Assessment and Evaluation in Religious Education

Assessing Pupils

Schools must report to parents on pupils’ progress in religious education. In this respect, Ofsted offers the following advice in its annual report for 2004-05:

Other good advice includes:

• provide effective feedback to pupils of all abilities
• involve pupils in assessment so they can use it in their studying
• use a range of assessment techniques: observing, questioning, setting tasks, inviting creative contributions
• adjust one’s teaching in the light of assessments made
• recognise the potential impact of assessment on the motivation and self-esteem of pupils
• guide pupils in the steps they might take to develop or improve in the light of the assessments
• keep good records and monitor progress
• calibrate/check accuracy and validity of assessments against the judgements made by others and the achievements of others
• keep it practicable, commensurate with the value of assessing

1. Learning from faith
2. Learning about religious traditions

Learning from faith is the development that takes place in pupils and society from the encounter with faith, in particular, when:
with a personal focus
primarily, but not exclusively, cognitive  Pupils develop their fundamental sense, purpose and meaning in life in a holistic way, cognisant of the past and future. Pupils become attentive to all that is inspiring, good, beautiful, true, and sacred. Pupils demonstrate a reflective and informed judgement.  primarily, but not exclusively, affective  Pupils are able to experience and express joy, thankfulness, grief, hope, pity, care and humility in appropriate contexts. Pupils are able to express articulately any religious affections they may have or able to use other media to do so.	primarily, but not exclusively, conative  Pupils exemplify the characteristics of selflessness, concern for others, and altruism. Pupils embody widely recognised values and virtues, such as, honesty, integrity, courage.  primarily abilities and skills oriented  Pupils are increasingly skilled in engaging with sensitivity and empathy the richness and challenge of religious diversity in the modern world.
with a social focus  Pupils become socially active and engage critically with various social organisations and institutions.

Learning about religious traditions is the development that takes place in pupils and society when:
with a personal focus
primarily, but not exclusively, cognitive  Pupils know and critically evaluate key religious beliefs and practices, sacred writings and persons. Pupils know and critically evaluate significant religious stories, narratives, events, and places.  primarily, but not exclusively, affective  Pupils know how to engage with culturally important religious expressions; e.g. in art, music, literature, film, artefacts, architecture, dance, commemoration, scientific and business activities.	primarily, but not exclusively, conative  Pupils critically appreciate religious aspirations and commitments to personal and social well-being, and religious involvement in socio-political life.  primarily abilities and skills oriented  Pupils understand and appropriately use religious language and concepts.
with a social focus  Pupils enter into serious and constructive dialogue with others and have learned how faith traditions have encountered and engaged with each other and continue to do so.

Attainment target 1

Pupils will show an interest in elements of religious life. They will ask about the why of things. They will recognise that some things are valued by others and begin to talk about what matters to them and what concerns them. They will participate in expressing feelings of happiness, sadness and in giving thanks.

Attainment target 2

Pupils can recognise a few religious figures, recall select religious stories, and recognise some religious artefacts, symbols, body language and behaviour. They will recognise simple prayers, religious songs and pictures, and be able to use some religious words and phrases to express their knowledge.

Attainment target 1

Pupils show an interest in elements of religious life and begin to relate them to other things in their world and to what they do. Their ‘why’ questions are more detailed and more searching as it affects themselves.  They will have had opportunities to consider what is right and wrong but rely mostly on what parents and teachers have told them. They will have learned how to show concern for the well-being of others and show a willingness to listen to them express their views. They will begin to verbalise their feelings of happiness, sadness, wonder and thanksgiving and can draw on a religious vocabulary to do so.

Attainment target 2

Pupils will recognise some religious figures and say something about why they are important. They will recall and be able to retell key religious stories identifying their main features, recognise some religious symbols and behaviour and be able to say something about what they mean. They will be acquainted with some religious songs, simple prayers and recognise a religious picture or artefact. They will command an elementary religious vocabulary. They will appreciate that people may come from different religious traditions but share many of the same interests. They will be able to explain in simple terms why people come together in religious life.

