Religious Education

Aim 

The principal aim of Religious Education (RE) is to engage pupils in systematic enquiry into significant human questions which religion and worldviews address, so that they can develop the understanding and skills needed to appreciate and appraise varied responses to these questions, as well as develop response of their own. RE contributes dynamically to children’s education in schools by provoking challenging questions about meaning and purpose in life, beliefs about God, ultimate reality, issues of right and wrong and what it means to be human.

In RE pupils learn about and from religions and worldviews in local, national and global contexts, to discover, explore and consider different answers to these questions. Pupils learn to evaluate wisdom from different sources, to develop and express their insights in response, and to agree and disagree respectfully. Therefore, teaching should equip pupils with systematic knowledge and understanding of a range of religions and worldviews, enabling them to develop their ideas, values and identities. It should develop in pupils an aptitude for dialogue, so that they can participate positively in society, with its diverse religions and worldviews. Pupils should gain and deploy the skills needed to understand, interpret and evaluate texts, sources of wisdom and authority and other evidence. They should learn to articulate clearly and coherently their personal beliefs, ideas, values and experiences while respecting the right of others to differ.

We want our children to know about and understand a range of religions and world views, so that they can describe, explain and analyse beliefs and practices, recognising the diversity which exists within and between communities and amongst individuals. They will be able to identify, investigate and respond to questions posed and responses offered by some of the sources of wisdom found in religions and worldviews. We want RE to support our community cohesion and for our children to appreciate and appraise the nature, significance and impact of different ways of life and ways of expressing meaning.

Our children will be empowered to express ideas and insights about the nature, significance and impact of religions and worldviews, so that they can explain , using reasoned arguments, their ideas about how beliefs, practices and forms of expression influence individuals and communities. They will be confident in their ability to express with increasing discernment their personal reflections and critical responses to question and teaching about identity, diversity, meaning and value, including ethical issues.

Through RE our children will understand, appreciate and appraise varied dimensions of religion

Gain and deploy the skills needed to engage seriously with religions and worldviews, so that they can investigate key concepts and questions of belonging, meaning, purpose and truth, responding creatively and enquire into what enables different individuals and communities to live together respectfully for the wellbeing of all. They will confidently articulate clearly beliefs, values and commitments in order to explain why they may be important in their own and other people’s lives