How RE is taught at St Andrew’s
At St. Andrew’s we follow the Understanding Christianity scheme of work along with recommendations from the Rochdale (SACRE) syllabus and the Church of England Manchester Diocese. This includes the Manchester and Blackburn diocesan schemes of work. As a Church of England school, two thirds of our RE curriculum is focused on Christianity and we explore world religions during the final term.
At St Andrew’s, Religious Education should enhance children’s spiritual, moral, cultural and social development by-
- encouraging pupils to explore their own beliefs
- developing an understanding of the influence of beliefs, values and traditions on individuals, communities, society and culture
- developing the ability to provoke challenging questions and make reasoned and informed judgements about religious and moral issues
- developing respect for themselves and others including people with different faiths and beliefs, and helps them to challenge prejudice
- developing a sense of awe and wonder and mystery
In accordance with the structure of the new 2019 locally agreed syllabus we have agreed that-
- In the foundation stage, children have opportunities to learn about Christianity and at least one other religion.
- In KS1, pupils study Christianity during the first two terms and additionally Islam and Judaism in the final term.
- At KS2 pupils study Christianity during the first two terms and additionally Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Sikhism in the final term.
- We aim to spend 1 hour per week on RE lessons (36 hours per year for reception and KS1, and 45 hours for KS2). Children will be taught by their class teacher and grouped in a variety of ways according to the nature of the activity. We use 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. Activities are differentiated to allow access to the curriculum for all pupils.
The Right of Withdrawal from RE
Parents have the legal right to withdraw their child from Religious Education. Parents who are considering withdrawing their child from RE should discuss this with the head teacher in advance before putting this in to writing.
