Religious Studies

“Be the change you wish to see in the world.” Mahatma Gandhi

At Harris Academy Tottenham we believe the teaching of RE is vital to developing life-long learners who are proud of their own beliefs and respectful of those of others.

The early learning goals at EYFS aim to strengthen the positive impressions children have of their own cultures and faiths, and those of others in their community, by sharing and celebrating a range of practices and special events.

Throughout KS1 and 2 RE is taught weekly; children learn about the main world religions in blocks spread out across all year groups. This allows for units of work to build on previous learning and offers children the opportunity to revisit prior learning.

Religious Studies plays an integral role in the spiritual, social and moral development of our entire school community, regardless of individual religious beliefs. All pupils within the Academy study Religious Studies up to the end of Key Stage 4; at which point they sit the AQA specification GCSE examination, with a focus on Christianity and Islam.

The course is designed as a progression curriculum in which pupils build up and develop their skills, knowledge and understanding over time. In such a design, small pieces of information deliberately feed into a larger whole, allowing pupils understanding and awareness to grow in sophistication and complexity; not only recalling key information, but also incorporating their own viewpoints and evaluating the value of differing points of view. Specific focus is placed on delivering topics of study that are relevant to pupil’s lives, whilst also addressing key current ethical debates or philosophical questions that have captured the minds of our greatest thinkers.

Mission statement

Ultimately, Religious Studies is not about God - it’s not even really about religion! Rather, it encapsulates the essence of being human: providing us with the knowledge, understanding and respect to enable us to flourish within our diverse and ever-changing world.

Staff

Mr P Keleher – Subject Lead Religious Studies
Mr J Johnson – Teacher of Geography and Religious Studies                                                                                                          Mrs Marshall - Primary Subject Lead for RE and Deputy Head of Primary/DDSL                                                                                    Ms Periera - Year 1 Class Teacher