‘Religious Education should enable every child to flourish and to live life in all its fullness (John 10:10). It will help educate for dignity and respect, encouraging all to live well together’

(Religious Education Statement of Entitlement).

At St Peter’s School, pupils and their families can expect a high quality Religious Education (RE) curriculum that is rich and varied, enabling learners to acquire a thorough knowledge and understanding of a range of faiths and worldviews. As a church school, the teaching of Christianity is at the heart of our RE curriculum. Using the Guildford Diocese syllabus we learn about other religions and worldviews, fostering respect for them. Links with our Christian values and vision, and support for pupil’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) development are intrinsic to our RE curriculum and have a significant impact on our children as learners. We provide a wide range of opportunities for our children to understand and to make links between the beliefs, practices and value systems of the range of faiths and worldviews studied.

As stated in the Church of England Statement of Entitlement for Religious Education, we aim for all our children to:

• know about and understand Christianity as a diverse global living faith through the exploration of core beliefs using an approach that critically engages with biblical text.
• gain knowledge and understanding of a range of religions and worldviews appreciating diversity, continuity and change within the religions and worldviews being studied.
• engage with challenging questions of meaning and purpose raised by human existence and experience.
• recognise the concept of religion and its continuing influence on Britain’s cultural heritage and in the lives of individuals and societies in different times, cultures and places.
• explore their own religious, spiritual and philosophical ways of living, believing and thinking.

RE is a driving subject within our curriculum – a best practice model for real life learning and spiritual reflection in response to our vision of ‘Life in all its Fullness’ for all members of our local and global community.  At the end of each RE unit, children have time to consider how they might assimilate their leaning – reflecting on how they might live their lives differently in response to their learning and our vision of ‘Life in all Fullness’.  These reflections feature in children’s Learning Journals and are celebrated as part of our ‘Life in all Fullness’ tree display.

We have a clear vision for RE to develop the spiritual literacy of our children so that they are able to step into different religious worlds, explore what gives meaning to life there and value the people they encounter.  We take the analogy of a trip with each stage of the outward and return journey taking the children to a deeper level of learning. In person and online visits from people of all faith create opportunities to engage with questions and hear new perspectives.

RE units have been adapted to reflect our school vision, enabling children to embark on a spiritual journey and use their learning to consider how they might live life differently.

• Planning our trip - Have we ever been anywhere like this before?
• Finding our way around - Why are we going to this place?  What is life like here?
• Being local experts - What gives meaning to life here?  What can we contribute to life here
• Returning home - How will we live differently when we go home?

We strive to embed our values in all areas of school life,

promoting them as a guide for flourishing in life and learning.
 

As RE Explorers, we:

Hold to the TRUTH that everyone is our neighbour,

RESPECT our neighbours’ beliefs and practices,

CELEBRATE diversity,

COLLABORATE with others, listening to and learning from their point of view,

Believe it is our RESPONSIBILITY to defend the rights and freedoms of everyone,

SERVE our community through our understanding of different faiths that people have.

To read our RE Policy, please click on the link below.

Religious Education must be provided for all registered pupils in full time education except those withdrawn at their parents’ request.

The school must comply with any request from a parent to withdraw their child and parents are not required to give their reasons for wanting to do so. However, in view of the Christian ethos and distinctive Christian character of our school, we would hope that all children admitted will participate fully in RE, and that anyone wishing to withdraw their child would discuss this with the headteacher before making this decision.

Where pupils are withdrawn from all or parts of the RE curriculum, they will engage in a personal project linked to the wider curriculum.

Subject Lead: Mrs Rowlandson

Subject Governor: Janet Ruthven