RE at key stage 3

• learning about religions (attainment target 1): knowledge and understanding of beliefs, practices and forms of religious expression;
• learning from religion (attainment target 2): responding, evaluating and applying knowledge and understanding to pupils' own experiences, sense of meaning and purpose, and values and commitments.

	Year 7	Year 8	Year 9
A	School-designed introductory unit	School-designed unit	9A Where are we going? Rites of passage
B	7A Where do we look for God?	8A What does Jesus' Incarnation mean for Christians today?	School-designed unit
C	7B What does justice mean to Christians?	School-designed unit	9B Where did the universe come from?
D	School-designed unit	8B What does the Resurrection of Jesus mean for Christians today?	9C Why do we suffer?
E	7C Religious figure (generic) 7D Who was Gotama Buddha?	8C Beliefs and practice (generic) 8D Beliefs and practice: how do the beliefs of Sikhs affect their actions?	School-designed unit
F	7E What are we doing to the environment?	8E A visit to a place of worship (generic) 8F What makes a gurdwara special to Sikhs?	9D Why are some places special to religious believers?

Building on pupils' earlier experiences

Pupils will have studied RE at key stages 1 and 2. They will have had opportunities to learn about Christianity and the other principal religions represented in Great Britain and how these religions influence individuals, communities, society and the world. They will have begun to explore the nature of belief, religion, philosophy and ethics.

• analysis;
• expression;
• reflection;
• evaluation;
• application;
• using distinctive language;
• listening;
• empathy.

The scheme builds on the knowledge, skills and understanding developed through key stage 2. Although the expectation is that pupils starting key stage 3 are working at level 4, the units take account of the fact that some pupils will be working at level 3.

Continuity from key stage 2 to key stage 3 is often problematic in RE, where pupils' experience of RE in feeder schools may be varied. Schools could start key stage 3 with a school-designed unit that assesses what pupils have done.

• describe the key beliefs and teachings of the religions studied, connecting them accurately with other features and making some comparisons between religions;
• show understanding of what belonging to religions involves;
• show how religious beliefs, ideas and feelings can be expressed in a variety of forms, giving meanings for some symbols, stories and language, using technical terminology;
• ask questions about the significant experiences of key figures, puzzling aspects of life and moral and religious issues, and suggest answers from their own and others' experiences, making reference to the teaching of religions;
• show understanding of why certain things are held to be right and wrong.

• explain how some principal beliefs, teachings and selected features of religious life and practice are shared by different religions;
• explain how these make a difference to the lives of individuals and communities, showing how individuals and communities use different ways to express their religion;
• make informed responses to questions of identity, experience, meaning and purpose, and to people's values and commitments (including religious ones) in the light of their learning.

• use their knowledge and understanding of the religions studied to explain how the principal beliefs and teachings, belonging to a faith community and religious expression vary among different groupings, denominations and traditions, correctly using technical terminology;
• respond to the teachings and experience of inspirational people, and religious perspectives on questions of meaning and purpose and a range of contemporary moral issues by relating these to their own and others' lives.

• relate religious beliefs, teachings, practices, lifestyles and the forms of religious expression, including texts, figurative language and symbolism, to their historical and cultural contexts;
• evaluate religious and other views on human identity and experience, on questions of meaning and purpose and on values and commitments, using appropriate evidence and examples.

