Key stage 2

Pupils should develop their knowledge and understanding of religions and world views, recognising their local, national and global contexts. They should be introduced to an extended range of sources and subject specific vocabulary. They should be encouraged to be curious and to ask increasingly challenging questions about religion, belief, values and human life. Pupils should learn to express their own ideas in response to the material they engage with, identifying relevant information, selecting examples and giving reasons to support their ideas and views.

Outline of Core Content for Key Stage 2

Allocation of curriculum time

The teaching of lower Key Stage 2 core content should take up no more than 20% of all curriculum time available for teaching RE in lower Key Stage 2.

By the end of lower Key Stage 2 should know the following core content

Easter, the Cross and Salvation:  An enquiry into the Christian Salvation story
Why is  Jesus called the Saviour?

Knowledge and understanding

• know that many Christians refer to Jesus as “the Saviour”
• know that many Christians describe Jesus as the “Son of God” and the understand that this is not the same as a human father who has a human son
• know and understand the main beliefs of the traditional Christian Salvation story including the following:

1. Human life had gone wrong
2. Jesus’ death on the cross resulted in the saving of humankind
3. Jesus’ resurrection for many Christians showed that for all who believe in him there is a “new life”, or an “eternal life” to come

• know and show a simple understanding of the Christian belief that the life we know -“earthly life” is different from “eternal life” not merely in terms of length (quantity) but in quality – “eternal life” is glorified

Skills and attitudes

• express their own ideas and insights and raise relevant questions and in response to their enquiry into the traditional Christian Salvation story and why Jesus is called the Saviour
• suggest answers to the questions they raise using reasons and evidence to support or justify their views using religious language

Christian  Love :  An enquiry into “Christian love”
What does the story of “The Lost Sheep’ mean?

Knowledge and understanding

• recall the main details of “The Lost Sheep” story
  (Matt 18 v 12-14), Luke 15 v 3-7), including:

1. a shepherd had a hundred sheep but one goes missing
2. the shepherd searches for the lost sheep
3. the shepherd finds the lost sheep
4. the lost sheep is brought back home
5. everyone is happy

• identify the story with the religion of Christianity
• know that the story was told by Jesus and that it is in the Bible
• understand that the story of “The Lost Sheep is a parable and that in parables things or characters represent something else
• understand that one interpretation of the story is that it provides a demonstration of  what “Christian love” as Jesus perhaps taught it might involve the following:-
  (a) “Christian love” may require showing love  towards a person who is not very lovable. In the parable the “lost sheep” represents those who go astray – those who do not do the right thing and who may themselves be not very kind.
  (b) “Christian love” may require of a person, effort, risk, hardship, even sacrifice as represented in the risk and personal sacrifice shown in the action of the “shepherd”
• recognise links between the parable of the “lost sheep” and the story of Jesus’ willingness to help Zacchaeus

Skills and attitudes

• express their own and raise relevant questions in response to their enquiry into the story of “The Lost Sheep” and what the undertaking of “Christian love” might require of a person
• suggest answers to the questions they raise using reasons and evidence to support or justify their views

Easter, the Cross and Salvation: An enquiry into why for many Christians Easter is so important
Why for many Christians is Easter so important?

Knowledge and understanding

• know and show a simple understanding of the Christian belief that Jesus was the “Christ”, the “Son of God”, and that Jesus was both God and man
• know and understand the early Christian belief that Christ’s death was a ransom that had to be paid to free humanity from Satan’s power
• know that the belief that Christ’s death was a ransom is expressed in early Christian writing, in Mark’s Gospel 10:45
• know and understand that Christ’s death is understood as a sacrifice for human sin that has to be paid
• know the belief that humanity has been saved from “Satan’s power” is expressed in Christian writing, e.g. “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” by C S Lewis and Christian music, e.g. “God rest ye Merry Gentlemen”

Skills and attitudes

• know and consider ideas and insights which challenge the view that Jesus’ death and resurrection involved the paying of a “ransom” or that Satan was tricked
• express their own ideas and insights and raise relevant questions in response to their enquiry into Christian beliefs about the death and resurrection of Jesus
• suggest answers to the questions they raise use reasons and evidence to support or justify their ideas and views

Christian  Love :  An enquiry into “Christian love”
What does “Christian love” require of a person?

Knowledge and understanding

• know that Jesus said that the greatest commandment was to “love one another as I have loved you ” (John  15:12
• understand that the word for “love” used in John 15:12 is the Greek word “agape” and that this word is often used in the New Testament for “Christian love”
• recall the parable of “The Good Samaritan” (Luke 10:25-37) and show understanding of the following:
  1. the Samaritan provides an example of a higher type of love that is “Christian love” (or “agape”)
  2. the Samaritan demonstrates “agape” – this higher type of love by stopping. He puts himself in great danger risking his own life
  3. By taking the man to safety the Samaritan makes a sacrifice and accepts cost to himself to help not a friend but a person who most Samaritans would regard as an enemy
  4. the Samaritan does not expect to get anything back in return – it is not a favour which is likely to be returned
• know the that Christians believe that God has this higher form love towards humankind that this is expressed in the words, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever  believes in him should not perish  but have eternal life” (John 3:16)
• understand that “agape” or “Christian love”:-
  1. is not the same as romantic love or passionate attraction (that would be “eros”)
  2. involves freely giving kindness or help to another person including the outcast, the rejected, even an enemy
  3. involves not expecting to get anything back in return
  4. may involve effort, cost, risk and danger

Skills and attitudes

• express their own ideas and insights and raise relevant questions in response to their enquiry into what “Christian love” is and what it requires of a person
• suggest answers to the questions they  raise using reasons and evidence to  support or justify their ideas and views

Expectations at the end of Key Stage Two

Knowledge and Understanding

Pupils should talk about God and identify the influence of religion in the lives of believers and  know some elements of religions and moral teachings and be able to discuss moral questions.

Pupils should describe and discuss the significance of a number of religious festivals practices and symbols and  retell a range of religious stories and identify their sources, and be able to describe a number of people of faith.

Skills and Attitudes

Pupils should show they are developing an enquiring approach to life by raising deeper questions, investigate using a variety of sources and recognise the importance of literature as a religious form of expression, and can understand and use a growing religious vocabulary. Pupils should show how they value themselves, others and the world around them and explain their responsibilities.

Pupils should recognise the range of emotions in themselves and others and begin to understand their causes and reflect upon their own experience and that of others and to express sensitively their own thoughts with confidence recognise that people have a variety of life experiences.

Outcomes for the end of key stage two