Subject lead: Mrs Law

At Lindale CE Primary School our vision provides the foundation for our whole curriculum, nurturing and encouraging our pupils to flourish in all areas of life. We strive to promote the Christian values of kindness, peace, perseverence, trust and respect for all.  

Through our teaching of Religious Education children learn to value themselves and others, celebrate diversity and gain an understanding of the influence of religion and beliefs locally and globally.  RE also emphasises care for God’s world and our responsibility in sustainable development of the earth.

We follow the Cumbria Agreed Syllabus for RE and base our teaching units on the Diocesesan units of work, Questful RE and ‘Understanding Christianity’.  At least 5% of curriculum time, approximately an hour a week, is devoted to RE.  Christianity plays a central role, taking up around three quarters of the time available, we also teach about other faiths (in particular Islam and Hinduism).  The Religious Education curriculum maintains a balanced approach of Learning about Religion and Learning from Religion.

According to the Cumbria Agreed Syllabus the aims of RE are to enable young people to be:

Enquiring: that pupils develop curiosity about life, willing to enquire into questions of ultimate meaning and worth and the concepts by which religions, beliefs and values seek to address challenging questions.

Informed: that pupils develop the skills and attitudes that enable them to be well-informed about the religious and nonreligious responses to the big questions of life and how these are expressed through practice. This includes both knowing and understanding beliefs and values including the concepts through which these are expressed. 

Reflective: that pupils develop the ability to reflect on and express their own views while thinking about other people’s beliefs and values. Pupils are able to think and question, to consider, analyse, and evaluate issues of truth, belief, faith and ethics and to express their responses. They learn from as well as about religion. They reflect upon beliefs and values as part of their own spiritual development.

Expressive: that pupils develop the confidence and ability to express respectfully their knowledge, understanding and views. They are able to participate in their own learning by expressing the questions and concepts they wish to explore.

What contribution does RE make to learning across the curriculum?

RE provides opportunities for all pupils to learn and achieve.  RE is a stimulating, interesting and enjoyable subject which encourages pupils to learn, enquire and evaluate what religions have to say about the fundamental questions of life.

RE promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development (SMSC) and prepares pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of life RE seeks to develop pupils’ awareness of themselves.

RE has an important role in preparing pupils for adult life and lifelong learning. It assists them to flourish individually within their communities and as citizens in a diverse society and global community.

It enables pupils to appreciate their own and others’ beliefs and their impact on individuals and societies.

Pupils are encouraged to reflect on their own self-worth and uniqueness as human beings.

RE plays a key role in the promotion of spiritual, moral, social and cultural development in schools. RE contributes to the spiritual development of pupils by:

• exploring powerful questions of meaning and truth;

• understanding the importance of feelings, emotions and experiences in religious belief and practice;

• considering the value, purpose and dignity of human beings;

• considering how religions and beliefs express key ideas and experiences;

• reflecting on who and what matters in life.

RE contributes to the moral development of pupils by:

• reflecting on key values and ethics within religions and beliefs;

• considering influences on moral choices and ethical decision making;

• reflecting on what is of ultimate value;

• developing a sense of conscience and responsibility.

RE contributes to the social development of pupils by:

• studying a range of social issues and communicating their findings and ideas;

• reflecting on how religions and beliefs lead to particular actions and concerns.