At The Spinney we believe that an understanding of the world’s major religions helps our children to understand the world we live in. We believe in teaching children reflective open-mindedness to live in a multicultural world.We are a multi-faith community and we want our RE curriculum to reflect that.  Our children learn about a range of faiths in order to gain a deeper understanding of religion and how it shapes people’s lives.  Children will also explore the similarities and differences in religions and connections will be highlighted. We want our pupils to use this knowledge to engage in informed and balanced conversations about religions and beliefs.  We want them to be open-minded, respectful citizens who understand and value the beliefs of others. We follow the Haringey Education Partnership (HEP) Opening Worlds Curriculum. 

In studying religions through multiple disciplines, pupils will learn about and learn from the different kinds of question human beings can ask about religious origins, beliefs and practices, namely questions that derive from philosophy, theology, social sciences and history. These domains will help guide the students when exploring religions and making links (or recognising differences) between them. They will support our students to understand that asking questions about religion is not taboo but that respect and understanding are of the utmost importance.

As with all subjects in the curriculum, the humanities provide the powerful knowledge that, if thoroughly and securely taught, builds the wide and secure vocabulary acquisition that underpins literacy and all successful communication. We know that pupils only read with the speed necessary for fluency when 5 they have adequate prototypes for abstract words and phrases, and when their densely structured schemata allow them to ‘chunk’ the incoming text for meaning. Vocabulary size is the outward sign of the inward acquisition of knowledge. Moreover, the types of account that form each subject’s processes and products – its narratives, analyses, arguments – give pupils continuous, focused practice in reading and writing, both fiction and non-fiction. Pupils reading and will always be richly grounded in stimulating content in which pupils will be increasingly secure, and always driven by a clear disciplinary purpose. We learn about other's beliefs and practices through art, stories, discussion, artefacts and drama in a safe and respectful space.