Key Stage 1 23 5. Key Stage 2 40 6. Key Stages 3 and 4 93 7. Post 16 129 8. Attainment Target 131 9. Glossary 139 10. Appendix 1 : Legal requirements for religious education 176 Appendix 2 : Membership of the Brent Statutory Conference 178 and its working party 2 Brent Agreed Syllabus for Religios Education Foreword Of all the subjects taught in Brent's primary and secondary schools, modern religious education asks its students to engage with profoundly challenging questions: about how they live with their own beliefs and about how they live with those who have different beliefs. So I believe that we have been right to be ambitious about our work of revising Brent's Agreed Syllabus for religious education. Building on what has gone before, a new syllabus for Brent should stimulate rigorous and responsive thinking among its students. It should excite commitment and creativity among its teachers. And, because it has been agreed locally, this syllabus is designed to fit the demands of our diverse Brent community. Our hope is that this syllabus will enable students and teachers to find religious education an enjoyable, relevant and serious subject. And that they will come to appreciate and engage with the rich heritage of ideas, traditions and wisdoms that religions and ethical belief systems have to offer. The process of revising the syllabus has been more demanding than I first imagined but my SACRE colleagues have met the challenge with real dedication. Representatives from all Brent's many faith communities invested their time, energy and expertise in the project. Our reward has been to experience first hand what religious education at its best can be, the personal enrichment of encountering the strength and integrity of another person's belief. Personally, I have found this task to be one of the most stimulating pieces of work I have done during my time in the borough. I would like to thank my colleagues for their unfailing commitment to this task, and with them to thank Beth Stockley, our RE Advisory Teacher, for the considerable professionalism and educational insight she has brought to the project. On behalf of my SACRE colleagues, I enthusiastically commend this syllabus to the young people of Brent and to their teachers, confident that it will serve them well. The Reverend Steven Nolan Group A Chair of LB of Brent Statutory Agreed Syllabus Conference July 2002 3 Brent Agreed Syllabus for Religios Education The aim of religious education is to learn about and from spiritual insights, The aims of religious beliefs and religious practices and to explore fundamental questions of human life. education in Brent This will include helping children and young people to: Understand and respect different theistic and non-theistic religious traditions as well as other ethical traditions (such as Humanism) by exploring issues within and between them Develop knowledge and understanding of beliefs, values, traditions and religious institutions and their influence on the life of the believer and on communities and societies Look for and learn from the wisdom contained in the stories, sayings and customs of religious and ethical traditions Understand how meaning is conveyed through religious texts, ritual, symbolism, and the arts Recognise the integrity of truth claims, value the search for truth and manage conflicts which may arise from differing views Develop the ability to make reasoned and informed choices concerning belief and behaviour Enhance and reflect on their own spiritual, moral, emotional and cultural development Develop a positive self image through reflecting on their own beliefs and home traditions while respecting the right of others to hold beliefs different to theirs Religious education, provided in accordance with the Brent Agreed Syllabus, should not be „by means of any catechism or formulary which is distinctive of a particular religious denomination‟. Education Act 1996 section 376 (2), Schools and Framework Act 1998 Schedule 19 (5) It is not the aim of religious education, then, to promote any religious perspective or to persuade pupils to be religious. 4 Brent Agreed Syllabus for Religios Education Framework of the The Agreed Syllabus is organised into guidance for the Foundation Stage (age 3-5) and programmes of study for each of the subsequent key stages ( Key Brent Agreed Syllabus Stage 1: age 5-7, Key Stage 2: age 7-11, Key Stage 3: age 11-14, Key Stage 4: age 14-16). The programmes of study have been designed to follow the framework of National Curriculum subjects. They clarify the types of knowledge, understanding, skills, attitudes and processes which inform religious education in Brent. They describe continuity and progression through the key stages. The religious and ethical traditions to be studied at each key stage are specified in the breadth of study. Two prescribed units must be taught at the Foundation Stage and five at Key Stage 1. There are four core units which must be taught at Key Stages 2 and 3 and additional units which can be chosen from a range of options. Teachers must address the programme of study for the appropriate key stage and the key questions for each unit taught. Learning objectives, suggested teaching material and examples of learning activities have been included to guide teachers in their planning and teaching. It is recognised that, in order to give adequate time to address the requirements of the programme of study, there will be differences in the amount of material studied within a unit by different students and by different classes within a key stage due to differences in age and ability. All agreed syllabuses are required to „reflect the fact that the religious traditions in Great Britain are in the main Christian while taking account of the teachings and practices of the other principal religions represented in Great Britain‟ Education Reform Act 1988 Section 8 (3). The principal religious traditions in Great Britain besides Christianity are generally understood to be Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Sikhism. All of these religious communities are represented in The London Borough of Brent. In addition there are significant numbers of Rastafarians and there are also Baha‟is, Jains and Zoroastrians. While students are required to study units on Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism at Key Stages 2 and 3, material is included from these and other traditions in the thematic units. At Key Stage 3 students may also be taught systematic units on the Baha‟i faith, Buddhism, Humanism or Sikhism. However, it is important that teachers are aware that they may introduce material from 5 other traditions into the thematic units in order to take into account traditions with smaller numbers of adherents but with significant teachings and/or to include the experiences of students in their classroom. There is also the provision for teachers to design their own unit at Key Stage 3, drawing on the requirements specified in the programme of study. They may wish to design a systematic unit on a tradition not already detailed, e.g. Rastafarianism. In Brent the majority of students are active members of religious communities. There is also a minority of students who do not come from a religious background but who, nevertheless, bring with them developing beliefs, values and ethical frameworks. There are differences in the pupils‟ range of experience and contact with religious practices. There is diversity within traditions as well as between them. Teachers need to take account of this diversity of beliefs and of students‟ personal development. One of the aims of the Brent syllabus is to help students to live peacefully in a pluralist society where there are often conflicting views. There are times when this diversity may produce friction due to conflicting truth claims or different ways of following the same tradition. The presence of debate gives teachers the opportunity to teach students how to manage such disputes constructively and calmly while maintaining the integrity of their own beliefs. Indeed, it is the role of religious education to provide opportunities for structured discussion and for students to learn reasoned argument where they can listen to the views of others and express their own coherently. In the context of this syllabus the term „faith‟ is used to refer to that which motivates people, shapes the way they live, informs their choices and without which it would be difficult to carry on living. Teachers need to recognise that faith develops and changes through people‟s lives in response to questions posed and life experiences. For many their faith and beliefs are clearly identified with a named religious or ethical system and they may belong to its community, participating fully or maybe only occasionally. Others may not find it so easy to identify their beliefs and faith with an existing organisation. Some may be on a search for a community of believers with which to identify. The investigation and understanding of this whole range of beliefs, of faith, of ways of belonging and of practice is at the core of this syllabus. 6 Assessment for Teachers are assessing all the time and this assessment informs them of students‟ needs, helping them to adjust their planning and teaching so that effective and learning appropriate learning can take place. However, the term „assessment‟ usually suggests assigning National Curriculum levels to pupils‟ work, and evokes the stressful image of preparation for tests and writing reports for parents. Assessment for learning, or formative assessment, is less overtly recognised yet its importance in raising standards is significant.