Sir Henry Fermor Church of England Primary School
Content Slideshow
Religious Education
Religious Education and Worship
RE Curriculum
We follow the East Sussex scheme of work for our Religious Education which is a collaborative resource using expert input from RE Today. 'Understanding Christianity' is incorporated and used in our Christianity Units where The 'big story' of the Bible is taught across the school through 8 'core concepts' which children encounter a number of times as they move through the school.
Pupils will encounter these concepts, and teachers teach them through key questions, using a model with three elements.
This develops pupils’ abilities to make sense of texts related to the core concepts, to understand the impact of belief in these concepts in the lives of Christians and the Christian community, and to make connections beyond the concepts with other learning, including pupils’ own responses.
There is also opportunity in other terms to learn about world faiths, where different year groups take time focusing on religions around the world. Thematic units are explored in every year group and these give opportunities for children to question and think about themes found in previous RE learning. These also give space to think about non religious views. Children show their understanding through a variety of creative activities as well as expressing their knowledge through the written word.
| Term 1 | Term 2 | Term 3 | Term 4 | Term 5 | Term 6 |
FS | FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness & Self-Control THEMATIC How do we show love/how do I know I am loved? What things can we do better together rather than on our own? The ‘Lost Sheep Story’
| FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness & Self-Control
Why is Christmas special for Christians? What special stories about Jesus are in the Bible? Why do Christians celebrate Jesus birthday? Christingle Nativity
| FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness & Self-Control Why is the word ‘God’ so important to Christians? Which people believe God is the creator of everything?
| FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness & Self-Control Why is Easter so special to Christians? What do Christians believe happened to Jesus? Why do Christians think this is such an important story? What do Christians do at Easter? | FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness & Self-Control THEMATIC What places are special and why? Where do you feel safe/ happy? Where is special to me? Where is a special place for believers to go?
| FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness & Self-Control THEMATIC What times/stories are special and why? What is your favourite story? What do you like about it and why? What stories do you know about Jesus What do you think Jesus was (is) like? Church Visit EYFS Church Service |
| What times/stories are special and why?
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Year 1 | THEMATIC What does it mean to belong to a faith community? What characteristic is important in lots of faith communities? What happens at welcome ceremonies in different faith communities?
| U.C. GOD What do Christians believe God is Like? How do Christians show their belief in God as loving & forgiving? | JEWS Who is Jewish and how do they live? What are the words of the Shema? How do Jewish people celebrate special times? | JEWS Who is Jewish and how do they live? What are some of the stories used in celebrations to remind Jews of what God is like? How do these stories influence the way Jewish people live? | U.C. CREATION Who do Christians say made the world? What does the Creation story tell Christians about God, creation and the world? What do Christians do to say thank you?
| THEMATIC How should we care for the world and for others, and why does it matter? Which stories or texts say something about each person being unique and valuable? How do Christians and Jews show care for the natural earth? |
Year 2 | MUSLIMS Who is a Muslim and how do they live? Part 1 Why are the words of the Shahadah important for Muslims? How do Muslims use the Shahadah to show what matters to them? | U.C INCARNATION Why does Christmas matter to Christians? Why is Jesus so important for Christians? How do Christians use the story of the Nativity to guide their beliefs and actions at Christmas? | MUSLIMS Who is a Muslim and how do they live? Part 2 What are some of the key Muslim beliefs about God? How do Muslims use stories about the Prophet to guide their beliefs and actions? | U.C SALVATION Why does Easter matter to Christians? How do the stories in the Bible about Easter and Holy Week link to the idea of Salvation? How do Christians show their beliefs about Jesus’ death and resurrection in church worship at Easter?
| U.C GOSPEL – GOOD NEWS What is the ‘good news’ Christians believe Jesus brings? What does Jesus tell Christians about how to behave? How do Christians put these beliefs into practice? | THEMATIC What makes some places sacred to believers? What are the special places people go to worship at? How do people worship at their special places? |
Year 3 | U.C. CREATION What do Christians learn from the Creation story? What do Christians do because they believe God is Creator? | U.C. PEOPLE OF GOD What is it like for someone to follow God? How does the story of Noah link to the idea of Covenant? How do the promises in the story of Noah link to the promises Christians make in a wedding ceremony? | MUSLIMS How do festivals and worship show what matters to a Muslim? Are there benefits of putting into practice Muslim values for people who are not Muslims?