	AT1 Learning about religions Knowledge and understanding of:
Level	beliefs and teachings (what people believe)	practices and lifestyles (what people do)	expression and language (how people express themselves)
	Pupils	Pupils	Pupils
1	recount outlines of some religious stories	recognise features of religious life and practice	recognise some religious symbols and words
2	retell religious stories and identify some religious beliefs and teachings	identify some religious practices, and know that some are characteristic of more than one religion	suggest meanings in religious symbols, language and stories
3	describe some religious beliefs and teachings of religions studied, and their importance	describe how some features of religions studied are used or exemplified in festivals and practices	make links between religious symbols, language and stories and the beliefs or ideas that underlie them
4	describe the key beliefs and teachings of the religions studied, connecting them accurately with other features of the religions, making some comparisons between religions	show understanding of the ways of belonging to religions and what these involve	show, using technical terminology, how religious beliefs, ideas and feelings can be expressed in a variety of forms, giving meanings for some symbols, stories and language
5	explain how some beliefs and teachings are shared by different religions and how they make a difference to the lives of individuals and communities	explain how selected features of religious life and practice make a difference to the lives of individuals and communities	explain how some forms of religious expression are used differently by individuals and communities
6	use their knowledge and understanding to explain the principal beliefs and teachings of religions studied in the context of different groupings, denominations and traditions	use their knowledge and understanding to explain what it means to belong to a faith community in the context of different groups, denominations and traditions within religions studied	use their knowledge and understanding to explain how religious beliefs and ideas can be expressed in a variety of forms, using technical terminology correctly
7	relate religious beliefs and teachings to their historical and cultural contexts	relate religious practices and lifestyles to their historical and cultural contexts	relate the forms of religious expression, including texts, figurative language and symbolism to their historical and cultural contexts
8	analyse and account for the varying influence of religious beliefs and teachings on individuals, communities and society, using appropriate evidence and examples	analyse and account for different views of religious practices and lifestyles, using appropriate evidence and examples	analyse and account for different interpretations of religious expression in texts, figurative language and symbolism, using appropriate evidence and examples
EP	distinguish and investigate different interpretations of the nature of religious belief and teachings, giving a balanced analysis of their sources, validity and significance	distinguish and investigate different interpretations of the importance for believers of religious practices and lifestyles, and of the issues raised by their diversity within a plural society	distinguish and investigate different interpretations of the meaning of language in religion in the light of philosophical questions about its status and function

	AT2 Learning from religion Response, evaluation and application of questions of:
level	identity and experience (making sense of who we are)	meaning and purpose (making sense of life)	values and commitments (making sense of right and wrong)
	Pupils	Pupils	Pupils
1	identify aspects of own experience and feelings, in religious material studied	identify things they find interesting or puzzling, in religious materials studied	identify what is of value and concern to themselves, in religious material studied
2	respond sensitively to the experiences and feelings of others, including those with a faith	realise that some questions that cause people to wonder are difficult to answer	respond sensitively to the values and concerns of others, including those with a faith, in relation to matters of right and wrong
3	compare aspects of their own experiences and those of others, identifying what influences their lives	compare their own and other people's ideas about questions that are difficult to answer	make links between values and commitments, including religious ones, and their own attitudes or behaviour
4	ask questions about the significant experiences of key figures from religions studied and suggest answers from own and others' experiences, including believers	ask questions about puzzling aspects of life and experiences and suggest answers, making reference to the teaching of religions studied	ask questions about matters of right and wrong and suggest answers that show understanding of moral and religious issues
5	make informed responses to questions of identity and experience in the light of their learning	make informed responses to questions of meaning and purpose in the light of their learning	make informed responses to people's values and commitments (including religious ones) in the light of their learning
6	respond to the teachings and experience of inspirational people by relating these to their own and others' lives	respond to religious perspectives on questions of meaning and purpose by relating them to their own and others' lives	respond to religious perspectives on a range of contemporary moral issues by relating these to their own and others' lives
7	evaluate religious and other views on human identity and experience, using appropriate evidence and examples	evaluate religious and other views on questions of meaning and purpose, using appropriate evidence and examples	evaluate religious and other views on values and commitments, using appropriate evidence and examples
8	give an informed and well-argued account of their own and others' views on human identity and experience in the light of different religious views and other views and feelings	give an informed and well- argued account of their own and others' views on questions of meaning and purpose in the light of different religious views and other views and feelings	give an informed and well-argued account of their own and others' values and commitments in the light of different religious and other views on contemporary moral issues
EP	place religious, non- religious and their own views of human identity and experience within a comprehensive religious and philosophical context, and make independent, well- informed and reasoned judgements about their significance	place religious, non- religious and their own views of the nature of reality within a comprehensive religious and philosophical context, and make independent, well- informed and reasoned judgements about their significance	place religious and ethical theories concerning contemporary moral issues within a comprehensive religious and philosophical context, and make independent, well-informed and reasoned judgements about their significance

Teachers who use this scheme of work may find they need to adapt it to ensure it takes account of the different experiences, strengths and interests of their pupils. In doing this, they will need to take account of the statutory requirements and guidance on inclusion set out in the national curriculum.

