Religious Education

Intent

At Bosley St Mary’s CE Primary School we believe that Religious Education is a central subject within our curriculum because, as a church school, we believe that our Christian faith underpins and informs all aspects of our life and learning. Religious Education at Bosley St Mary’s CE Primary School explores how individuals and communities make meaning and sense of their lives through the major religions of the world. It enables pupils to know about, understand and respond to the important and ultimate questions of life. Religious Education is taught in such a way that it inspires pupils to explore, develop and affirm their own faith and values and have respect for the faith, beliefs and values of others.

The aims of teaching Religious Education in our school are:

• Develop a knowledge and understanding of Christian beliefs and practices so that they understand the importance of the Bible, the role of the church and recognise that - for Christians - their faith provides a way of interpreting life and its meaning.
• Develop knowledge and understanding of the beliefs and practices of other major religions.
• Understand how belief may impact on culture, relationships, values and lifestyle.
• Understand how belief can be expressed in a variety of ways including art, dance, music, ritual celebration and in different cultural settings.
• Develop spiritually, morally, culturally and socially by helping them to reflect upon personal feelings, responses and relationships.
• Explore ways in which religious values and teaching have an impact on actions and decisions for people of faith
• Be supported in their own search for meaning and purpose in life.
• Develop skills of reflection, empathy, communication, analysis, investigation, interpretation, evaluation and synthesis.

• Develop attitudes of respect, sensitivity, open-mindedness and self-esteem.

Implementation

At Bosley St Mary’s CE Primary School, Religious Education is taught based on a 4 year rolling programme.

As a Church of England Aided School we approach Religious Education in a way that will not only introduce children to an understanding of the nature of Christian beliefs and practices but will provide a foundation for Christian learning for life. Children will be encouraged in their exploration of the spiritual dimension of life and the environment will be set for them to experience an awareness of God. Further opportunities will be given for children to learn about other world faiths, not merely to compare but to enhance their understanding of the Christian faith. The school works closely with both the Chester Diocesan Board following their guidelines and tailoring them to meet the specific needs of the children in its care.

The units covered within our planning ensure that pupils develop knowledge and understanding of the principal religions in Great Britain and Christianity is taught as a core religion in both key stages. Our bespoke Religious Education curriculum allows children to see the similarities within the major religions and make connections. Classes will use festivals in a variety of religions. We recognise that within classes, there is a wide variety of abilities and so we provide suitable learning opportunities that are matched to the needs of all children. This is done through providing support, differentiating activities and using a range of teaching and learning styles within lessons.

Additionally, teaching will be supplemented with trips to places of worship or visits from people from religious communities. Here at Bosley St Mary’s CE Primary School, the church is a hub within the village, and we pride ourselves on our strong ties with both the church and village, ensuring we visit church regularly and take part in important services, throughout the year.

Impact

The standard of work in Religious Education is expected to reflect the targets of children in the core subjects. Displays of children’s work in RE are also encouraged. We assess children’s work in religious education by making informal judgements as we observe them during lessons. We mark a piece of work once it has been completed and we comment as necessary. Teacher use the outcomes of each lesson to inform future planning and note any areas of interest shown. On completion of a unit of work, we make a summary judgement about the work of each pupil in relation to the expectations of the unit.

The subject leader will monitor Religious Education within the school through lesson observations, through work sampling and through pupil interviews. This information will feed into the Church school self-evaluation process.

Right of Withdrawal

In the UK, parents have the right to withdraw their children from RE on the grounds that they wish to provide their own RE. This provision will be the parents’ responsibility.  This right of withdrawal exists for all pupils in all types of school, including schools with and without a religious designation. Students aged
18 or over have the right to withdraw themselves from RE. Parents also have the right to withdraw their child from part of RE.