Religious Education
Religious Education (RE) is part of all pupils' entitlement under the Education Act 1996, to receive a broad and balanced curriculum which, “Promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of the pupils at the school and of society and prepares pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities of life”.
Purpose of Study
At St. Paul's CE of Primary School, we believe that children, whatever their background ability or religious persuasion will find themselves able to benefit from the experiences of Religious Education. RE must be relevant to the needs of our pupils as members of a multicultural society. This means providing opportunities for pupils to understand the motivation of themselves and others. We believe that RE encourages a reflective approach to living; a knowledge and understanding of religious beliefs and practices and a development of personal skills in forming reasoned opinions based on evidence and argument.
RE makes a strong contribution to the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of our pupils. We believe RE forms a distinctive element in the curriculum whilst helping to foster the total development of the pupil. It provides pupils with an awareness of the basis on which much of our culture has developed. RE is a preparation for life. The ethos of the school has a profound effect on the pupils and influences each aspect of the educational process. We hope to provide an atmosphere where religion and a spiritual life is a genuine and important dimension of human life and so foster the achievement of the more specific aim of promoting a tolerant understanding of the religious beliefs of others and to provide opportunities to reflect upon and grow in understanding of their own faith.
We have close links with the parish church of St. Paul's, and hold Harvest, Easter, Christmas and other services in the church. Reverend Hartley visits school regularly for our whole school worship, which is delivered based on the four pillars of: Wisdom, Knowledge & Skills, Hope & Aspiration, Dignity & Respect and Community & Living Well Together.
Aims and Objectives
The aims of RE are:
- To be aware of and respond to life experiences and the questions they raise;
- To know and understand religious beliefs and practices;
To evaluate the significance of religious concepts, beliefs and practices by being able to express personal opinions based on the use of appropriate evidence and argument.
At St. Paul's, we aim to encourage children to develop a reflective and caring approach to life through developing the children’s knowledge and understanding of the life of Jesus.
We aim to:
- Provide an education based on the principles of the Established Church;
- Promote spiritual, moral, cultural, and mental development;
- Provide knowledge with which understanding and awareness can be fostered;
- Reflect on the impact of religion on the way people live;
- Learn about the major religions as specified in the Bolton Agreed syllabus;
- Produce children who have an understanding, care and concern for people of all faiths;
- Encourage children to respect Christianity and other principle religions in this country and show respect to those holding different beliefs.