Our Values:
Listening
Encouraging
Forgiving
Thoughtful
Patient
Sharing
Progression
Teaching, Learning and Progression
Windows Mirrors Doors
We use this as a way to approach our key questions and discussions. These are evident in our reflection areas in classrooms and in wider discussions that take place in our school.
- WINDOWS: giving the children opportunities to become aware of the world in new ways; to wonder about life’s WOWs (things that are amazing) and Oohs (things that bring us up short). In this, children are learning about life in all its fullness and glory. We provide WINDOWS throughout our curriculum. We have lessons with an awe and wonder focus using a variety of stimuli including photos, videos, music, current events ad real-life stories.
- MIRRORS: giving children opportunities to reflect on their experiences; to meditate on life’s big questions and to consider some possible answers. In this they are learning from life by exploring their own insights and perspectives and those of others. MIRRORS throughout high quality RE lessons, children are consistently challenged to reflect on their learning about religion to help them learn from religion, regardless of whether they have a specific faith
- DOORS: giving children opportunities to respond to do all of this; to do something creative as a means of expressing, applying and further developing their thoughts and convictions. In this way they are learning to live by putting into action what they are coming to believe and value. Children in our school an identify DOORS They may hear of a local issue or an international event and request to take action through fund-raising and raising awareness – this is often done via school council, worship leaders but our children have the confidence that they know they are listen to and respected by adults in the school and will raise issues and concerns independently.
Spirituality - Our Outdoor Learning Curriculum
Spiritual Development Progression
We have referred to Andrew Rickett’s work to frame our progression. Spirituality is intertwined in our school curriculum. Moments of spiritual development may be isolated but spirituality runs as a key thread through the heart of our school. Our key questions (below) are often referred to in the moments of quiet reflection at the start of Collective and Class Worship.
Nature and Beauty: Awe and Wonder | ||||
Year Group/s | Reception | Years 1 & 2 | Years 3 & 4 | Years 5 & 6 |
Key Questions | What types of weather do you like the most and why? What is your favourite colour and why? What sounds do you like to listen to? What makes you afraid? What is your favourite time of day/season? | Do different colours have different moods? What gives them these moods? What is the most beautiful thing in the world? Why should I care about animals and plants? How/why does the weather affect our mood? | How do we know we’ve found all the colours in the world? What season do you feel most reflects your personality What is the difference between hearing and listening? Should we try to tame nature? What does it mean that beauty is in the eye of the beholder? What would it be like without seasons?
| What is a perfect world? Why is there ugliness in the world? Can you love something that is ugly? Why do you like certain types of music? What response do you get when you look at a piece of art? Is beauty something that you can learn, or do you just have to feel it? What is the point in being creative? |
Assessment: how can we assess children’s’ understanding of this element? | Have an instant response to something wonderful/ exciting and awesome happening. Evident in expression and simple phrases. Respond to sensory feelings and be able to show it. | Give a verbal response that explains a reaction to something wonderful/ exciting or awesome. Be seen to respond to a stimulus and begin to explain in simple terms verbally or through body language. | Be able to understand and give meaning to something wonderful/ exciting or awesome. Be able to verbalise their sensory responses and begin to explore their reactions to stimuli. A growing confidence to explore concepts orally. | Be able to explain/ give an emotional response to stimuli and begin to articulate this from a personal perspective. Be able to display shades of meaning when verbalising sensory responses and understand and interpret their reaction. A developing appreciation that some things don’t have answers.