Attainment target 1

Pupils’ interest in the elements of religious life is more detailed and related to their experiences and views. Their ‘why’ questions are also more detailed and less centred on their own world. They differentiate between right and wrong and begin to identify some reasons as to why this might be so. They make links between values and commitments and their own attitudes and behaviour. They show a willingness to listen and demonstrate sensitivity for the feelings of others, and they begin to appreciate contributions from perspectives other than their own. They verbalise a greater range of affections and relate these to expressions in other media. They show an appreciation of the support they receive from their family, friends and school and seek to reciprocate.

Attainment target 2

Pupils will know about a range of religious figures and be able to say in some detail as to why they are important. They are able to draw on a range of narratives, symbols and religious practice for the purpose of conversing about some religious insight or understanding, making links between certain religious beliefs and sources. They know a small range of religious songs, prayers [including the Lord’s prayer] and recognise key elements in religious pictures from diverse places and times. Their religious vocabulary is more extensive and can differentiate the key terms that belong to different religious traditions. They empathise and readily converse with others about what is valuable and true, and display a caring feeling for the life of all creatures. There is an awareness of the natural world as something that may be affected by how human beings live. There is an appreciation of the purpose and functioning of social organisations, such as, the family, school and religious institutions.

Attainment target 1

Pupils will discuss how religious narratives, cycle of events and ritual practices may give structure/order and meaning to human life and are able to relate this to their own life. They discuss moral and religious issues and consider intentions, motivations and consequences. They see how religious faith and beliefs have influenced the lives of some significant figures and consider how this might affect their conception of life and the lives of others. They will have learned to read important texts and consider how they should be understood and consider whether this could or should have a bearing on life today. They form judgments in a reasoned way, weighing up the views and opinions of others. They can appreciate diverse forms of communication and express their affections in diverse ways. They co-operate readily with others and are active in social organisations and institutions beyond the family.

Attainment target 2

Pupils will know in outline the basic narrative of Christian salvation history [e.g. creation, Noah, Abraham, Israel, Moses, David, prophets, redemption, Jesus, church, Paul, John, consummation], and know about the main Christian festivals/key dates of the Christian calendar, and are aware of the key features of Christian worship and religious practices e.g. scriptural study, sacraments. They will know about some key figures in the history of the church and why they are significant. They will also be aware of the main figures, celebrations and key features of the religious practice of other religions in the City. They will have an understanding of key religious beliefs and concepts e.g. God, suffering, sin, death, avidya, maya, salvation and can enter into discussions about such concepts. They will have a growing religious and theological vocabulary to follow and engage in such discussions. They will begin to identify why religions are interested in the study of nature and why scientists are sometimes at odds with religious authorities. They can explore religious ideas through various media. They can grasp the impact that religious belief has on social structures and social organisation.

Attainment target 1

Pupils will have developed a thoughtful view of life in the light of the diverse claims of religious faith. They respond readily and spontaneously to the needs of others, both near and far. They engage readily with social and moral issues and their moral judgement is more acute and informed by a basic understanding of ethical theory and religious ideas. They live an ordered life and articulate their affections in appropriate words and can express them recognisably in other media.  They recognise the religious dimensions in films and other cultural media and respond to them intelligently. They engage in conversations with others from diverse backgrounds about what is important in human life and in human relations. They can explain what inspires and influences them, expressing their views and those of others on the challenges of sharing a religious faith. They are active in the community of the school and beyond and developed a sense of civic duty.

Attainment target 2

Pupils have some sense of the religious past and how it shapes present culture, human society and relationships. They will have some ideas of how the form, origins and context of sacred literature may have a bearing on interpreting its meaning. They will have an increasingly wide religious vocabulary to account for the nature and impact of religious beliefs and practices on the lives of individuals and communities. They are able to make and discuss connections and distinctions between various religious traditions and noting the diversity that may exist within any one religious tradition. They have some knowledge of the organisation and impact of religious institutions.

