Religious Education
Purpose of Study
We live in a multi-cultural, multi-faith society and at The Shade Primary School we prepare our children so that they may be well rounded active participants in their community. We use the Cambridgeshire Agreed Syllabus alongside ‘Understanding Christianity’ to teach Religious Education (RE) and through our curriculum we aim to give our children both the knowledge and understanding of Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism and Islam whilst reflecting upon their own beliefs. We will foster and nurture an ability to understand how these religions influence individuals, communities, society and the world.
Aims
Through our RE curriculum we will:
- Provoke challenging questions about the meaning and purpose of life, beliefs, the self, issues of right and wrong, and what it means to be human.
- Develop pupils’ knowledge and understanding of Christianity, other principal religions, foster personal reflection and spiritual development
- Encourage pupils to explore their own beliefs (whether they are religious or non-religious), in the light of what they learn, as they examine issues of religious belief and faith and how these impact on personal, institutional and social ethics.
- Enable pupils to build their sense of identity and belonging, which helps them to flourish within their communities and as citizens in a diverse society.
- Teach pupils to develop respect for others, including people with different faiths and beliefs, and help to challenge prejudice.
- Prompt pupils to consider their responsibilities to themselves and to others, and to explore how they might contribute to their communities and to wider society.
Religious Education does not seek to enforce religious beliefs on children or to compromise the integrity of their own beliefs by promoting one religion over another.
Withdrawing your child from RE
Parents/carers have the right to withdraw their child from receiving religious education given in the school in accordance with the school’s basic curriculum and/or their attendance at religious worship in the school. This request should be made in writing to the Headteacher, who will discuss this with the parent/carer to clarify the nature and purpose of the curriculum so that parents/carers can make an informed decision. A record will be made of the outcome of the discussion.
If a pupil is excused from religious education or activities the school will ensure that the pupil receives appropriate, purposeful education during the period of withdrawal.
Long Term Plan