Northside Primary School is a small, diverse school where the highly-skilled, established, cohesive staff are committed to creating the positive family-feel of a village school in North Finchley.  In such a diverse community, learning about different religions, beliefs and spiritual values is of paramount importance.

Even though the Northside children are very individual, coming from many different cultures and backgrounds, speaking over 40 different languages, the culture of joint ownership from all stakeholders creates a happy community. Differences are celebrated and used to build a strong school culture, behaviour is excellent and Northside children are Happy to Learn and Inspired to Flourish.  

Intent
The Northside RE Curriculum reflects the multi-cultural aspects of the school and considers all worldviews/ faiths to be of equal importance. The children will understand and appreciate religious diversity and learn about the many ways in which different religious groups express their beliefs and values. The children’s study of RE will also develop their knowledge of local, national and global events and issues. The curriculum allows children to consider some of life’s most important questions in a safe environment and builds on key academic skills in a progressive way. Through the curriculum, the children develop in confidence and consider their own views and beliefs, which will prepare them for their future lives.

Implementation
We implement our RE curriculum through a balance of visual, auditory and kinaesthetic activities. Topics will include beliefs, symbols, celebrations, sacred texts, places of worship, journeys, stories, religious leaders and families. Children are organised in mixed-ability groups and are given the independence to select their own level of challenge.  The Northside Values (Respect, Pride, Inclusion, Challenge, Creativity, Resilience) are all integral to the RE curriculum. A wide range of valuable artefacts are used to teach RE, including books, music, art, photos, local visits and IT. Key religious festivals are celebrated in assemblies and a whole-school visit to a local church is organised to celebrate Christmas. Links with all stakeholders (parents, the local community, other schools etc.) are used to deepen knowledge and improve skills.  

Impact

Northside children will have understood the importance of religion/worldviews for many individuals and will have appreciated that religions are diverse in their belief systems, rituals and values.  The children will be thoughtful and tolerant of others’ beliefs and will have considered their own beliefs and values in an increasingly complex world. They will be confident, independent learners ready for the next stage of their life, having considered some of life’s most challenging questions.

Update:

We would love more representatives from different religions to share stories and traditions. If you have any contacts we could make links with, please email the office with this information. It would also be great for parents and carers to come in to talk about and celebrate their beliefs with the children at Northside.