Topic Overview

Aims:  (Intent)

We are aiming for Westbrook Primary School to be a place where:

• Children are creative learners who are inspired to think and investigate 
• Children develop, and apply,  skills and knowledge which equips them for life-long learning
• Children learn and apply skills/knowledge through first hand experiences
• Children are proud of their learning and aim to achieve their best
• Children believe in the value of teamwork, helping and caring for one another
• There are close links with the local community whereby parents are partners in the learning journey
• Staff, Governors and the whole community are ambitious and seek to provide only the very best education for our children

RE Specific Intent:

“Our belief is that, using an enquiry-based model well, children’s critical thinking skills can be developed, their motivation to learn increased, and their knowledge and understanding of, and empathy with people and their beliefs, religious or otherwise, will be enhanced. This approach takes very seriously the philosophy that children are free to make their own choices and decisions concerning religion and belief. RE does not try to persuade but rather to inform and develop the skills with which evaluation can take place.”

The key question for enquiry demands an answer that weighs up ‘evidence’ and children reaching  a conclusion based on this. This necessitates children using their subject knowledge and applying it to the enquiry question, rather than this knowledge being an end in itself. Our approach focuses on critical thinking skills, on personal reflection into the child’s own thoughts and feelings, on growing subject knowledge and nurturing spiritual development.