Religious Education (RE)
“In diversity there is beauty and there is strength”
Maya Angelou, American poet and civil rights activist
Intent:
According to the R.E. Council, ‘the ability to understand the faith or belief of individuals and communities and how these may shape their culture or behaviour, is an invaluable asset for children in modern day Britain.’ At Bedfont, R.E. lessons will provoke challenging questions about meaning and purpose in life, beliefs about God, ultimate reality, issues of right and wrong and what it means to be human. We will encourage pupils to learn about religious and non-religious worldviews in order to discover, explore and consider different answers to these questions. They will learn to interpret, analyse, evaluate and critically respond to the claims that religious and non-religious worldviews make. Pupils will learn to express their insights and to agree or disagree respectfully.
Our school follows Widening Horizons, the Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education (RE) in the London Borough of Hounslow. The locally determined RE syllabus allows RE teaching to reflect the richness and diversity of the local Hounslow community.
Hounslow SACRE, and in turn Bedfont Primary School, believe that R.E. helps children:
- to be members of diverse local, national and international communities
- to look at things beyond themselves
- to discover fundamental things about being human
- to explore faith, spirituality and an awareness of themselves and others
- to develop a deeper sense of their own beliefs and values through reflecting upon why they think and act in particular ways
- to ask challenging and ultimate questions within a context of mutual trust and respect.
At Bedfont Primary School, we are committed to providing our children with an exciting and positive learning environment, in which they have the opportunity to develop their knowledge and understanding of religions while contributing to their spiritual, moral social and cultural development.
Implementation:
We provide opportunities for the children to develop knowledge, understanding and awareness of Christianity and other major world faiths, including Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Sikhism as well as ethical non-theistic traditions, such as Humanism.
We implement this through enquiry-based learning.
Religious Education is taught within cross-curricular themed units every half term in the Nursery and Reception classes. These fulfil the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum. In Key Stages One and Two, Religious Education is taught as a discrete subject with a weekly lesson. The units change each half term in years one and two, whereas the children enter more in-depth studies in years three and four through one unit which lasts a whole term and two termly units in years five and six.
The Statutory Requirements
At Bedfont Primary School, we are required by law to follow Widening Horizons, the Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education in the London Borough of Hounslow. The locally determined R.E. syllabus allows R.E. teaching to reflect the richness and diversity of the local Hounslow community.
The Aim of Religious Education
The aim of Religious Education in the London Borough of Hounslow is to help children and young people to learn about and learn from religious and spiritual insights, beliefs and practices.’ Widening Horizons
Curriculum
We provide opportunities for the children to develop knowledge, understanding and awareness of Christianity and other major world faiths, including Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Sikhism as well as ethical non-theistic traditions, such as Humanism.
We implement this through a programme of units and enquiry-based learning.
Religious Education is taught within cross-curricular themed units every half term in the Nursery and Reception classes. These fulfil the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum. In Key Stages One and Two, Religious Education is taught as a discrete subject with a weekly lesson. The units change each half term in years one and two, whereas the children enter more in-depth studies in years three and four through one unit which lasts a whole term and two termly units in years five and six.
Curriculum Documentation