Religious Education
What is Religious Education?
Religious education allows opportunities to understand how others view existence and purpose whilst learning about diverse beliefs, celebrations and identities. It develops critical thinking skills as well as promoting discussion, debate and tolerance.
By the study of different religions, we find that in essence they are one.
Religious Education at Leagrave Primary School is taught in accordance with the Agreed Syllabus for Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Luton: Identities, meanings, values, with a balance of multi, and non-denominational topics studied from Early Years to Year Six. As it states, the purpose of Religious Education is
‘to explore what people believe and what difference this makes to how they live, so that pupils can gain the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to handle questions raised by religion and belief, reflecting on their own ideas and ways of living.’ (Agreed Syllabus 2018)
The way in which the curriculum is structured ensures that pupils develop the skills to
- Make sense of a range of religious and non-religious beliefs, identifying key beliefs and concepts
- Understand the significance of religious and non-religious beliefs, recognising how people put their beliefs into action
- Make connections between religious and non-religious beliefs, encouraging reflection, enquiry and the ability to challenge their own thinking.
From the very earliest years through to Year Six, children are challenged with key questions from the syllabus such as ‘What do Christians believe God is like?’ (Year One) and ‘How is faith expressed in Islam?’ (Year Five), questions which reflect the diverse nature of the local community and allow children to reflect and share their own experiences. In the Early Years, children follow a broadly Christian based curriculum but also encounter a number of other faiths whilst celebrating special times and exploring their personal identities and community.
During Key Stage One, children study aspects of Christianity and at least one other religion, currently Islam, in greater depth, exploring stories, places of worship and special people. The curriculum broadens throughout Key Stage Two, and the questions asked become increasingly complex as children further understand the local and global context of what they are studying.
Our ‘Symbols of Faith’ week is a well established and popular annual event involving the whole school. It is usually held in the Spring Term, and gives opportunities to share our learning with parents and with other year groups, providing memorable experiences and ensuring that children cement their knowledge of major world religions as well as non-religious world views as they progress through the school.
Visits to local places of worship, and visitors from different communities embed learning through first hand experiences, and assemblies celebrate key festivals.