|
RE Link (Diocese) | CREATION Why is the word ‘God’ so important to Christians? | CREATION Who made the world? | CREATION What do Christians learn from the Creation story? | GOD What does it mean if God is loving and holy? CREATION Creation and science: conflicting or complementary? GREEN RELIGION: How and why should religious communities do more to care for the Earth? |
PSHE Link (Jigsaw) | Being Me in My World Dreams and Goals | Being Me in My World Dreams and Goals | Being Me in My World Dreams and Goals | Being Me in My World Dreams and Goals |
Self: Why Me? & Understanding of self | ||||
Year Group/s | Reception | Years 1 & 2 | Years 3 & 4 | Years 5 & 6 |
Key Questions | What makes me happy? What do I do in my spare time that I like? What things do I value? | Who am I? What am I worth? What is right and wrong? How do I decide what is right and wrong? | What are feelings? Don’t we deserve to be happy? What should I do about right and wrong? What do I deserve in life? Who should I look up to? What type of person do I want to be? What difference does being loved make? Is belief in something important? What rights do I have?
| Should you respect yourself over all other things? Where does your identity come from? Does more mean being happier? Is my understanding self a selfish concept? Are the opinions of my friends important to me? Are my beliefs important? |
Assessment: how can we assess children’s’ understanding of this element? | A growing awareness of knowing what I like and what I don’t like both materially and in the way that I want to be treated. Can say what I like and what I am good at. | An evolving awareness of the concept of self as more than purely physical characteristics. A growing realisation that being content with who you are is important for personal happiness. Know how to apologise and to try again. Beginning to recognise mistakes and how to deal with them in a positive way. | The awareness that the growing development of a personal identity is an important aspect of being human. A growing realisation that an emphasis on self alone is not sufficient as a means of living out the self. An evolving sense of the concept of identity as more than purely physical characteristics or our likes and hobbies. Can set goals for my work and behaviour that will help me to progress.
| The awareness of the value of reflection to explore deeper responses to thoughts that help shapes the ‘inner self’. An understanding that we express our personal values in the way that we approach our relationship with others and the world around us. The ability to express an interpretation of this verbally. Can explain my opinions. |
RE Link (Diocese) | SALVATION Why do Christians put a cross in an Easter garden? | SALVATION Why does Easter matter to Christians? | SALVATION Why do Christians call the day Jesus died ‘Good Friday’? | SALVATION What did Jesus do to save human beings? SALVATION What difference does the resurrection make for Christians? |
PSHE Link (Jigsaw) | Being Me in My World Dreams and Goals Healthy Me Changing Me | Being Me in My World Dreams and Goals Healthy Me Changing Me | Being Me in My World Dreams and Goals Healthy Me Changing Me | Being Me in My World Dreams and Goals Healthy Me Changing Me |
Others: Relationships & Feelings/Emotions | ||||
Year Group/s | Reception | Years 1 & 2 | Years 3 & 4 | Years 5 & 6 |
Key Questions | What makes a good friend? Why are my friends important to me? What do I like in my friends? How do my friends make me feel? How do I look after my friends and family? | Why do people bully others? How do I treat others? Do I treat other people in the same way? Should I treat everyone in the same way? Should I treat my friends differently to others? Why do we fight and argue? Should we always be loyal to our friends? How can I demonstrate compassion? | Why do people ignore others when they need help? Is being a good friend easy? Why do we sometimes hurt the feelings of our friends? How sincerely can I care for those who may be in need but I have never met? Why should we care for them? Will we ever live in a world without fighting? What responsibilities do I have for others?
| Is it better to please oneself first; or others? Why do people have to suffer? What is pain? Is there such a thing as a bad person? What is worth striving for? Why isn’t life always fair? Is being fair always that right thing to do? Does more mean being happier? |
Assessment: how can we assess children’s’ understanding of this element? | Understanding that other people have their own views and opinions and may value different things to you.
| A growing appreciation that the views and opinions of others should be listened to with respect whether those views are similar to your own or different.
