RE MATTERS FOR EVERY CHILD The Essex agreed syllabus for religious education ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Members of the Agreed Syllabus Conference Committee A Representing Christian denominations (apart from the Church of England) and non-Christian religions Revd John Allison (Methodist Church) Chris Blomeley (Buddhism) Marilyn Cook (Salvation Army) Revd Dr Stephen Dray (Baptist Church) Graham Handscomb (United Reformed Church) Sushila Karia (Hinduism) Frank McEvoy (Roman Catholic Church) Sidra Naeem (Islam) Rajvinder Singh Gill (Sikhism) Cathy South (Religious Society of Friends) Sandra Vincent (Judaism) Committee B Representing the Church of England Revd Geoffrey Bayliss Verity Boreham Jean Brown Michael Danes Alison Seaman Greg Waters Committee C Representing teachers’ professional associations David Barrs (ASCL) Olwen Davies (ATL) Linda Dean (NAHT) Ian Pringle (Voice) Nikki White (NUT) Steve Wood (NASUWT) Committee D Representing the Local Authority Cllr John Aldridge Cllr Keith Bobbin Cllr Theresa Higgins Cllr Ann Naylor Cllr Colin Riley Cllr John Roberts In attendance at meetings of the Agreed Syllabus Conference 2 Co-opted members of the Standing Advisory Council on RE (SACRE) Jane Howarth (member of Mid Essex Interfaith Group and Unitarian) John Lee (Deputy Headteacher – secondary) Sobantu Sibanda (Advanced Skills Teacher specialising in RE) Nicola Speechley-Watson (Curriculum Development Adviser) Ray White (secular humanist) Members of the Key Stage 3 consultation group Katya Cumber (Mayflower High School) Philippa Dance (The Boswells School) Olwen Davies (Brentwood County High School) Stephen Edgell (Tendring Technology College) Frances Hardwick (Anglo European School) John Lee (Thurstable School Sports College and Sixth Form) Sobantu Sibanda (The Deanes School) Steve Wood (Colne Community School) Lead officer for RE Graham Lancaster (School Improvement and Early Years) Clerical and administrative support Sally Moorcock (School Improvement and Early Years) 3 CONTENTS Page Foreword 6 Section 1 About RE and this agreed syllabus 7 The legal position 8 The non-statutory national framework 9 The importance of RE 10 Attitudes in RE 10 Supporting the values of the curriculum 11 Supporting the aims of the primary curriculum 11 Supporting the aims of the secondary curriculum 12 ‘Learning about’ and ‘learning from’ 13 Time allocation 14 Section 2 Learning across the curriculum: the contribution of RE 15 Promoting spiritual, moral, social and cultural development through RE 16 Promoting citizenship through RE 17 Promoting personal, social and health education through RE 17 Promoting key skills through RE 17 Promoting other aspects of the curriculum 18 RE and the general teaching requirements for primary schools 18 Section 3 RE-related early learning goals 21 RE in reception classes 22 Section 4 Programmes of study for Key Stages 1, 2, 3 and 4 and Post-16 43 Programme of study for Key Stage 1 44 Programme of study for Key Stage 2 64 Programme of study for Key Stage 3 71 Programme of study for Key Stage 4 79 Programme of study for post-16 80 Section 5 Attainment targets and level descriptions 81 4 FOREWORD I am pleased to provide the foreword to RE Matters for Every Child, the new Essex agreed syllabus for religious education. Since the publication of its predecessor (Religious Education in Essex), there have been two significant developments in RE in England, namely the production of the non-statutory national framework and the RE material (also non-statutory) contained in the new secondary curriculum. Both of these publications have exerted a major influence on the new agreed syllabus. As a result, while RE in primary schools will continue to focus mainly on religious practices and the ‘concrete’ features of religion (worship, festivals, rites of passage, books, buildings, food, clothing, etc), RE in secondary schools will now focus much more sharply on religious beliefs and the ‘abstract’ features of religion (concepts, ideas, values, ethical stances, etc). Essex has also adopted the ‘national’ attainment targets for RE: AT1, learning about religion, and AT2, learning from religion. Another factor that has helped shape the new syllabus is that the population of Essex is becoming increasingly diverse in terms of ethnicity. In 2003, when Religious Education in Essex was published, 6% of Essex pupils were of minority ethnic heritage. Today, in 2008, 10% of our pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds. In developing understanding of and respect for people of different faiths (not least Islam), RE has an important contribution to make to community cohesion. The programmes of study for Key Stages 2 and 3, while focusing mainly on Christianity, require that content related to all the major world faiths is