Religious Education
Religious education is relevant for all children regardless of their own faith or beliefs. Living in and growing up in the 21st century will challenge all young people. It will raise questions of spirituality and identity as well as questions around morality, discrimination and prejudice.
At Robert Blair Primary School, we believe that it is important for all of our pupils to learn from and about religion, so that they can understand the world around them.
Religious education provides a positive context within which the diversity of cultures, beliefs and values can be celebrated and explored. In our society today, religion and beliefs have become more visible in public life. Religious education allows us particular opportunities to promote an ethos of respect for others, challenge stereotypes and build an understanding of other cultures and beliefs.
This contributes to a positive and inclusive school ethos which champions democratic values and human rights. It provokes big questions about life; to explore their own beliefs and that of others and what difference this makes to how they live, so that pupils can make sense of religion, reflecting on their own ideas and ways of living.’
Religious Education plays an important role, along with all other curriculum areas, particularly PSHCE, in promoting social awareness and understanding in our children. We encourage our pupils to ask questions about the world and to reflect on their own beliefs, values and experiences. We include and promote British values, ensuring that children are aware of their rights and responsibilities as UK citizens. Our curriculum is designed to encourage creativity, imagination, enquiry, debate, discussion and independence.
At Robert Blair Primary School, we use the London Borough of Islington Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education (2017-2022).
The syllabus agrees that all children living in the London Borough of Islington should be given an equal opportunity to:
- Learn about beliefs and values of individuals, families and communities who live in Great Britain.
- Learn about Christianity; it has been of central importance to the history of our country and is one of the many stands involved in shaping it’s future.
- Learn about other religions as well as non-theistic ethical life stances.
- Explore, develop and share, through the study of the syllabus their own responses to the fundamental questions of life
Religious education in England is multi faith. Children will learn principally about Christianity but also about Judaism, Hinduism, Islam and they will be given the opportunity to learn about people of all faiths as well as people of no faith.
The syllabus is in three strands: believing (looking at beliefs, teachings, sources, and purpose), expressing (religious and spiritual forms of expression, questions about identity and diversity), and living (practices and ways of living, questions and values and commitments).
Children will also learn about additional religions that are represented in the UK, for example Buddhism and Humanism – as well as Atheism.
Thus, this syllabus will equip both our children with the tools and skills to learn, examine and come to understand ideas and practices that shape their lives and that of their families, friends and colleagues.
Impact
Our children when they leave us will:
- Be able to make links between their own lives and those of others in their community and in the wider world,
- Reflect critically on the core concepts, making connections between stories and considering implications within their own and other’s lives and cultures.
- Have developed a deep and broad understanding about world faiths, views and beliefs.
- Express ideas through holding balanced and informed conversations about religious and spiritual world views and beliefs.
- Be able to engage with challenging key questions
- Demonstrate an appreciation of different communities,
- Be able disagree respectfully and to be thoughtful and respectful about their responses,
- Demonstrate a respect for their own and others religious, spiritual and ethical beliefs
- Be able to make reasoned and informed judgements about religious and moral issues