Religious Education

School Policies

Religious Education

Rationale

Religious Education has equal standing in relation to core subjects of the National Curriculum in that it is compulsory for all registered pupils.

The time allocated for RE is 5% of the curriculum time; about one hour a week.

Religious Education provokes 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.

The subject helps children develop skills such as empathy, analysis and evaluation. It promotes attitudes such as curiosity, fairness, respect and open-mindedness. It enables children to discover more about themselves and others.

Religious Education is concerned with learning about and from religions. At no point in RE lessons should children be indoctrinated to or from a religious tradition. They are given the freedom to think for themselves and make their own decisions about whether to follow a faith or none in their own time.

Aims

In Religious Education at Wick CE Primary School we aim that pupils might:-

Develop a knowledge and understanding of Christianity and its impact on our local community, and on our society today
Develop a knowledge and understanding of the other principal religious traditions represented in Great Britain today as well as non-religious perspectives
Develop a sense of respect for religious traditions, beliefs and practice.

Grow in their spiritual development
Develop skills and attitudes which will support their personal, moral, social and cultural development
Explore questions of meaning and consider their own responses to them in the light of religious and secular responses
Think about their own beliefs and values in the light of the beliefs of others, both religious and non-religious, and the values of the school community
Support the development of what have been described as 'Fundamental British Values' of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance for those with different faiths and beliefs and for those without faith

Coverage

We deliver RE in line with the South Gloucestershire Agreed Syllabus.

Children can be taught about any religious tradition and secular responses, but we typically have the following traditions as foci:

Badgers: Christianity and any other faiths as appropriate

Deer: Christianity, Judaism

Foxes: Christianity and Islam

Magpies: Christianity and Hinduism

Owls: Christianity and Islam

Peregrines: Christianity, Sikhism, Islam and Humanism

Woodpeckers: Christianity and Buddhism

Thematic units in KS2 allow for learning across a wider range of traditions.

By the end of their time at Wick CEVC Primary the children should have studied all six of the main world religions: Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism and Sikhism as well as engaging with non-religious worldviews such as Humanism.

Visits and Visitors

If pupils are to understand what it means to take a religion seriously it is important that they meet and engage with people with commitments to differing beliefs.

Visitors from different faiths are welcomed to the school to enrich the children’s experiences and to provide a wider religious picture.

Visits to places of worship bring to life the learning children have done in the classroom and encourage a greater understanding and respect for others – so essential if we wish to live in a society founded on tolerance and consideration. The programme of trips and visitors that we run in our school has been widely recognised as good practice and celebrated in our latest SIAMS report as a major contribution to the Christian values of the school. It underpins our work on developing Fundamental British Values and helps with our Prevent Duty to counter extremist views. You can see some of our visitors on the visitors page on this website.

Right of Withdrawal

The right of withdrawal was first granted when RE was Religious Instruction. RE at Wick Primary School is non-confessional. We wish to be an inclusive community, however, the legal right remains. Any parent / guardian considering this should contact the head teacher to discuss any concerns about the policy, provision and practice of Religious Education at our school. Children withdrawn should have work set appropriate to their needs supplied by their parents / guardians to be completed in an alternative workspace where they can be supervised. If no such space is available they may have to remain in the classroom.