Religious Education
Intent
Bishops Down Primary School promotes, supports and encourages excellent practice in the teaching of Religious Education (RE) to ensure that children:
- Develop an understanding of concepts and a mastery of skills to make sense of religion and belief, at an appropriate level of challenge for their age.
- Develop positive and respectful attitudes and values and to reflect and relate their learning in RE to their own beliefs and experiences both presently and in the future.
- Have the opportunity to learn that there are those who do not hold religious beliefs and have their own philosophical perspectives, and subject matter should facilitate integration and promotion of shared values whether they are religious or not.
At Bishops Down Primary School, we are committed to providing our children with an exciting, positive and safe learning environment, in which they have the opportunity to develop their knowledge and understanding of religions, to share their beliefs and experiences without fear of judgment or negativity, while contributing to their spiritual, moral social and cultural development.
Implementation
At Bishops Down Primary School, we follow the Kent Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education (RE). This syllabus presents pupils with exciting opportunities to learn about faith and culture in the wider world community, enabling them to explore key values that have been treasured by all religious traditions, regardless of religious belief or conviction.
The principal aim of RE in the Kent Syllabus 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 responses of their own.
Religious Education taught in our school:
- is open and objective, it does not seek to urge religious beliefs on young people, nor compromise the integrity of their own religious position by promoting one tradition over another.
- endeavours to promote a positive attitude toward people, respecting their right to hold different beliefs from their own.
- promotes the values and attitudes necessary for citizenship in a multi-faith and multi-racial society through developing understanding of, respect for, and dialogue with people of different beliefs, practices, races and cultures.
- celebrates the similarities and differences of a breadth of religions and cultures; respecting and valuing these for the common good.
- is not the same as collective worship, which has its own place in the educational life of the school – together with RE it can contribute to an informed, reflective, compassionate and caring school and community.
- promotes community cohesion through linking with religious groups in our community and the wider community and places of worship.
- recognises and celebrates the range of cultures and diversity of the school through workshops, assemblies and shared experiences of staff, children, families and people from the local community.
Religious Education (RE) will be taught weekly, planned by the teacher. Where possible and appropriate, lessons link with key dates, religious festivals, faith in our immediate and wider community and the children and families within the school, providing opportunities to celebrate festivals and religions with greater relevance and consistency.
Impact
As a result of our teaching, when children leave Bishops Down Primary School, they will have been given the opportunity to widen their knowledge and understanding of, and their ability to respond to, Christianity and other principal world religions and world views. They will have had the opportunity to consider the influence of faith and belief on individuals, societies, communities and cultures; and develop skills of reflection, expression, application, analysis and evaluation of beliefs, values and practices, and the communication of personal responses to these and other religious, moral and social issues.
RE Websites and Useful Links:
Primary resources, homework help and online games - BBC Bitesize
Find a wealth of animated videos and information about each religion on the BBC Bitesize website - simply follow the link, find your year group and choose 'Religious Education'.
