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Religious Education

At Stephen Freeman School, we intend that Religious Education will:

  • Adopt an enquiry- based approach, beginning with the children’s own life experience before moving into learning about and from religion.
  • Provoke challenging questions about the meaning and purpose of life, beliefs, the self, and issues of right and wrong, commitment and belonging.
  • Develop pupils’ knowledge and understanding of Christianity, other principal religions, and religious traditions that examine these questions, fostering personal reflection and spiritual development.
  • Encourage pupils to explore their own beliefs (religious or non-religious), in light of what they learn, as they examine issues of religious belief and faith and how these impact on personal, institutional and social ethics; and to express their responses.
  • Enable pupils to build their sense of identity and belonging, which helps them flourish within their communities and as citizens in a diverse society.
  • Teach pupils to develop respect for others, including people with different faiths and beliefs, and help to challenge prejudice.
  • Prompt pupils to consider their responsibilities to themselves and to others, and to explore how they might contribute to their communities and to wider society.
  • Encourage empathy, generosity and compassion.
  • Develop a sense of awe, wonder and mystery.
  • Nurture children’s own spiritual development.

The R.E. curriculum at Stephen Freeman brings together learning about and from religion, questioning and spiritual development in a comprehensive scheme of learning.

Background information

British Values

Discovery R.E. helps promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.

Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural

Discovery RE actively promotes children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) development.  https://discoveryschemeofwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Discovery-and-SMSC.pdf  for a  summary of where SMSC opportunities which exist with Discovery.

Statutory Religious Education Requirements

All maintained schools have a statutory duty to teach R.E. Academies and free schools are contractually required through the terms of their funding agreement to make provision for the teaching of RE. Discovery RE is fully compliant with the DfE Statutory Requirements. Click here for more information: https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/sites/default/files/file/our-work-schools/TheAgreedSyllabus2015-2020.pdf  for a document outlining the teaching of R.E.

Teaching

Discovery is implemented throughout the whole school during weekly whole class Discovery lessons focusing on different topics each term and is embedded through all lessons and the whole school day with everyone supporting and encouraging the children they interact with to use the skills they are developing and to make links to other areas of learning.

Right to Withdrawal

Pupils may be withdrawn from all or part of R.E by a parent or guardian in accordance with Schedule 19 to the School Standards and Framework Act 1998; teachers can also exercise their right to withdraw from teaching the subject.  

Parents have the right to withdraw their children from RE on the grounds that they wish to provide their own RE. This provision will be the parents’ responsibility. This right of withdrawal exists for all pupils in all types of school, including schools with and without a religious designation. Students aged 18 or over have the right to withdraw themselves from RE. Parents also have the right to withdraw their child from part of RE and can do so without giving any explanation. Teachers also have the right to withdraw from the teaching of RE. However, this does not apply to teachers who have been specifically employed to teach or lead RE. If a teacher wishes to withdraw from the teaching of RE, a letter requesting this must be submitted to the head of the school and its chair of governors. If a teacher withdraws from the teaching of RE, the school must still make provisions for the pupils to receive their entitlement to RE.  

When a request to withdraw is received by a school, the request should be granted without delay. The school may offer to speak with the parent to try to understand the basis for the withdrawal but only after the request has been granted. The school must make clear that the parent’s right to withdraw their child has been granted and that parents are not required to give reasons for their request. 

Click here to see the long term knowledge and skills progression in RE.