| JEWS How do festivals and family life show what matters to Jewish people? How do Jewish beliefs about God affect the way Jews live? | U.C. GOSPEL What kind of world did Jesus want? How do Christians today show love for all? | THEMATIC How and why do people try to make the world a better place? What are the different ways people put their beliefs into action? |
Year 4 | U.C. INCARNATION / GOD What is the ‘Trinity’ and why is it important for Christians? What do Bible texts about Baptism and Trinity mean and what do they mean to some Christians today? How do Christians show their beliefs about God the Trinity in worship? | HINDUS What do Hindus believe God is like? How do Hindu deities help Hindus to describe God? How does what Hindus believe about God affect the way they live? | HINDUS What does it mean to be a Hindu in Britain today? How do Hindu practices show the belief that Hinduism is a whole way of life?
| U.C. SALVATION Why do Christians call the day Jesus died ‘Good Friday’? What does ‘Salvation’ mean? How do Christians mark the events of Easter and why do they do it this way? | U.C. KINGDOM OF GOD For Christians when Jesus left what was the impact of Pentecost? How do Christians show their beliefs about the Spirit of God in worship? | THEMATIC How and why do people mark the significant events of life? What are the differences in how people celebrate commitment? |
Year 5 | U.C. GOD What does it mean if Christians believe God is holy and loving? What are the connections between different types of Biblical texts and Christian ideas about God? How might Biblical ideas and teachings about God make a difference in the world today? | MUSLIMS What does it mean to be a Muslim in Britain today? What are the Muslim beliefs about God, the Prophet and the Holy Qu’ran? How do Muslim beliefs affect how Muslims live in Britain today? | U.C. INCARNATION Why do Christians believe Jesus was the Messiah? Where does the incarnation fit into the ‘big story’ of the Bible? How does the idea that Jesus is the Messiah fit into the wider story of the Bible? | JEWS Why is the Torah so important to Jewish people? How do Jewish people interpret texts about what God is like? How do Jewish beliefs about the Torah affect how they use and treat it? | U.C. GOSPEL How do Christians decide how to live? What would Jesus do? How do Christians interpret Gospel texts and what are our ideas about them? How do the Gospel texts inspire Christians to live out the ‘good news’? | THEMATIC What matters most to humanists and Christians? What do Christians and Humanists believe about why people are bad and good? Why might it be helpful to follow a moral code and why might it difficult? |
Year 6 | U.C. CREATION Creation and Science: conflicting or complementary? What type of text is Genesis 1 and what is the purpose of it? Is the Genesis 1 story in conflict or complimentary to the scientific account of creation? | THEMATIC Why do some people believe in God and some people not? What do the terms ‘theist’, ‘atheist’ and ‘agnostic’ mean? What are the beliefs of non religious and religious people about God? How do different people’s beliefs about God impact how they live? | HINDUS Why do Hindus want to be good? What are the main Hindu beliefs? How does the story of the man in the well relate to Hindu beliefs? What impact might belief in karma and dharma have on individuals and the world? | U.C. SALVATION What do Christians believe Jesus did to ‘save’ people? What do Christians mean when they say Jesus death was a sacrifice? How does the understanding about Jesus death being a sacrifice affect how Christians celebrate Holy Communion? | U.C. KINGDOM OF GOD For Christians, what kind of King is Jesus? What are the possible different interpretations of the Biblical texts about the Kingdom of God? How do Christians put their beliefs about the Kingdom of God into practice? | THEMATIC How does faith help people when life gets hard? What do different religions believe about life after death? What are the different ways in which religions guide people in how to respond to good and hard times? |
Year 4 Children exploring Creation: "What do Christians learn from the Creation story?"
