Religious Education
Religious Education
In Church of England schools, where pupils and staff come from all faiths and none, religious education (RE) is a highly valued academic subject that enables understanding of how religion and beliefs affect our lives. At the heart of RE in church schools is the teaching of Christianity and pupils also learn about other faiths and world views.
At Richard Hill C of E Primary school Religious Education is taught using the Leicestershire Agreed Syllabus and the Understanding Christianity scheme of work.
In line with guidance, 50% of all RE teaching is about Christianity with lessons being taught, in the main, using the lesson outlines found in the Understanding Christianity scheme of work. For the other 50% of RE lessons, the children are taught about Judaism, Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism and Sikhism along with learning about those who hold a different World View rather than follow a particular religion.
In EYFS and Key Stage 1, the children have a weekly 45 minute lesson of RE. In KS2 the children in Years 3 – 6 take part in weekly 1 – 1 ½ hour lesson of RE. In these sessions, the children are taught using a range of activities which encourage learning through different learning styles. Teachers use drama, art, craft, music, film, internet, religious artefacts, visits to places of worship, visits from members of faith communities, as well as small group and whole class discussion time.
At Richard Hill we believe that RE is fundamental to understanding, appreciating and responding to the world in which we live. It is therefore a subject that will be essential to pupils beyond their school life as they navigate their own lives and encounter ways of life and beliefs that are different from their own. Additionally, it is particularly vital when considering the needs of our pupils in the context of their local community. Leicester is a vibrant multi-cultural city and it is important to us that our pupils are aware of this and have an appreciation and respect for the diversity of their local area. It is also necessary to acknowledge that some of our pupils will have had less experience of the diversity that their community has to offer. Therefore, RE becomes a very special opportunity to create this link and begin the journey towards broadening their cultural experiences.
The children are encouraged to develop their questioning skills and to explore, with others, their own and other people’s views about life and spirituality. They are taught the importance of listening to and respecting the views other people hold. The children are also encouraged to share their opinions and beliefs with others too.
The Teaching of RE
The Leicestershire Local Authority released a new RE syllabus for schools to follow from 2021 -2025. This has been used to design our long term plan for this year. Both documents can be accessed below.