Teaching Religious Education

We believe at this school that RE both supports and strengthens what we aim to do in every aspect of school life. Our caring ethos and the value which we place on the development of the whole child; spiritually, morally, socially, culturally and intellectually is reflected in the RE curriculum.

Specifically, the teaching of RE at Ruswarp aims to enable pupils of whatever ability and level of development to:

• acquire and develop knowledge and understanding of principal world faiths practised in Great Britain. These include Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Sikhism, each of which is represented in North Yorkshire;

• develop an understanding of the influence of beliefs, values and traditions on individuals, communities, societies and cultures, including the local community;

• develop the ability to make reasoned and informed judgements about religious and moral issues with reference to the teachings of the principal religions;

• enhance their own spiritual, moral, social and cultural development by:

a. developing awareness of the fundamental questions of life arising from human experiences, and how religious beliefs and practices can relate to them;

b. responding to the fundamental questions of life in the light of

their experience and with reference to religious beliefs and practices;

c. reflecting on their own beliefs, values and experiences in the

light of their study;

d. expressing their own personal viewpoints in a thoughtful,

reasoned and considerate way;

• recognise the right of people to hold different beliefs within an ethnically and socially diverse society.

Religious Education provokes challenging questions about the ultimate meaning and purpose of life, beliefs about God, the self and the nature of reality, issues of right and wrong and what it means to be human. It challenges pupils to reflect on, consider, analyse, interpret and evaluate issues of truth, belief, faith and ethics and to communicate their responses.

We hope that the teaching of Religious Education at Ruswarp Church of England Primary School will encourage all learners to reflect on their own beliefs and values and to acknowledge that others hold beliefs different from their own.

Understanding Christianity

We have actively chosen to use this substantial resource that supports the teaching of Christianity in Religious Education.

The key purpose of this project is to help all teachers support pupils in developing their own thinking and their understanding of Christianity, as a contribution to their understanding of the world and their own experience within it.

'We aim to see pupils leave school with a coherent understanding of Christian belief and practice. Pupils from 4-14 explore the significant theological concepts within Christianity as part of developing their wider religious, theological and cultural literacy.

We seek to support teachers in developing their own knowledge and understanding of Christianity theology to be able to teach with confidence.'

https://www.understandingchristianity.org.uk/