RE

Religious Education at Ghyllgrove

Religious Education is a compulsory subject and forms part of the National Curriculum to which every pupil should have access. It can provide the foundation for many people’s lives and promote acceptance and understanding of other beliefs. Through the teaching of RE, we aim to promote the spiritual, moral and cultural development of all pupils.

Religious Education should provide opportunities for pupils to learn about and understand the beliefs of others and themselves. We aim to enable our pupils to be religiously literate so that they will have the ability to hold balanced and well-informed conversations about religion and worldwide views. RE at Ghyllgrove Primary School is based upon implementing the Essex Agreed Syllabus for RE through the Saffron Academy Trust RE scheme of work. This question-based approach enables children to develop their thinking through a philosophical, theological and human and social science ‘lens’.

RE is taught in order to help pupils make sense of religion, to appreciate its influence and understand the part it has played and continues to play in many people’s lives.  RE contributes towards pupils’ understanding of their own and other cultures, world-views and belief systems.  It will help them to begin to understand the complex world we live in.  RE provides opportunities for pupils to explore the spiritual dimension of experience and to reflect upon their inner feelings, questions, thoughts and experiences.  RE also makes significant contributions to:

• Spiritual, moral, social, health and cultural development
• Intercultural and global awareness, citizenship and education against racism
• The development of key skills (promoted across all curriculum areas)
• British Values and understanding the term Tolerance
• The prevent duty

RE will show explicit and implicit learning covered throughout the Key Stages incorporating the three lenses (Theology, Philosophy and Human and social) in the new Essex agreed syllabus:

• Explicit RE - In EYFS and across the Key stages Christianity will be taught in depth alongside Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Sikhism, Judaism and Humanism. They are discussed and explored through assemblies, books, stories and through the Key Questions covered in the scheme of work. The focus on other religions in each year group will reflect our local context.
• Implicit RE - Each theme for RE will give the children the opportunity to explore key questions and to make links with their own lives, considering and responding to questions concerning the meaning and purpose of life and to develop and understanding of our complex world.