Intent

At St Benedict’s, we believe that it is important for all our pupils to learn from and about religion, so that they can understand the world around them. The aim of Religious Education in our school is to help children to acquire and develop knowledge and understanding of Christianity and the other principal religions represented in Great Britain; to appreciate the way that religious beliefs shape life and behaviour; develop the ability to make reasoned and informed judgements about religious and moral issues and enhance their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Religious Education is taught throughout the school in such a way as to reflect the overall aims, values, and philosophy of the school and to enhance the children’s understanding of ‘Life in all its Fullness’ (John 10:10). Through our school values (Community, Peace, Hope, Compassion, Truth and Forgiveness), we aim to instil in our pupils a sense of morality and belonging and we believe that RE plays an important role, alongside other curriculum areas, particularly PSHCE, in promoting social awareness and understanding in our children. We encourage our pupils to ask questions about the world and to reflect on their own beliefs, values and experiences. Our curriculum is designed to encourage creativity, imagination, enquiry, debate, discussion and independence.

Implementation

We use the Awareness, Mystery and Value syllabus developed by the Diocese of Bath and Wells as the basis for our curriculum. At St Benedict’s, it has been agreed that having taken into account the requirements and guidelines presented in the Agreed Syllabus, the following religions have been selected for study:

· Christianity

· Islam

· Judaism

· Hinduism

· Humanism

From the syllabus it is required that in KS2 Christianity is studied (and two other principal religions in some depth) There are no presumptions made as to the religious backgrounds and beliefs and values of the children and the staff. We value the religious background of all members of the school community and hope that this will encourage individuals to share their own experiences with others freely. All religions and their communities are treated with respect and sensitivity and we value the links, which are, and can be made between home, school, and a faith community. We are extremely lucky that members of the local church, St Benedict’s, regularly visit our school to carry out assemblies. We acknowledge that each religion studied can contribute to the education of all our pupils. We promote teaching in Religious Education that stresses open enquiry and first-hand experiences wherever possible for both staff and children.

Impact

The children at St Benedict’s enjoy learning about other religions and why people choose, or choose not to follow a religion. Through their R.E. learning, the children are able to make links between their own lives and those of others in their community and in the wider world, developing an understanding of other people’s cultures and ways of life. As such, R.E. is invaluable in an ever changing and shrinking world.