Year 3 Children making matzos as part of their learning on Judaism: "What symbols and stories help Jewish people remember their covenant with God?"
Year 1 Pupil Voice......... 
Collective Worship
As a Church of England school our daily worships are an important part of the day. We start our week with a whole school Worship led by a member of All Saints, our partner church. They also lead a singing worship on Thursday where hymns old and new are learnt and practiced. Fridays are our Celebration Worships, led by Year 6, where we recognise the achievements of pupils both academically with Headteacher awards for Achievement and Progress as well as for Effort and Enthusiasm. Children can also earn Fermor merits for courtesy, politeness and kindness in and around the school, which are collected and each week one person is chosen to receive a £5 book token. Other worships include Key Stage Worships on Wednesdays where a Bible parable or story is explored based on the Fruits of the Holy Spirit, as found in Paul's letter to the Galatians. Worships on Tuesdays explore a variety of events or special dates which are also linked to our Christian monthly themes which are: Growth Mind-Set, Compassion, Courage, Hope, Creativity, Wisdom, Forgiveness, Respect, Unity, Honesty, Curiosity. On the first Wednesday of each month the whole school meets at All Saints church and one year group leads the service focusing on their class value. They deliver the Bible message through art, drama, poetry or prose and we have a talk by one of the All Saints church leaders. We also have special Worships with visiting speakers where we learn more about how to help and support others, showing respect to those around us by supporting both local and national charities and organisations.
In response to thinking about our September Value of Growth Mind-set, children produced these beautiful butterflies after several drafts and specific feedback from their learning partners.
Bishop Ruth's visit
We were honoured to welcome the Bishop of Horsham, Ruth Bushyager, to speak at our
Year 6 Leaver's Service. We were the only school she visited and the children were heartened by her encouraging, positive words as they contemplated together moving on to secondary school. Ruth was particularly impressed by our butterfly display, for which every year group in the school had contributed. The butterflies spoke of hopefulness and new beginnings and were part of an initiative that the Church of England at Chichester Cathedral had promoted for the occasion.
Classroom Reflection
Each classroom has a ‘Pause for reflection’ area and prayer tree to enable children to explore faith and spirituality in a safe, creative and interactive way. Reflection Areas are used as a focus for children's prayers and thoughts often to enable reflection on RE teaching or Collective Worship times. These areas also display the class value and Bible scripture. Children are encouraged to think about the outworking of the value in their own lives and in the school community.
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Wider Application
RE has a particular contribution to make towards the spiritual, moral, social and cultural education of each pupil. It involves learning about the Christian religion, the main world religions and our core values of inspire, believe, achieve. Our Christian learning comes through the Understanding Christianity scheme which develops pupils understanding of the Bible through the themes of Creation, People of God, Incarnation, the Gospels and Salvation. These themes are reflected in our worships so each pupil can explore, discuss and reflect on the key messages. When exploring these themes the pupils are encouraged to use different areas of the curriculum to help support their learning, some of these being drama, art, role play, discussion, ICT, reading and writing. There are also visits to places of worship and visitors to school which help to engage and develop pupils’ understanding. We also have a duty to foster an accurate and increasing understanding of religions and world views. We encourage all pupils of whatever faith to explore the beliefs, rituals and festivals of others and to develop a deeper understanding of their own beliefs and practices. As a result, pupils will gain greater insight into the world in which they are growing up. These outcomes contribute to harmonious relationships within and between communities, promoting social inclusion and combating prejudice.
The Parable of the Lost Sheep
As a school, we have adopted the Parable of the Lost Sheep which is found in the Gospel of Luke chapter 15. In this story the Shepherd leaves the ninety nine to go in search of the one which was lost. Likewise, we at Fermor seek to include and care for all, making sure that no one is left behind.
SIAMS - Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools
As a Church of England Primary School, the SIAMS team ask the question:
'How effective is the school’s distinctive Christian vision, established and promoted by leadership at all levels, in enabling pupils and adults to flourish?'
The SIAMS Evaluation Schedule September 2018. Find out more.