Portal House School: Religious Education (RE)
Below is an overview of the philosophy behind RE at Portal House School. For the context see the link at the bottom of this page.
Building Knowledge
Progression and Coherence: Our curriculum builds a strong foundation in religious concepts. We ensure pupils have the necessary knowledge to grasp new topics by carefully sequencing content. They can draw on prior learning to make sense of new information.
Breadth and Depth: The curriculum covers a range of religions (Abrahamic, Dharmic, and NRWVs) while allowing in-depth exploration of key concepts within specific traditions (e.g., “salvation history”). Pupils encounter diverse perspectives and contrasting worldviews.
Mental Models: We provide pupils with sufficient encounters with religious stories, traditions, and doctrines. This allows them to build strong “mental models” of religious concepts.
Understanding Religion
Critical Thinking: The curriculum equips pupils with the tools to analyze religious claims. They learn how these claims arise (e.g., from scripture, historical accounts) and different methods for studying religion.
Self-Awareness: We encourage pupils to reflect on their own values and experiences when encountering religion.This helps them understand the influence of personal “lenses” on their perspectives.
Categories of Knowledge: The curriculum emphasizes three key knowledge categories:
Substantive knowledge and concepts (core content and ideas)
Disciplinary knowledge: methods (“ways of knowing” through analysis and interpretation)
Disciplinary knowledge: personal (self-awareness and personal positions)
Assessment and Impact
Alignment: Assessment directly relates to the curriculum content. We use a variety of methods to evaluate knowledge, skills, and understanding in RE.
Long-Term Retention: Activities and strategies are designed to ensure key concepts and knowledge are retained over time.
High Expectations: We hold high expectations for all pupils’ learning in RE. The curriculum aims to foster a love for the subject and an understanding of its value.
Reading and Resources
Exposure to Texts: Pupils encounter a wide range of religious texts (sacred literature) and relevant academic resources.