Curriculum Statement - Religious Education

Intent

At Christ Church First School, we believe it is important for all our pupils to learn from and about religion, so they can understand the world around them. RE plays an important role in promoting social awareness and understanding in our pupils. We encourage our pupils to ask questions about the world and to reflect on their own beliefs, experiences and values. Our RE teaching and learning encourages creativity, imagination, enquiry, debate, discussion and independence.

Through our Religious Education curriculum, we aim:

• to engage pupils in enquiring into and exploring questions arising from the study of religion and belief, so as to promote their personal, spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.
• to provide learners with knowledge and understanding of Christianity and other principal religious traditions and beliefs represented in Great Britain.
• to develop their understanding of the ways in which beliefs influence people in their behaviour, practices and outlook.
• to enable learners to apply the insights of the principal religious traditions to their own search for identity and significance.
• to enable learners to become aware of their own beliefs and values and to have a positive attitude to the search for meaning and purpose in life.
• to encourage learners to develop a positive attitude towards other people who hold religious beliefs different from their own.

Implementation

Legal requirements for Religious Education:

Religious Education is a statutory subject of the curriculum for all pupils in each year group and ‘should be provided for all registered pupils except those withdrawn at the request of their parents.’ (s 71 SSFA 1998)

The syllabus should ‘reflect the fact that the religious traditions in Great Britain are in the main Christian, while taking account of the teaching and practices of the other principal religions represented in Great Britain.’ (s375 (3) Education Act 1996)

Lessons taught weekly and are planned to incorporate the Understanding Christianity scheme and the LBDE scheme. The curriculum covers: Christianity, Islam and Judaism and fosters children’s inquisitive nature. Staff are encouraged to use a hands-on approach to learning in RE lessons. Children are encouraged to handle religious artefacts and they are taught the importance of doing so respectfully. RE lessons are question based and children are encouraged to ask questions of their own to help drive their learning forward. Each class has a quiet reflection area that enables children to develop their own spirituality throughout their journey at Christ Church First School

There are no presumptions made as to the religious backgrounds and beliefs of the children and staff. We value the religious background of all members of the school community and hope that this will encourage others to share their experiences freely. All religions and their communities are treated with respect and sensitivity and we value links which can be made between home, school and the faith community.

We acknowledge that each religion studied can contribute to the education of all our pupils. We promote teaching and learning in Religious Education that stresses open enquiry and first-hand experiences wherever possible for both staff and pupils.

Progress in RE is reported annually to parents and has a prominent position in the end of year report.

Impact

Through their learning in RE, the children are able to make links between their own lives and those of others in their community and the wider world; developing an understanding of other people’s lives, faith, culture and way of life. As such, RE is invaluable in our ever-changing world.

Religious Education at Christ Church First School develops pupils’

• knowledge and understanding of, and their ability to respond to, Christianity, other principal world religions, other religious traditions and world views;
• understanding and respect for different religions, beliefs, values and traditions (including ethical life stances), through exploring issues within and between faiths;
• understanding of the influence of faith and belief on individuals, societies, communities and cultures;
• skills of enquiry and response through the use of religious vocabulary, questioning and empathy;
• skills of reflection, expression, application, analysis and evaluation of beliefs, values and practices, and the communication of personal responses to these.

Religious Education at Christ Church First School encourages pupils to:

• consider challenging questions of the meaning and purpose of life; beliefs about God, the self and the nature of reality, issues of right and wrong and what it means to be human;
• understand the influence of religion on individuals, families, communities and cultures;
• learn from different religions, beliefs, values and traditions while exploring questions of meaning and their own beliefs;
• learn about religious and ethical teaching, enabling them to make reasoned and informed responses to religious, moral and social issues;
• develop their sense of identity and belonging, preparing them for life as citizens in a plural, global society;
• develop respect for and sensitivity to others, in particular those whose faiths and beliefs are different from their own.

Religious Education at Christ Church First School enhances pupils’

• awareness and understanding of religions and beliefs, teachings, practices and forms of expression;
• ability to reflect on, consider, analyse, interpret and evaluate issues of truth, belief, faith and ethics and to communicate their responses.

Religious Education at Christ Church First School offers:

• opportunities for personal reflection and spiritual development.