“Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.” – Aristotle

 

We follow Discovery for our Religious Education teaching and learning which provides a broad, balanced and coherent curriculum. It has been designed to offer breadth of content, depth of learning and coherence between concepts, knowledge, skills and content in a safe, open, respectful and inclusive environment. Our RE curriculum allows all learners to explore their own beliefs and explore other world religions to encourage our children the flourish in becoming inclusive and understanding of all faiths and cultures, equipped to life beyond school.

We ensure that RE offers opportunities for personal reflection and spiritual development, deepening the understanding of the significance of religion in the lives of themselves, others, communally, world-wide and cross-culturally.

RE offers distinctive opportunities to promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development allowing time for reflection, discussion, dialogue and debate. This also contributes to the British Values agenda.

RE Intent, Implementation and Impact Statement

RE Overview and Progression Document

The Right of Withdrawal from Religious Education (RE):

Religion and belief have become more visible in public life in recent years, making it important that all pupils should have an opportunity to engage in RE. However, the parent of a pupil at a community, foundation, or voluntary school (or pupils themselves if they are aged 18 or over) may request that they be excused from all or part of the religious education (RE) provided.

Parents who wish to withdraw their children from RE should be aware of its aims and what is covered in the RE curriculum and that they are given the opportunity to discuss this if they wish. It should be made clear whether the withdrawal is from the whole RE curriculum or specific parts of it. No reasons need be given.

Important – limitations to withdraw

• If pupils are withdrawn from RE, schools have a duty to supervise them, though not to provide additional teaching.  A pupil may be required to work in another area of the school, such as library or break out area.
• Whilst parents or carers have a right to withdraw children from RE, they should note that children may also encounter religions and beliefs and wider aspects of faith in other areas of the curriculum from which there is no right of withdrawal.
• On occasion, spontaneous questions about religious matters are raised by pupils or issues related to religion arise in other curriculum subjects such as history or citizenship (PSHE). For example, schools promote community cohesion and help pupils to understand ideas about identity and diversity, feelings, and emotions within both religious and non-religious contexts.

Managing the Right of Withdrawal  

If pupils are withdrawn from RE, schools have a duty to supervise them, though not to provide additional teaching or to incur extra cost. Pupils will usually remain on school premises where it is feasible and appropriate.

Where a request for withdrawal is made, the school must comply and excuse the pupil until the request is rescinded. Though not legally required, it is good practice for a head teacher to invite parents to discuss their written request.

(Section 71(3), School Standards and Framework Act 1998).