Foundation Stage
Understanding the world involves guiding children to make sense of their physical world and their community. The frequency and range of children’s personal experiences increases their knowledge and sense of the world around them – from visiting parks, libraries and museums to meeting important members of society such as police officers, nurses and firefighters. In addition, listening to a broad selection of stories, non-fiction, rhymes and poems will foster their understanding of our culturally, socially, technologically and ecologically diverse world. As well as building important knowledge, this extends their familiarity with words that support understanding across domains. Enriching and widening children’s vocabulary will support later reading comprehension. Understanding the World – Development Matters.
These questions are taken from the Luton and Bedfordshire SACRE scheme of learning and are covered through circle times and sharing of stories in EYFS. They contribute to the children understanding that some places are special to members of their community and to recognise that people have different beliefs and celebrate special times in different ways.
Years 1 to 6
To support our teaching of Religious Education at Brickhill Primary School, we follow the Luton and Bedfordshire SACRE scheme of learning which states that ‘the principal aim of religious education is to explore what people believe and what difference this makes to how they live, so that pupils can gain the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to handle questions raised by religion and belief, reflecting on their own ideas and ways of living.’
For this academic year, there are some shared units of learning between year groups due to adjusting to a new sequence set for 2024-25. Changes were made to ensure there was more balance between religions across the year groups in KS2.
| Autumn A | Autumn B | Spring A | Spring B | Summer A | Summer B | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | What do Christians believe God is like? | Why does Christmas matter to Christians? How and why do we celebrate special times? |
What makes some places significant? What makes some places sacred to believers? |
Why does Easter matter to Christians? | Who is a Muslim? What do they believe and how do they live? |
Who is Jewish? What do they believe and how do they live? |
| Year 2 | How and why do we celebrate significant times? What makes some celebrations sacred to believers? |
What can we learn from sacred books and stories? | How do we show we care for others? Why does it matter? |
How do we show we care for the Earth? Why does it matter? |
Who is an inspiring person? What stories inspired Christian, Muslim and Jewish people? |
What is the ‘good news’ Christians believe Jesus brings? |
| Autumn A | Autumn B | Spring A | Spring B | Summer A | Summer B | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 3 | Where, how and why do people worship? | Why do some people think life is like a journey? How and why do people mark the significant events of life? | How do festivals and worship show what matters to Muslims? | What kind of world did Jesus want? | Why do Christians call the day Jesus died ‘Good Friday’? | How do festivals and family life show what matters to Jewish people? |
| Year 4 | How is faith expressed in Hindu communities and traditions? | How is faith expressed in Sikh communities and traditions? | How do festivals and worship show what matters to Muslims? | What are the deeper meanings of festivals? | For Christians, what was the impact of Pentecost? | How and why do people try to make the world a better place? |
| Autumn A | Autumn B | Spring A | Spring B | Summer A | Summer B | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 5 | What does it mean if Christians believe God is holy and loving? | How is faith expressed in Islam? | How and why do some people inspire others? | What will make our community a more respectful place? | How do Christians decide to live? What would Jesus do? | Creation and science: conflicting or complementary? |
| Year 6 | What helps Hindu people as they try to be good? | How is faith expressed in Islam? | Justice and poverty: why does faith make a difference? | What will make our community a more respectful place? | Why do some people believe in God and some people not? | How does faith enable resilience? |