RE School Self-Evaluation (Secondary)            

School:          

York SACRE has a statutory responsibility to monitor provision for Religious Education in the city. SACRE can use this information to make recommendations to City of Council about the strengths and weaknesses of that provision, how good practice might be shared and what support might be offered. Subject leaders are requested to complete this proforma and return maxine.squire@york.gov.uk

School self-evaluation: key questions

  1. What are the strengths of your current provision and practice?

Focussing students on AO1 and AO2 aspects of the subject and progressing the skills of thinking and analysing by ‘discovering’ big questions and then ‘exploring’ big questions before introducing the GCSE – which is respected by the students and most are well engaged.

  1. Where are there weaknesses/areas for improvement?

Working with people of faith; being able to build on lessons/knowledge with gaps in ‘face to face’ time.

  1. Do you have an example of good practice you would like to share with others?

If so, please provide details below.

GCSE exam answer structure – How to write a full mark answer for AQA exam.

  1. What are your priorities for development in RE? Please attach your current development plan

Developing the subject (Philosophy) further at A level, building in British Values – anti racist – community awareness – examples. Working towards a possible change in curriculum time and exposure to all year groups.

  1. Is there anything related to RE for which you would like external support?

 

Quality and standards of RE in the school

  1. How does the school make a judgment on this?

(e.g. monitoring, lesson observation, work scrutiny, meeting with pupils, learning walks …)

As above – subject is scrutinised to the same level and degree as any other subject with regular meetings and help from SLT. Well supported.

  1. Overall, how would you grade the quality of RE provision (including quality and standards achieved by pupils) in your school?

Good

Continuing professional development in RE

  1. What CPD has the subject leader taken part in (over the last year) and what was its impact?

N/A – Leader to attend A level training in December. Difficult to achieve due to COVID restrictions over the past 18 months.

  1. What CPD have other teachers taken part in (over the last year) and what was its impact?

Disciplinary literacy, self regulation in students, use of ICT, focussing on PP students.

  1. Do you have links with a local group of teachers ?

There is a group set up – met once online.


 Timetabling of RE

  1. Is provision for RE combined with another subject e.g. PSHE, Citizenship? (Yes (please explain below)/No)

No, however we have done some work in finding links between the subjects in order to help with teaching of those subjects.

  1. How much time does each pupil spend on RE-related work each week?

Key Stage 3: 0.5 hrs – plus homework

Key Stage 4: 1 hr plus homework

Post-16: 4-5 hrs plus homework

  1. Who delivers the RE in your school?
    1. How many individual teachers?

2 subject specialists

  1. How many teachers with post-A level qualifications in the subject?

2

  1. What proportion of the timetable is delivered by teachers who spend most of their timetable delivering another subject? 0

 

 

 

Agreed Syllabus

  1. If your school is an Academy, have you chosen to adopt the York  SACRE Agreed Syllabus ?

N/A     

  1. If you answered ‘No’ to question 18 above, please tell SACRE which syllabus you have chosen to adopt

Scheme of work (SoW)

  1. When was the current SoW drawn up or revised?

September 2021

  1. To what extent does it match the requirements of the Agreed Syllabus you have adopted? E.g. Fully/ Partly/Not at all

Partly. (due to curriculum time)

  1. Do you follow an accredited course at GCSE as required by the Agreed Syllabus?

yes

  1. What GCSE specification do you teach?

AQA Religious Studies A (Christianity and Islam)

 

  1. Please attach a long-term plan/curriculum map that shows how you deliver RE across the school/school year?

 

  1. How does the SoW ensure progression between the key stages?
    1. In respect of subject knowledge?

We build on ‘discovering’ big questions (what answers do religions give) by using key concepts from the agreed syllabus and then develop into ‘exploring’ big questions (evaluating different religious/non religious ideas).

  1. In the development of skills?

We work on early skills such as knowledge, describing and thinking and build into explaining, arguing and evaluating and then for GCSE into interpreting.

 

Resources

  1. Are the resources sufficient to support the RE programme?  

yes

  1. Are there any resources that you would recommend to other schools?

 

  1. Are there any resources that you are lacking?

 

  1. Please list below the contact details for any visitors you use to support RE that you’d recommend to others?

 

  1. Please list below the contact details for any places you use to visit to support RE that you’d recommend to others?

Management and Organisation of RE                                    

Name of subject leader: Taco Michiels

  1. How long as subject leader in this school:

2 years

  1. Other comments/notes (Continue overleaf if necessary)