• setting suitable learning challenges;
• responding to the diverse needs of pupils;
• overcoming potential barriers to learning and assessment for individuals and groups of pupils.

The scheme of work is designed to cater for pupils working at levels 3-7. It is also designed to be challenging and raise expectations. The expectation is that the average attaining pupil will be working at level 4 in year 7, level 4 or 5 in year 8 and level 5 or 6 in year 9. The pitch in year 9 units is towards level 6. The purpose is to provide challenging targets for pupils while recognising that not all pupils will reach this standard. For pupils whose attainments are significantly above or below these expected levels, a much greater degree of differentiation will be necessary. Further guidance on this can be found in Guidance on providing for gifted and talented pupils and Guidance on providing for pupils with learning difficulties, produced by QCA in 2000.

To provide suitable learning challenges for all pupils to achieve as high a standard as possible, teachers may wish to modify the whole scheme of work, or parts of units.

• particular parts of the scheme should be emphasised or expanded;
• pupils should be given more time for particular aspects of the scheme or given opportunities to progress more rapidly;
• particular pupils need opportunities to revisit knowledge and skills in different contexts;
• the attainments of pupils will provide a relevant structure for teaching RE. If this is not the case, eg for pupils who have significant learning difficulties or groups able to work at a particularly challenging level, schools may wish to use the scheme as a resource for developing an alternative. The alternative must offer pupils opportunities to experience a range of work across key aspects drawn from the agreed syllabus.

• the expectations and learning objectives need modifying;
• there is a need to add challenge by increasing the requirements;
• there is a need to provide small steps, short, guided and more focused tasks and supporting structures to enable pupils working below the demands of learning objectives to undertake the activity;
• the outcomes need to be changed to take account of revisions to the objectives and activities, or because pupils will operate on different levels;
• to vary contexts, resources, or teaching and learning styles to take account of the different learning needs of boys and girls, and the needs of pupils from different social and cultural backgrounds and with different lifestyles;
• the activities need to be adapted to provide support for pupils with difficulties in communication, language or literacy.

• using alternative and augmentative communication;
• reducing the amount of written work and reading;
• giving pupils the opportunity to clarify their ideas through discussion, modelling, role play and the use of tape recorders, video and photographs, rather than relying on written materials.

The 'Points to note' and 'Possible teaching activities' in some of the units suggest some ways in which the unit might be tailored to meet pupils' specific learning needs. Teachers may wish to use these suggestions in other units.

In addition, it may be necessary to use specialist equipment to give motivating and relevant experiences to pupils with sensory and physical disabilities. For pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties, there may be a need to emphasise short-term goals and provide highly specific outcomes.

Assessing progress

Opportunities for assessing pupils' progress are built into each unit. The learning objectives are pitched at an appropriate level for the year group identified. The outcomes can be used to review progress and check whether pupils are ready to move on to the next activity or need more support or challenge. They also provide a framework for giving feedback to pupils. The expectation statements for each unit are related to the non-statutory national expectations and the tasks set, and allow pupils' overall progress to be monitored.

The learning objectives are written primarily for teachers, but can be adapted and given to pupils as the objectives of a lesson or sequence of lessons. The objectives and expectations can also be used to help pupils review their own progress. Feedback to pupils, which can range from providing informal oral comments to a whole class to closely marked individual work, should relate to the objectives set.

The work pupils do will provide evidence of what they have been taught and their progress. It is not necessary to make detailed records for each pupil or activity, or to keep detailed portfolios of pupils' work. A grade, comment or mark can be used to indicate achievement. A judgement based on these, and in some circumstances on a summative piece of work or test, can be used when considering how individual pupils are achieving in relation to the end-of-unit expectations. Some pupils may need more help or extension activities.

Pupils' responses to the demands, particularly of the year 9 units, will provide evidence for teachers to make end-of-key-stage assessments.

The scheme recognises that there are aspects of RE that it is not possible or appropriate to assess. These often appear only in the learning objectives' column in the units.

• visiting libraries and designated websites to research topics;
• reading fiction or poetry connected to concepts within the unit;
• talking to or visiting religious and non-religious people;
• visiting local museums or art galleries.