Religious Education
Hello, my name is Miss Heyes and I am the Religious Education Co-ordinator at Bleak Hill Primary School. At our school, we believe that the study of Religious Education (RE) contributes to children’s personal development and promotes mutual respect and tolerance in a diverse society. We follow the locally agreed syllabus for RE determined by St Helens SACRE (Standard Advisory Council on RE), which from September 2019, is developed by Lancashire.
I am very passionate about RE. I believe that the subject is important as it promotes spiritual, social, and moral development. In RE lessons children learn both about different religions and from different religions which is important as our world becomes more diverse. My undergraduate degree is in Theology and Religious Studies; I can use my subject knowledge from this degree to help other teachers to enhance their teaching of RE.
The locally agreed syllabus is a curriculum for RE drawn up by the local authority. It’s put together by a group of experts including teaching associations and representatives of the Church of England and other faiths. By law, it has to reflect the fact that Great Britain’s religious traditions are mainly Christian, while taking into account its other principal religions.
Vision | At Bleak Hill Primary School, we believe that Religious Education prompts challenging questions about the ultimate 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. Through our RE Curriculum, pupils learn to weigh up the value of wisdom from different sources, to develop and express insights in response, and to agree or disagree respectfully. We acknowledge that our world is enriched by a wide and profound diversity of cultures and beliefs and as human beings are strengthened and empowered by learning from each other. Engaging and stimulating religious education helps to nurture; informed and resilient responses to misunderstanding, stereotyping and division. It offers a place of integrity and security within which difficult or ‘risky’ questions can be tackled within a safe but challenging context. We acknowledge that each religion studied can contribute to the education of all our pupils. We promote teaching in Religious Education that stresses open enquiry and first-hand experiences wherever possible for both staff and children. We value the religious background of all members of the school community and hope that this will encourage individuals to share their own experiences with others freely. All religions and their communities are treated with respect and sensitivity and we value the links, which are, and can be made between home, school, and a faith community. |
Intent | At Bleak Hill Primary School, we believe that it is important for all our pupils to learn about and from religion, so that they can understand the world around them. The aim of Religious Education in our school is to help children to acquire and develop knowledge and understanding of Christianity and the other principal religions represented in Great Britain; to appreciate the way that religious beliefs shape life and behaviour, develop the ability to make reasoned and informed judgements about religious and moral issues and enhance their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Religious Education plays an important role in promoting social awareness and understanding in our children. We encourage our pupils to ask questions about the world and to reflect on their own beliefs, values and experiences. We include and promote British values, ensuring that children are aware of their rights and responsibilities as UK citizens. Our curriculum is designed to encourage creativity, imagination, enquiry, debate, discussion, and independence. |
Implementation | At Bleak Hill Primary School, we follow the Lancashire SACRE Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education. Teaching should equip pupils with knowledge and understanding of a range of religions and other world views, 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 understanding of life from religious and other world views. The following religions have been selected for study: Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism. From this syllabus it is required that: RE in EYFS contributes to the Early Learning Goal (People and Communities). It also supports progression across other areas of learning. Children begin to explore religion and worldviews in terms of special times, stories and places. In KS1, pupils begin to gain an understanding of the connections between the Abrahamic faiths through a progressive study of Christianity and Islam and encountering Judaism. They will be introduced to Dharmic traditions. In KS2, pupils will build on their learning in KS1 by continuing to progress their knowledge and understanding of Christianity, Islam and Hinduism. They should also encounter the other major world religions and nonreligious world views. This means that the curriculum is broad and balanced, but also allows for a depth of knowledge and understanding of the religions that are studied progressively There are no presumptions made as to the religious backgrounds and beliefs and values of the children and the staff. |
Impact | The children at Bleak Hill enjoy learning about other religions and why people choose or choose not to follow a religion. Pupils 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. Through their R.E. learning, the children are able to make links between their own lives and those of others in their community and in the wider world, developing an understanding of other people’s cultures and ways of life. As such, R.E. is invaluable in an ever-changing world. |