covered. Consistent with national guidance, RE at all key stages now includes the exploration of secular as well as religious world views. This, then, is an agreed syllabus fit for the 21st century, and members of the body responsible for its development (the Agreed Syllabus Conference) are to be thanked for giving so freely of their expertise and time. Conference meetings were characterised by a lively exchange of views, and conference members, drawn from a wide range of religious and non-religious backgrounds, showed immense goodwill and a willingness to listen to and learn from each other. Thanks also go to Andrew Scott (former lead officer for RE), who co-ordinated the work, and teachers who responded to the draft documents. RE Matters for Every Child re-affirms the commitment of the Local Authority to an RE curriculum that is relevant to the present and future needs of society and of every pupil in our schools. It is recognised that its success will ultimately depend on the goodwill and commitment of teaching staff in schools. I am confident that teachers and support staff will respond positively to the challenges the new agreed syllabus presents. Lord Hanningfield Leader of the Council 5 Section 1 About RE and this agreed syllabus 6 The legal position Statutory requirements in respect of religious education (RE) are currently contained in the Education Act 1996 and the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. Guidance on the interpretation of the legal provisions is contained in DFE Circular 1/94, Religious Education and Collective Worship (at the time of writing, this circular is being reviewed). Implementation of this agreed syllabus • This agreed syllabus replaces Religious Education in Essex (Essex County Council 2003) as the document setting out the statutory requirements for RE in most schools in Essex (see ‘The provision of RE in different types of school’ below). This agreed syllabus must start to be implemented from September 2009, and different key stages have different deadlines by which it must be implemented in full, as set out in the table below. Until the requirements of the new agreed syllabus are implemented, RE will continue to be taught in accordance with Religious Education in Essex. Start date for implementation Full implementation from Reception September 2009 September 2010 Key Stage 1 September 2009 September 2010 Key Stage 2 September 2009 September 2010 Key Stage 3 September 2009 September 2011 Key Stage 4 September 2009 September 2009 Post-16 September 2009 September 2009 Pupils’ entitlement to RE in maintained schools • RE must be taught to all registered pupils, apart from the following: - those withdrawn from all or part of RE by their parents (see below); - students aged 18 or over who choose to withdraw themselves from all or part of RE; - students aged 19 or over for whom further education is being provided at a school; - children under compulsory school age. • RE ‘has equal standing in relation to national curriculum subjects within a school’s curriculum’1. • Parents can choose to withdraw their child(ren) wholly or partly from RE, and teachers have the right not to teach this subject. The provision of RE in different types of school • In all maintained schools and academies, apart from those identified below, RE must be taught according to the locally agreed syllabus. Relevant schools in Essex are required to start implementing this agreed syllabus from September 2009 (see table above). • All maintained schools and academies are required to teach RE; but not all are required to teach it in accordance with the requirements of the local agreed syllabus. The following categories of schools and academies do not have to adhere to the local agreed syllabus: - Voluntary Aided schools with a religious character, in which RE must be provided in accordance with the school’s trust deed. - Foundation schools with a religious character, in which RE must be provided in accordance with the school’s trust deed. - Academies with a religious character, in which RE must be taught in accordance with the tenets of the specified religion or religious denomination. - Special schools, which must ensure that ‘so far as is practicable’2 every pupil receives RE. 1 DFE Circular 1/94, Religious Education and Collective Worship, DFE 1994, para. 20. 7 - Nursery schools, which are not required to teach RE as such. Requirements for agreed syllabuses • Agreed syllabuses must reflect the fact that religious traditions in Great Britain are in the main Christian, while taking into account the teachings and practices of the other principal religions represented in Great Britain. • Agreed syllabuses should indicate at what ages or stages the particular subject matter in relation to each religion should be taught, ensuring that as