The importance of RE 
 
Religious Education provokes challenging questions about the ultimate meaning and purpose of life, beliefs about God, issues of right and wrong and what it means to be human. It develops pupils’ knowledge and understanding of Christianity, other principal religions, other religious traditions and other world views that offer answers to questions such as these, including secular world views. It offers opportunities for personal reflection and spiritual development. It enhances pupils’ awareness and understanding of religions and beliefs, teachings, practices and forms of expression, as well as understanding the influence of religion on individuals, families, communities and cultures. 

 
RE encourages pupils to learn from different beliefs, values and traditions (both religious and nonreligious) while exploring their own beliefs and questions of meaning. It is an essential part of children understanding their place and other members of their local and global community. RE has an important role in preparing pupils for adult life, employment and lifelong learning. It enables pupils to develop respect for and sensitivity to others, in particular those whose faiths and beliefs are different from their own. It enables pupils to combat prejudice. 

 

The following four attitudes are essential for good learning in RE and should be developed at each stage or phase:

• self-awareness;

• respect for all;

• open-mindedness;

• appreciation and wonder. 

 
Throughout all RE lesson we will encourage children to:

• feel confident about their own beliefs and identity and share them without fear of embarrassment or ridicule;

• recognise their own uniqueness as human beings and affirm their self-worth;

• develop skills of listening and a willingness to learn from others, even when others’ views are different from their own;

• be ready to value difference and diversity for the common good;

• appreciate that some beliefs are not inclusive and considering the issues that this raises for individuals and society;

• be sensitive to the feelings and ideas of others. 

• engage in argument or disagreeing reasonably and respectfully (without belittling or abusing others) about religious, moral and spiritual questions;

• develop their imagination and curiosity;

• appreciating the sense of wonder at the world in which they live;

 

Our curriculum is structured to give our students a good knowledge of each key major religion through lower key stage 2. In Upper key stage two we will then encourage children to use their knowledge to compare and contrast elements of the major religions and reflect on how religion answers some of the bigger questions of life and morality.