| Acknowledgement and respect for the rights of others to have their own deep thoughts that shape their inner self. A developing ability to enter into discussions with others about their values and opinions. | A growing empathy with the values of others and developing an understanding of the need to appreciate them to build meaningful relationships. A growing ability to express how understanding the value of others is an important part of building meaningful relationships
|
RE Link (Diocese) | OLD TESTAMENT STORIES WORLD FAITH STORIES Which stories are special and why? INCARNATION Why do Christians perform Nativity plays at Christmas? | INCARNATION Why does Christmas matter to Christians? GOSPEL What is the good news that Jesus brings? JUDAISM Who is Jewish and what do they believe? ISLAM Who is a Muslim and what do they believe? | PEOPLE OF GOD What is it like to follow God? SIKHISM What is important for Sikh people? How do Sikh people worship and celebrate? INCARNATION How do Christians prepare for Christmas and how does this help them to understand more about God and Jesus? HINDUISM What does it mean to be a Hindu in Britain today? UNIVERSAL Why do some people think that life is a journey and what significant experiences mark this? | PEOPLE OF GOD How can following God bring freedom and justice? JUDAISM What does it mean to be Jewish in Britain today? ISLAM What does it mean to be a Muslim in Britain today? INCARNATION What can Christians learn about how they should love their neighbour as they love themselves from the story of the Flight to Egypt? GREEN RELIGION: How and why should religious communities do more to care for the Earth?
|
PSHE Link (Jigsaw) | Celebrating Difference Relationships | Celebrating Difference Relationships | Celebrating Difference Relationships | Celebrating Difference Relationships |
Beyond: Experiencing feelings of transcendence | ||||
Year Group/s | Reception | Years 1 & 2 | Years 3 & 4 | Years 5 & 6 |
Key Questions | What are the stars for? Why do we have rainbows? How big is the sky? What is the smallest thing there is? Why are people different? What does God look like? | Where is God? What might heaven be like? Is there such a thing as an angel? If you can’t see something, is it still real? What is true happiness? When have you experienced moments of awe and wonder? | What is the purpose of the earth? Is God alive now? Why is there illness? Why do destructive things, like earthquakes, have to happen? Which is stronger – love or hate? Is it good that scientists can’t explain everything? Why are there religions? What is beyond the universe? | Do we come back after death as a different being? Is there life after death? Where do our spirits go when we are dead? Do we have a soul? If so, what happens to it after death? Why do we love? What lasts forever? What is unknowable? What else is there to discover? How do we know what we don’t know? What is worth dying for?
|
Assessment: how can we assess children’s’ understanding of this element? | Have the confidence to ask questions that have no answers. | Have a sense of enjoyment in devising and discussing questions that have no answer. Use imagination to interpret responses to big questions. | Understand what big questions are. Be able to explain imaginative responses to questions of meaning. | Can generate big questions. Begin to express through a personal vocabulary responses to questions of meaning. Begin to be able to use critical reasoning in responding to a big question
|
RE Link (Diocese) | CREATION Why is the word ‘God’ so important to Christians? INCARNATION Why do Christians perform Nativity plays at Christmas? SALVATION Why do Christians put a cross in an Easter garden? | GOD What do Christians believe that God is like? GOSPEL What is the good news that Jesus brings? CREATION Who made the world? | INCARNATION What is the Trinity? KINGDOM OF GOD When Jesus left, what was the impact of Pentecost? GOSPEL What kind of a world did Jesus want? | GOD What does it mean if God is loving and holy? INCARNATION Was Jesus the Messiah? CREATION Creation and science: conflicting or complementary? GOSPEL What would Jesus do? KINGDOM OF GOD What kind of king is Jesus?
|
PSHE Link (Jigsaw) | Being Me in My World Dreams and Goals | Being Me in My World Dreams and Goals | Being Me in My World Dreams and Goals | Being Me in My World Dreams and Goals |
Wider curriculum links
This is not a comprehensive list but a starting point for consideration when planning in these subjects.
Maths
|
| Writing
|
|
Reading
|
| DT
|
|
Drama
|
| Music
|
|
Geography
|
| MFL
|
|
History
|
| Science
|
|
PE
|
|