Religious Education - RE

The Curriculum at St James Church of England Academy

 

The Intent, implementation and Impact of our Curriculum – R.E.

 

Religious education in our Church school should enable every child to flourish and to live life in all its fullness. (John 10:10). It will help educate for dignity and respect encouraging all to live well together and this sets the context of the statement below and the syllabus that’s delivered at St James.

 

INTENT

Here, at St James C of E Academy, the aim of Religious Education 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 our 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. At St James Academy, Religious Education plays an important role, along with all other curriculum areas, particularly PSHE, including the delivery of the Jigsaw scheme of work and Protective behaviours, in promoting the spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development of our children.

 

IMPLEMENTATION

At St James it has been agreed that having taken into account the requirements and guidelines presented in the Warwickshire Agreed Syllabus and the Understanding Christianity Scheme of Learning, the following religions have been selected for study:

 

· Christianity

· Buddhism

· Sikhism

· Islam

· Judaism

· Hinduism

· Humanism

 

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 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 James C of E Academy enjoying learning lots 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. R.E. acts as a hub, therefore, between social aspects of learning, science and geography. Through R.E. our children are developing an understanding of other people’s cultures and ways of life, which they are then able to communicate to the wider community.

R.E. offers our children the means by which to understand how other people choose to live and to understand why they choose to live in that way. As such, R.E. is invaluable in an ever changing and shrinking world