Religious Education is an integral part of the curriculum offered at St Paul's CofE Junior School, underpinned by our core value: we embrace difference and diversity. RE plays a vital part in the social, moral, spiritual and cultural development of our pupils, preparing them for their responsibilities and experiences of life in modern Britain. On their journey through St Paul’s, we aim to equip pupils with an understanding of the beliefs and traditions of the main world faiths.
Implementation
We follow an enquiry-based curriculum, using the Discovery RE scheme which links directly to the Pan-Berkshire Agreed Syllabus. Using this approach encourages pupils to ask questions about different beliefs, traditions and cultures. Through asking thought-provoking questions and engaging classes in discussion, children are encouraged to reflect upon their own personal spiritual development. Themes of Believing, Behaving and Belonging are integrated throughout RE planning. Across Key Stage 2, pupils learn about the beliefs and traditions of Christians, Hindus, Jews, Sikhs and Muslims, as well as other world views such as Humanism.
Impact
As well as influencing the social, moral, spiritual and cultural development of the children, our RE curriculum aims to develop an understanding of the British Values – democracy, rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs. Our curriculum enables children to become increasingly evaluative and critical thinkers, allowing them to be discerning about the many beliefs and attitudes they will encounter in their lives. Through discussion, children will develop confidence to share knowledge and express views.