RE and PSHE
At Cleves, we are proud that our children recognise that RE gives them the opportunity to learn about the faith and beliefs of others which they believe, ‘..It’s important because in the future we might meet different people...’ (Pupil voice, 2019). It is also key in developing an enquiring mind, critical thinking and key values and skills.
RE is a core part of our pupils’ Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural development and supports the British Values of :
- Individual liberty
- Mutual respect.
- Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs.
A key part of our teaching is the emphasis on ‘ROCK’ (Respect, Openness, Confidential, Kind) Rules so children know they can enjoy the freedom to explore, reflect, challenge and discuss topics. The emphasis on respect means children can be open as they learn how to clearly articulate their personal experiences, values, beliefs and values. Children understand they can safely ask questions and develop their understanding to satisfy their natural curiosity of others around them. The emphasis on openness also allows for the opportunity to address misconceptions and supports children in developing a good understanding of values.
Our Religious Education (RE) curriculum is based on the Surrey SACRE. The topics are planned to allow progression in understanding and skills, and developed to reflect the diverse multicultural back-ground of our families and plans are reviewed and adapted to allow for the keen interest of our children to, ‘..learn more about other religions...’ (Pupil voice, 2019).
In RE, children learn about and from Christianity often with support from members of our local church (St Mary’s) who help Year 3 with their unit about important celebrations and Year 4 with their study of worship in different churches. Christianity is taught progressively throughout the school and, where appropriate, the different beliefs of other religions are included in the Christian topic.
In Year 4, Hinduism is taught as part of the geography topic of India while Sikhism now forms part of the Lower School curriculum as it allows some of our children the space to proudly share their beliefs and customs and helps our community to learn from the faiths and beliefs of those around us.
In Year 5, our children have the chance to discover more about Islam (continuing from KS1) and in the summer they are introduced to Buddhism which allows children to engage in more philosophical discussions as the topic provokes challenging questions about the meaning and purpose in life. Different denominations are taught as part of the Tudor topic and children learn to recognise the influence of beliefs, values and traditions on the individual, on culture and on communities throughout the world.
In Year 6, the non-religious views of Humanism are introduced as part of the “Golden Rule” topic and further aspects of Judaism (introduced in KS1) are taught and supported by a visit to our local synagogue. The more provoking and critical thinking topic of ‘Wisdom’ is also included in the Year 6 RE curriculum.
We believe, through the teaching of RE, our children are better equipped for many of the questions and topics which arise in a fast moving multicultural society. Children are encouraged to make reasoned, informed and creative responses to religious and moral issues. It also supports our children in developing a sense of identity and belonging which hopefully enables them to flourish individually within their communities and as they move on into the wider society.