Religious Education

Intent

The Religious Education (RE) curriculum at Liberty Primary School plays a fundamental role in shaping our school's spiritual, moral, cultural, and social education. RE stands as a cornerstone for fostering critical-thinking skills, nurturing British Values, and promoting inclusivity in conjunction with our PSHE curriculum. It empowers students to question, explore, and cultivate ideas, facilitating a deeper understanding of their own identity and that of others. Our RE curriculum is designed to nurture the holistic development of every child, empowering them to thrive as active, compassionate citizens who comprehend the diverse landscape of religion and non-religion globally. It makes a significant contribution to pupils’ academic and personal development in promoting social cohesion and the virtues of respect and empathy, both of which are important in our diverse society and have links with our school Vision and Values.

All religions and their communities are treated with respect and sensitivity and we value the links, which are and can be made between home, school, and a faith community. We promote teaching in Religious Education that stresses open enquiry and first-hand experiences wherever possible. Every year group is given opportunities to visit a place of worship.

Our curriculum aims to: 

• Offer distinctive learning experiences that incorporate religious artefacts and visits when suitable. 
• Embrace non-religious perspectives, ensuring all children, regardless of religious background, can relate to their learning. 
• Encourage critical examination of religious and world views, fostering an environment where perspectives are challenged. 
• Equip children with both the essential skills for RE learning and the relevant knowledge. 

Implementation

The teaching of RE aligns with the recommendations outlined in the Merton Agreed Syllabus (2016) established by the Merton Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE). SACRE holds a statutory responsibility to advise the local authority on the provision of religious education in accordance with an agreed syllabus, as well as to facilitate the effective delivery of collective worship. 

Through careful and considered planning, we:

• Make the material relevant
• Involve pupils in the learning
• Introduce the real face of religion in the form of visits and visitors
• Plan dialogical RE by introducing discussion points through debates
• Use different resources such as art, videos, artefacts

Impact

At Liberty Primary school, the RE curriculum enables the children not only to learn about religion (AT1) but also to learn through religion (AT2). This involves exploring our own spirituality, reflecting on feelings, and exploring personal responses to the lesson. Children are provided with a safe space to explore their own religious ways of seeing and believing, and there are numerous opportunities for every child to flourish.

Through our RE curriculum, we aim to help children realise the importance of belonging to a family and to groups within the wider community. Consequently, children will realise that belonging means caring for and showing respect for each other, but also taking on responsibility for those less fortunate than themselves. Children will be able to reflect on, express, analyse and evaluate beliefs, values and practices and be able to communicate their own personal responses.

How parents can help

We ask for parents to encourage their children to respect the beliefs and teachings from religions that differ from their own. Our aim is to educate and inform children of the different religions within our community, not to ask children to follow these religions.

While parents have a statutory entitlement to withdraw their children from Religious Education (RE) and assemblies, we advocate for open communication and dialogue regarding any concerns that may arise. We firmly believe in the inherent benefits of RE as an integral component of a broad, balanced, and inclusive curriculum. Therefore, we require parents considering such a decision to engage in conversation with the school, allowing us the opportunity to address any apprehensions and provide clarity before reaching a conclusion. 

The SACRE (Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education) syllabus for Y1-6 is attached below, as is the curriculum road map. 

Mrs McColgan is the Subject Leader for RE.