Ashpark Primary School

Curricular Position Statement – RME

Healthy         Hardworking       Caring          Kind

Why Religious and Moral Education?

Learning in the social studies will enable children and young people to:

• Recognise religion as an important expression of human experience.
• Learn about and form the beliefs, values, practices and traditions of Christianity and the world religions selected for study as well as viewpoints independent of religious belief.
• Explore and develop knowledge and understanding of religions, recognising the place of Christianity in the Scottish context.
• Investigate and understand the responses which religious and non-religious views can offer to questions about the nature and meaning of life.
• Recognise and understand, religious diversity and the importance of religion in society.
• Develop respect for others, and an understanding of beliefs and practices which are different from their own.
• Explore and establish values, such as wisdom, justice, compassion, and integrity, and engage in the development of and reflection upon their own moral values.
• Develop their beliefs, attitudes, values, and practices, through reflection, discovery, and critical evaluation.
• Develop the skills of reflection, discernment, critical, thinking, and deciding how to act when making moral decisions.
• Make a positive difference to the world by putting their beliefs and values into action.
• Establish a firm foundation for lifelong learning, further learning and adult life.

What Learning and Teaching Approaches are used?

At Ashpark Primary, we promote high quality learning and teaching in RME.  Staff plan challenging and engaging learning experiences which motivate and sustain the interests of learners across the school.  Effective learning and teaching includes:

• Active learning to allow children to observe, experiment, experience and play.
• Using relevant contexts for learning to motivate and engage children.
• Appropriate and effective use of technology
• Building on the principles of Assessment is for Learning
• Collaborative and independent learning
• Discussion and informed debate
• Interdisciplinary learning experiences
• Learning outdoors, field trips, visits and input by external contributors.

How do children progress through RME?

Teachers at Ashpark use our Progression Pathways and Programme of Study to create learning experiences for their pupils. From August 2023, class teachers will use the Glasgow City Council Programme of Study to support planning, teaching and assessing RME across the school. This progression pathways ensures breadth and depth of learning across Early, First and Second Levels. Learners will develop knowledge and skills through focussing on the key organisers of:

• Christianity
• Other World Religions
• Development of Beliefs and Values

The organisers recognise the special contribution made by each of the Religions and Morals studied.  At Ashpark, we encourage teachers to focus on local contexts in addition to national and international. Class teachers use this framework to provide children and young people with opportunities for effective interdisciplinary working by making connections across and between subjects.   Experiences and Outcomes are bundled to ensure relevance and coverage across each level of Curriculum for Excellence.

How are skills developed in RME?

At Ashpark, the development of skills is an essential aspect of learning in RME and the Experiences and Outcomes provide frequent opportunities for applying these skills in new and more complex contexts.  Through the RME Programme at Ashpark Primary, children and young people will develop skills including:

Exploring and Investigating. Explaining and giving examples. Making personal considerations and forming points of view. Reflecting on personal feelings and experiences. Talking about themselves and listening to others. Describing and demonstrating understanding. Applying knew knowledge within their own context. Empathising and understanding the diversity of faith. Increased self-awareness. Researching, gathering and presenting new information. Identifying key features.

 

How do we assess RME?

At Ashpark, assessment in RME focuses on learner’s knowledge, understanding and skills in their studies of Christianity, other world religion and, beliefs and values.

The purpose of assessment in Ashpark Primary is:

• To identify pupils’ strengths, attainments and development needs
• To decide on the next steps
• To provide effective feedback to pupils in order to move learning forward
• To allow effective reporting

In all classes, teaching staff use the Write, Say, Make or Do approach to allow learners to demonstrate their learning within RME.

Staff at Ashpark assess pupil’s learning formatively within lessons using a wide range of strategies. Pupil’s learning is recorded digitally, in subject jotters and is shared more widely on platforms such as Seesaw and X (formerly Twitter). During session 23/24, our DLOL will be trialling recording assessment on ‘Showbie’ in the form of a learning journal.  Teachers create a yearly floorbook where each subject will be celebrated throughout the year; including pupil voice. Pupils also select pieces of HWB work they are proud of and keep these in their black assessment folders.

Using this evidence and teacher professional judgement, teachers will make informed decisions using the RME Benchmarks about whether a learner has:

• Achieved a breadth of learning across the knowledge, understanding and skills as set out in the experiences and outcomes for the level
• Responded consistently well to the level of challenge set out in the experiences and outcomes for the level and has moved forward to learning at the next level in some aspects
• Demonstrated application of what they have learned in new and unfamiliar situations in order to achieve a level in Social Studies.

What is the link between RME and other areas of the curriculum?

RME experiences and outcomes encourage links with other areas of learning to provide learners with a deeper, more enjoyable and active experience. Teachers at Ashpark aim to build links between our Health and Wellbeing curriculum and RME curriculum, especially within the Mental, Social, Emotional and Physical Wellbeing experiences and outcomes. Teachers use similar learning strategies such as circle time and discussion within these subjects with particular focus on sharing and understanding morality. Ashpark’s RME programme links strongly with the Expressive Arts which are used to enhance the learning experiences within these subject areas. Effective Literacy skills are also an important aspect of our RME curriculum and the Listening and Talking experiences and outcomes play a very important role in the learning and teaching of RME.

What key resources are used to support learning and teaching?

The key resources used throughout the school include:

• Glasgow City Council’s Social Studies Curriculum Framework
• https://education.gov.scot/media/hg0nltic/rme-eo.pdf
• https://education.gov.scot/media/1z0ejtwp/rmebenchmarkspdf.pdf
• Glasgow City Council Social Studies Curriculum Framework/Progression Pathway