Belvedere Infant School

Religious Education

Curriculum

At Belvedere Infant School we follow the Bexley Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education.

The study units are organised into three strands, ‘believing’, ‘expressing’ and ‘living’.  In EYFS the children learn about Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism and Islam.  The children learn about these religions through religious celebrations.  In Years One and Two the children learn about Christianity, Judaism and Islam.

Aims

The aim for religious education is:

• To bring learners into contact with and provoke challenging questions
• To provide a safe and secure setting in which learners can explore and develop their own beliefs and understanding of major religious and spiritual concepts and ideas
• To provide a supportive context that enables learners to develop and build a good sense of identity and belonging
• To enable learners to develop understanding, respect and empathy for others of different beliefs and practices and to be able to challenge and overcome prejudice
• To enable learners to consider, understand and live up to their responsibilities towards themselves, their families, society and a possible higher authority

Overview

Teaching RE is part of our duty to promote the spiritual, moral, social and cultural education of pupils, enabling pupils to appreciate the values and attitudes of different faith groups and the effects that these have on the community. Pupils are given an awareness, knowledge and understanding of the features, ideas and practices of the focused religions, encouraging sensitivity to the differences of faiths and fostering an atmosphere of acceptance, tolerance and goodwill to others in all aspects of life. An attitude of respect towards others and willingness to ask questions are, we believe, more important than a detailed knowledge of every practice

Religious Education (RE) enables children to investigate and reflect on some of the most fundamental questions asked by people. At Belvedere Infant School we develop the children’s knowledge and understanding of the major world faiths. We enable children to develop a sound knowledge not only of Christianity but also of other world religions, especially those that are the main faiths of children and staff within our school. Children reflect on what it means to have a faith and to develop their own spiritual knowledge and understanding. We help the children learn from religions as well as about religions. 

Our teaching and learning styles in RE enable children to build on their own experiences and extend their knowledge and understanding of religious traditions and to  develop an understanding and acceptance that we can have differing beliefs but still be able to live in harmony with others. We aim to invite people of different faiths or parents into school to talk to the children about special events / celebrations within their religion, as well as visit local places of worship.