Newchurch St Nicholas Primary School RELIGIOUS EDUCATION POLICY Legal Requirements Religious Education must be taught to all registered pupils in maintained schools. Lancashire Agreed Syllabus 2016 RE is a subject covered within the school curriculum and is distinct from collective worship which is not counted as curriculum time. RE takes up 5% of the annual total curriculum time which is delivered in flexible and creative ways. The Place of RE in the Curriculum RE is an important subject in itself, developing an individual s knowledge and understanding of the religion and belief which form part of contemporary society. Lancashire Agreed Syllabus 2016 RE is a valued subject which welcomes the difficult questions about life, beliefs, God, right and wrong and what is means to be human. It develops the children s knowledge and understanding of faiths represented in their local community and the wider world. RE allows children to learn about and challenge their own and each other s beliefs and values in an unbiased and safe environment. Although RE is a distinct subject it makes important contributions to their parts of the curriculum, eg PSHE, SEAL as well as developing higher order thinking skills, spiritual development and deep personal development. The Aim of Religious Education The aim of RE is that:
Religious Education is a component of the legally required Basic Curriculum, to be taught alongside the National Curriculum in all maintained schools. The national curriculum states the legal requirement that: Every state-funded school must offer a curriculum which is balanced and broadly based, and which: promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils, and prepares pupils at the school for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life. ( The National Curriculum in England: Framework document, September 2013, p.4 as quoted in Lancashire Agreed Syllabus 2016) The aims of Religious Education in church schools are: To enable pupils to encounter Christianity as the religion that shaped British culture and heritage and influences the lives of millions of people today To enable pupils to learn about the other major religions, their impact on culture and politics, art and history, and on the lives of their adherents To develop understanding of religious faith as the search for and expression of truth To contribute to the development of pupils own spiritual / philosophical convictions, exploring and enriching their own faith and beliefs The outcomes for pupils at the end of their education in church schools are that they are able to: Think theologically and explore ultimate questions Reflect critically on the truth claims of Christian belief Develop the skills to analyse, interpret and apply the Bible text Recognise that faith is a particular way of understanding and responding to God and the world Analyse and explain the varied nature and traditions of the Christian community Make a well informed response to Christianity
Respect those of all faiths in their search for God Reflect critically on areas of shared belief and practice between different faiths Enrich and expand their understanding of truth Reflect critically and express their views on the human quest and destiny Church of England Archbishops Council Education Division At the centre of RE at Newchurch is the question, What is it to be human? Through an enquiry based RE curriculum we intend to give the children the skills they need to rationally address this and many of the other big questions they will face throughout their lives. It is not our intention to lead children to any specific faith but to use RE to encourage Newchurch pupils to learn and develop the positive attitudes of curiosity, wonder and appreciation, commitment, fairness and selfawareness (Lancashire Agreed Syllabus 2011) to the beliefs and values of others. An agreed syllabus must not be designed to convert pupils, or to urge a particular religion or religious belief on pupils. This syllabus maintains that teaching about religions and beliefs should be sufficiently fair, balanced and open. It should promote mutual respect and understanding, whilst not undermining or ignoring the role of families and religious or belief organisations in transmitting values to successive generations. Lancashire Agreed Syllabus 2016 British Values At Newchurch Primary School we aim to promote the fundamental British Values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs. The promotion of these values is embedded into the whole school curriculum and ethos, with the teaching of RE playing a key role through discussion, reflection and the sharing of experiences.
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE AGREED SYLLABUS OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION The staff at Newchurch will follow the Lancashire Agreed Syllabus 2016. Religious Education at Newchurch will reflect and represent the religions found within the school community. It will also take into account the religions found in the immediate geographical area surrounding the school (locally) and beyond (nationally and globally). The staff at Newchurch will deliver 3 investigations of Christianity (God, Jesus and the Church) each year as well as 1 investigation of Islam and 1 investigation of Judaism. The religions of Buddhism, the Hindu Dharma and the Sikh Dharam will be covered throughout the key stages. Christianity Christianity should be the majority study in RE in every school. In church schools that should be clearly adhered to. Understanding Christianity as a living religion is the foundation of pupils Religious Education in schools. The encounter must be an open one which stems from and instils respect for different views and interpretations and in which real dialogue and education takes place. Other faiths and world views Church schools have a duty to foster an accurate and increasing understanding of world religions and world views. As a result, pupils will gain greater insight into the world in which they are growing up. They will also be able to appreciate the faith of others and develop a deeper understanding of their on beliefs and practices. These outcomes must contribute to harmonious relationships within and between communities, promoting social inclusion and combating prejudice. Church of England Archbishops Council Education Division Planning Planning for Religious Education will follow the format which has been designed to incorporate the Lancashire Agreed Syllabus of Religious Education (2016).
Planning will include evidence of both Attainment Targets 1 (Learning about Religions) and Attainment Target 2 (Learning from Religions). It will also cover the four elements of the Field of Enquiry (Shared Human Experience, Beliefs and Values, Living Religious Traditions and the Search for Personal Meaning) Progression of skills will be ensured by following the skills listed in the Eight Level Scale (Lancashire Agreed Syllabus) Wherever possible, creative planning makes the RE experience more meaningful and real for the pupils at Newchurch. However where the links are tenuous RE will be taught as a stand alone subject for a blocked amount of time. Planning and delivery are creative and a wide variety of approaches are used. By the end of 2017/18 we hope to have established and embedded links with the wider community in order to incorporate a range of experiences to enhance the teaching and learning of different religions, including visits to sacred places and visitors into school. Planning will be shared and discussed with parents when requested. Withdrawal from Religious Education It is recognised that parents have a right to withdraw their child from Religious Education in its entirety or in part. If a parent chooses to withdraw their child from Religious Education then arrangements are made for that child to be withdrawn during the lessons by the class teacher in consultation with the Head teacher. Assessment Teachers are required to assess pupils each term. The age-related skills for each year group are outlined on trackers and teachers identify where each of their pupils are working - Below, Entering, Developing or Secure. The summer term assessments for Year 2 and Year 6 are reported on and will be sent to Lancashire SACRE (The Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education).
Resources The RE Co-ordinator is responsible for maintaining resources, monitoring their use and organising storage. Resource purchasing is in accordance with normal school procedures and is based upon the RE budget. The resources are stored in a central position in the school library and include artefacts, books, posters and DVDs. They are being updated continually. This policy should be read in conjunction with all other school policies and in particular the equal opportunities and race equality, assessment and teaching and learning policies. The policy will be reviewed in two years. Policy agreed by: Religious Education Subject Leader: Date: Headteacher: Date: Policy review date: