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Religious Education
Home | Learning | Curriculum | Subjects | Religious Education
Religious Education
Two
Schools
One
Vision
Belvedere Infant School
Curriculum
At Belvedere Infant School we follow the Bexley Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education.
The study units are organised into three strands, ‘believing’, ‘expressing’ and ‘living’. In EYFS the children learn about Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism and Islam. The children learn about these religions through religious celebrations. In Years One and Two the children learn about Christianity, Judaism and Islam.
Aims
The aim for religious education is:
- To bring learners into contact with and provoke challenging questions
- To provide a safe and secure setting in which learners can explore and develop their own beliefs and understanding of major religious and spiritual concepts and ideas
- To provide a supportive context that enables learners to develop and build a good sense of identity and belonging
- To enable learners to develop understanding, respect and empathy for others of different beliefs and practices and to be able to challenge and overcome prejudice
- To enable learners to consider, understand and live up to their responsibilities towards themselves, their families, society and a possible higher authority
Overview
Teaching RE is part of our duty to promote the spiritual, moral, social and cultural education of pupils, enabling pupils to appreciate the values and attitudes of different faith groups and the effects that these have on the community. Pupils are given an awareness, knowledge and understanding of the features, ideas and practices of the focused religions, encouraging sensitivity to the differences of faiths and fostering an atmosphere of acceptance, tolerance and goodwill to others in all aspects of life. An attitude of respect towards others and willingness to ask questions are, we believe, more important than a detailed knowledge of every practice
Religious Education (RE) enables children to investigate and reflect on some of the most fundamental questions asked by people. At Belvedere Infant School we develop the children’s knowledge and understanding of the major world faiths. We enable children to develop a sound knowledge not only of Christianity but also of other world religions, especially those that are the main faiths of children and staff within our school. Children reflect on what it means to have a faith and to develop their own spiritual knowledge and understanding. We help the children learn from religions as well as about religions.
Our teaching and learning styles in RE enable children to build on their own experiences and extend their knowledge and understanding of religious traditions and to develop an understanding and acceptance that we can have differing beliefs but still be able to live in harmony with others. We aim to invite people of different faiths or parents into school to talk to the children about special events / celebrations within their religion, as well as visit local places of worship.
Curriculum Rationale
For further information on how RE is taught, have a look at the Curriculum Rationale.
RE Curriculum Rationale
RE Curriculum overview
Belvedere Junior School
We are theologians
Children will gain knowledge and understanding of a variety of religions. South Norwood children learn from others and build their skills to reflect and analyse. Children will also develop a sense of identity and belonging and will be respectful and sensitive towards others creating a culture of acceptance, tolerance and understanding.
We teach the non-statutory Curriculum Framework for Religious Education. We follow the Bexley RE scheme of work 2020.
At Belvedere Junior School, we aim to ensure that Religious Education will:
- Provoke challenging questions about the meaning and purpose of life, beliefs, the self, issues of right and wrong and what it means to be human. It develops pupils’ knowledge and understanding of religions, other principal religions and religious traditions that examine these questions, fostering personal reflection and spiritual development.
- Enable pupils to build their sense of identity and belonging, which helps them flourish within their community and as citizens in a diverse society.
- Teach pupils to develop respect for others, including people with different faiths and beliefs, and helps to challenge prejudice.
- Prompt pupils to consider their responsibilities to themselves and to others, and to explore how they might contribute to their community and to wider society. It encourages empathy, generosity and compassion.
- Develop a sense of awe and wonder and mystery.
Teaching and Learning
R.E has an important part to play as part of a broad, balanced and coherent curriculum to which all pupils are entitled. High quality learning experiences in RE are designed and provided by careful planning through the use of the Bexley Scheme for RE.
In order to make Religious Education a lively, active subject, we employ a variety of teaching methods including art, music, discussion, the development of thinking skills, drama, the use of artefacts, pictures, stories and the use of periods of stillness and reflection. Where possible, we want our pupils to have opportunities to encounter local faith communities through visits to local places of worship or visits from members of local faith communities.