Attainment target 1

Pupils reason more systematically about their ‘philosophy of life’ in the light of an understanding of religious positions. They are reflective and self-critical about their view in life, and not afraid to take a moral stand on important issues, fully aware of the religious motivations and interests that they and others may have. They value knowledge, whatever has aesthetic merit and perceived to be good or sacred, and are able to give a reasoned account for doing so. They are developing a clear identity, self-motivated and react in measured and impartial ways to the moral and religious views and behaviour of others. They are active and responsible in the wider community.

Attainment target 2

Pupils have a more detailed sense of the religious past and the way it has shaped cultures and civilisations. They use a more sophisticated religious vocabulary and are beginning to draw on theological discourse and traditions. They have some reasoned view of the coherence and structure of religious positions and the associated moral and practical implications. They can interpret sources and analyse arguments that have been used in the past and in the present time to justify religious, moral and social actions. They are able to appreciate and can evaluate religious and moral expressions in a variety of media. Their dialogue with others is informed and demonstrates that they are increasingly knowledgeable of their own community and the position of others. They have a general understanding of how religious, civic and political life works.

Attainment target 1

Pupils have an articulate, self-critical, religious or philosophical view of life that addresses questions of meaning and purpose, of truth and value. They reflect on the key moral and religious issues and challenges facing the contemporary world responding to philosophical and theological positions. They will have worked out where they stand and act accordingly and responsibly i.e. answerable to others. They take a serious interest in cultural life and the way in which this draws on religious and moral traditions. They relate well to others, and consider disputes in an impartial and disinterested way. They are active [possibly religiously, socially or politically] in the wider community with an increasingly global perspective.

Attainment target 2

Pupils have a more detailed and comprehensive sense of the plurality of traditions in any one religion, of continuities and discontinuities, and in relation to these traditions are able to make more detailed comparative judgments between the past and present, between one part of the world and another, between one religion and another. They are aware of theological and philosophical discussions and can discern schools of thought. They have a developed religious, theological and philosophical vocabulary across more than one tradition. They analyse systematically issues, values, and questions of meaning and truth. They are also aware of other methodologies used to understand the phenomena of religious life and draw on a variety of sources, evidence and forms of expression. Their knowledge of contemporary culture and its religious roots is substantial. They are happy to engage in discussions within their own community and to enter into dialogue with others and will have a sound knowledge of alternative positions. They are knowledgeable about current affairs as this touches on religious/political life.

Attainment target 1

Pupils have a fully mature religious or philosophical view of life. They will have internalised religious and moral principles, acting reasonably and responsibly. They reflect on, and contribute to, the key moral and religious issues and challenges facing the contemporary world, fully engaging with philosophical, theological and other scholarly positions and opinions. They have a well-informed and serious interest in the diverse forms of cultural life that is rooted in religious traditions. Their attitudes and relationship to others is mature, considered and balanced, devoid of prejudice and intolerance, always willing to find out more about other traditions and cultures. They have a global perspective and are active [possibly religiously, socially or politically] in the wider community and sometimes willing to take on leadership roles.

Attainment target 2

They have a mature understanding of Christianity and other traditions and of their sources. They have good interpretative skills. Their interpretations are cognisant of historical, cultural, and social contexts and considered in the light of various philosophical, theological and scholarly schools of thought. Their approach to religious and moral issues and challenges is multidisciplinary. They have a comprehensive religious, theological and philosophical vocabulary. Their understanding of contemporary and past culture with its religious roots is substantial and has global dimensions. They have a good theoretical and practical understanding of society and its institutions and understand the intricacies and importance of inter-religious and intercultural dialogue. They have a good understanding of current affairs as this touches on religious/political life.