Religious Education

Religious education in a Church school 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 in Church of England Schools - Statement of Entitlement (2018) The Church of England Education Office

We follow the Kent Agreed Syllabus which states:

The principal aim of RE is to engage pupils in systematic enquiry into significant human questions which religion and worldviews address, so that they can develop the understanding and skills needed to appreciate and appraise varied responses to these questions, as well as develop responses of their own.

Within the Kent Agreed Syllabus framework we use Understanding Christianity. This project is produced by the Church of England Education Office and allows us as a church school to develop a deeper understanding of Christianity as a living and diverse faith with a focus on the teaching of Jesus and the Church.

Religious Education is crucial in preparing children for their future by enabling them to develop respect and sensitivity to others. Units covering other major world faiths provide us with opportunities to compare and contrast the roles which religions play within Britain and around the world.  Children learn the diversity of different religions, beliefs, values and traditions, whilst still being encouraged to explore, share and affirm their own faith.

Term 6 

Reception 

In their Term 5 and 6 topic ‘Which stories are special and why?’ your child will be learning about special stories associated with Judaism, Islam, and the Hindu and Sikh faiths. 

Year 1 

In their Term 5 and 6 topic ‘What special times and people do Jewish people remember and celebrate?’ your child will be learning about Shabbat and ways that this is celebrated and the importance of the mezuzah in Jewish homes. They will explore the story of Chanukah and what it shows Jewish people about God.  They will think about why the Synagogue is a special place for Jewish people and will also be encouraged to make links between some Jewish teaching and how Jewish people live.   

Year 2 

In their Term 5 and 6 topic ‘Who is Muslim and what do they believe?’  your child will be exploring some simple ideas about Muslim beliefs about God, making links with some of the 99 Names of Allah and that Muslims believe in God (Allah) and follow the example of the Prophet Muhammad.   They will be able to re-tell a story about the life of the Prophet Muhammad and recognise some objects used by Muslims and suggest why they are important.  They will be encouraged to make links between what the Holy Qur’an says and how Muslims behave as well as identifying some ways Muslims pray, worship and celebrate.  

They will also be able to identify some ways Muslims mark Ramadan and celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr and how this might make them feel.  

They will be encouraged to ask some questions about God that are hard to answer and offer some ideas of their own and find out about and respond with ideas to examples of cooperation between people who are different.  

Year 3 

In the topic ‘Sikhi – How do Sikh people worship and celebrate?’  your child will learn how Sikhs can worship at any time or day, at home or in the Gurdwara and what the expectations are for prayer, meditation and reciting the holy scriptures.  They will hear how the Gurdwara is a place that is welcome and open to everyone and is known as the ‘doorway to the house of God’ and how all Sikhs are encouraged by their Guru (Guru Granth Sahib) to perform Seva or Selfless Service.  They will also find out about the biggest and most important Sikh festival, Vaisakhi. 

Year 4 

In the topic ‘Journeys - Why do some people think that life is a journey? What significant experiences mark this?’ your child will discuss how some people see life as a journey and identify some of the key milestones on this journey.   They will describe what happens in Christian, Jewish, Hindu and Humanist ceremonies of commitment and say what these rituals mean, looking at similarities and differences. They will be encouraged to make links between believers’ ideas about community, belonging and belief. They will also discuss and present their own ideas about the value and challenge of religious and nonreligious commitment in Britain today.  

Year 5 

In the topic ‘What do Muslim people believe about the way they should live their lives and why?’  Your child will be building on their earlier learning about Muslim beliefs about God, making some links with some of the 99 Names of Allah.  They will re-tell some stories about the life of the Prophet Muhammad and recognise what they might say about him and Identify some ways in which Muslim people practice their beliefs in relation to the five pillars of Islam and analyse their importance within the Muslim faith.  They will be taught to recognise some objects and places used by Muslim people and evaluate why they are important and find out about and respond with their own ideas to examples of different beliefs, prayer, generosity and worship.  They will also consider how the mosque is an important place of prayer, learning and meeting for the Muslim community. 

Year 6 

In the topic ‘Kingdom of God – What kind of a king is Jesus?’ your child will review how Jesus told many parables about the Kingdom of God and that these suggest that God’s rule has begun, through the life, teaching and example of Jesus, and subsequently through the lives of Christians who live in obedience to God.   They will discuss how and why many Christians try to extend the Kingdom of God by challenging unjust social structures in their locality and in the world.