Religious Education
The aim of religious education is to promote knowledge and understanding of the Christian faith, its relevance to the ultimate questions of life and the skills required to engage in religious thinking. In our Religious Education lessons, children receive a spiritual and knowledge based presentation of the Church of England teachings. It is realistic and relates to the lives of the pupils both inside and outside school. Teachers are aware of the diversity of backgrounds, family relationships and faith experiences of pupils and are sensitive in their approach to discussions which connect to these experiences. Through the RE teaching we aim
- To foster a love of God through knowledge and understanding of Faith
- To encourage the development of a personal relationship with God.
- To help our children be aware of and respect all faiths.
- To encourage children to study, investigate and reflect.
- To develop thinking and listening skills.
- To develop respect for truth and for the views of others.
Pupils will therefore be
- Helped to recognise and appreciate the religious and spiritual dimension of life
- Helped to engage in a personal search for meaning in life and begin to address some ultimate questions
- Enabled to know and enter into the beliefs, practices and worship of the Christian tradition
- Led to a deeper personal faith
- Enabled to respect religious convictions of others.
The school regularly supports parish events and fund raising e.g. we support the homeless through our local parish, St Mary's Priory. Our RE curriculum teaches children a carefully sequenced understanding of major world religions, developing knowledge of Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism from Year 1 up to Year 6. Members of different faiths or religions (including staff members) share their knowledge to enhance learning within classes and the school. Children visit places of worship that are important to different faiths. In our class libraries we also provide reading material on other faiths. A central message of Christian belief is that although we are all different, God loves each one of us equally, regardless of background, gender or ability. The school recognises and caters for the individual needs of pupils, acknowledging that we all have different gifts and talents. Learning tasks are matched to the abilities of pupils to enable them to achieve success, helping them develop their full potential and develop positive self-images.