RE at Hallow
‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches.’
John 15: 1-5
As a school we follow the Worcestershire Agreed Syllabus. The schemes which we use to teach this through are ‘Understanding Christianity’ and ‘Discovery RE’.
Intent
Through our Religious Education curriculum we aim:
- to engage pupils in enquiring into and exploring questions arising from the study of religionand belief, so as to promote their personal, spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.
- to provide learners with knowledge and understanding of Christianity and other principal religious traditions and beliefs represented in Great Britain.
- to develop their understanding of the ways in which beliefs influence people in their behaviour, practices and outlook.
- to enable learners to apply the insights of the principal religious traditions to their own search for identity and significance.
- to enable learners to become aware of their own beliefs and values and to have a positive attitude to the search for meaning and purpose in life.
- to encourage learners to develop a positive attitude towards other people who hold religious beliefs different from their own.
Implementation
As part of our planning process teachers refer to the following documents:
- Worcestershire Agreed Syllabus
- Hallow Progression grids
- Hallow Long-term and medium-term plan
Our RE curriculum provides children with enquiry opportunities to find out about, and understand, a range of religions and world views. The religions and themes studied are recurrent, allowing pupils to build on their long-term memories within the year, as well as year on year. Pupils will be taught appropriate and progressive vocabulary so that they are able to consider and express their personal views and beliefs articulately and respectfully. They will understand that our views and beliefs may change over time.
Impact
At Hallow, Religious Education develops:
- knowledge and understanding of, and their ability to respond to, Christianity, other principal world religions, other religious traditions and world views;
- understanding and respect for different religions, beliefs, values and traditions (including ethical life stances), through exploring issues within and between faiths;
- understanding of the influence of faith and belief on individuals, societies, communities and cultures;
- skills of enquiry and response through the use of religious vocabulary, questioning and empathy;
- skills of reflection, expression, application, analysis and evaluation of beliefs, values and practices, and the communication of personal responses to these.
Legal Requirements
RE is for all pupils and every pupil is legally entitled to Religious Education as part of a ‘broad and balanced’ curriculum. RE must be provided for all registered pupils in statefunded schools in England unless they are withdrawn by their parents.
RE offers pupils opportunities to:
- develop their self-confidence and awareness;
- understand the world they live in as individuals and as members of groups;
- develop positive attitudes towards others, respecting their beliefs and experience; and
- deal with issues that form the basis for personal choices and behaviour.
Withdrawal from RE
Parental right of withdrawal from RE was first granted in 1944 when curricular RE was called ‘Religious Instruction’ and, as such, had connotations of induction into the Christian faith. RE is very different now. It takes account of world faiths and non-religious world views so that children can learn about and from religious traditions. In the UK, 70+ years later, parents still have the right to withdraw their children from RE on the grounds that they wish to provide their own RE. This RE provision will be the parents’ responsibility. This right of withdrawal exists for all pupils in all types of school, including schools that do and do not have a religious designation.
If you wish to withdraw your children from RE lessons, please arrange a meeting to discuss this with the Headteacher in the first instance.