TEACHING AND LEARNING STYLES

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We base our teaching and learning style in Religious Education on the key principle that good teaching allows our pupils/students both to learn about religious traditional and to reflect on what the religious ideas and concepts mean to them. Pupils/students are encouraged to think about their own views, values, ideas, beliefs, experiences and feelings in relation to the themes and topics covered in the Religious Education curriculum.

 

Pupils/students carry out research into religious themes and topics and we use their experiences at religious festivals such as Christmas, Easter, Diwali, Passover, and to develop their critical thinking and knowledge and understanding. We organise school visits to local places of worship and invite representatives of religious groups to come into school and work alongside the pupils/students. We involve our pupils/students in the planning and delivery of whole school assemblies and invite parents or carers to come and join in with our celebrations.

 

At Villa Real School, we recognise that all classes have pupils/students of widely different abilities, and so we provide suitable learning opportunities and resources to match the challenge of the task to the ability of the individual pupil/student. We achieve this in a variety of ways, for example by: 

• Providing resources of different complexity, adapted to the ability of the individual pupil/student. 

• Using support staff to work closely alongside individual pupils/students or small groups.

• Using picture symbols, Makaton signing, PECs book, sensory stories, objects of reference and ICT.

 

Teachers' planning ensures that pupils/students take part in activities which are meaningful and interesting for them and through which they address relevant and challenging learning outcomes. This enables all pupils/students to maximise their progress.  Teachers use their professional judgement when planning Religious Education, so that provision allows for continuity and progression and is accessible, meaningful, and meets the varying needs and abilities of all pupils/students irrespective of age. Components are built upon to deepen knowledge and then knowledge is applied.

We ensure that the topics or themes studied build upon prior learning and prepare pupils/students for the next step in their learning. The Religious Education Co-ordinator will provide each Key Stage Teacher with a 4 year Long Term Plan that maps out the topics, key questions to be studied and explored in each half term.  Teachers will use Cornerstones or exemplar plans for Key Stage 1 and 2 for curriculum content and lesson plans.  Teachers will differentiate the breadth of study to suit the individual needs of our pupils/students.    

 

At Villa Real School, the EYFS pupils have a bespoke curriculum set out in their individualised file.  Objectives in each of the learning strands are set that builds upon their unique starting point, and follow the sequential developmental pathways set out in Development Matters (the non-statutory curriculum guidance for EYFS). In our Early Years classes at Villa Real School, we deliver the curriculum through a themed /topic approach so that learning is cross curricular and covers all areas of the EYFS Curriculum. (Please see EYFS Curriculum overview).  The statutory EYFS Framework (Sept 2021) Educational Programmes for Understanding the World, Literacy and Mathematics.

 

Literacy and Numeracy across the curriculum is embedded by use of key vocabulary, communication, writing across the curriculum, number across the curriculum, early reading and numeracy skills and daily reading of specific texts.

 

In Key Stage1, pupils will be introduced to some of the beliefs, features of a religion, and begin to use basic subject specific vocabulary. Pupils/students will have the opportunity to reflect on their own ideas and feelings in relation to their learning.

In Key Stage 2, pupils can build on their learning at Key Stage1 as they develop, extend and deepen their knowledge and understanding of religious beliefs and practices and range of specific subject vocabulary.

 

In Key Stage 3, pupils will build an increasingly sophisticated knowledge and depth of understanding of religion and beliefs.  Building on prior learning pupils/students can study religious and non-religious views using a wide range of subject specific vocabulary.   

 

In the 14-19 provision pupils are taught Religious Education through accredited qualifications.  For example, ASDAN Transition Challenge, ASDAN Transition Sensory Challenge, Key stage 4 & 5 overview in Religious Education and for the most able NOCN Level 1/2/3 Award in General Religious Education.  

 

The Religious Education curriculum at all Key Stages allows for continuity and progression as appropriate, and units of work/topics may appear more than once in order to allow for consolidation of learning.