A big part of our lessons is to promote enquiring minds: inviting children to ask questions as well as challenging and developing pupils through asking them thought-provoking questions; encouraging children to give reasoning for their thinking whilst accepting and valuing the ideas of others; gaining a deeper understanding of their own and others’ values and beliefs whilst developing critical thinking, self-belief and self-confidence. Children are taught about their own school and community as well as the wider world; thinking about personal values and to understand, appreciate and respect how people of different backgrounds or beliefs may share similar or different values to our own.
Through our teaching of RE, we hope to:
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Provoke 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.
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Develop pupils’ knowledge and understanding of Christianity, other principal religions and world views that offer answers to questions such as these.
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Enhance pupils’ awareness and understanding of religions and beliefs, teachings, practices and forms of expression, as well as of the influence of religion and beliefs on individuals, families, communities and cultures.
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Offer opportunities for personal reflection and spiritual development.
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Encourage pupils to learn from different religions, beliefs, values and traditions while exploring their own beliefs and questions of meaning.
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Challenge pupils to reflect on, consider, analyse, interpret and evaluate issues of truth, belief, faith and ethics and to communicate their responses.
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Encourage pupils to develop their sense of identity and belonging.
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Enable pupils to flourish individually within their communities and as citizens in a pluralistic society and global community.
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Enable pupils to develop respect for and sensitivity to others, in particular those whose faiths and beliefs are different from their own.
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Promote discernment and enables pupils to combat prejudice.