RE (Religious Education) & Worldviews
Subject Leader: Ms J Birch
'Religious education in a Church school should enable every child to flourish and to live life in all its fullness.'
(John 10:10)
'It will help educate for dignity and respect encouraging all to live well together. Such an approach is offered through a commitment to generous hospitality, being true to our underpinning faith, but with a deep respect for the integrity of other religious traditions (and worldviews) and for the religious freedom of each person.'
The Church of England Education Office, Church of England Vision for Education: Deeply Christian, Serving the Common Good. 2016
Intent
At SAB we want our children to:
Know about and understand a range of worldviews, both religious and non-religious, recognising both similarities and differences.
Be familiar with possible answers to deep questions about self, others, the world and the possibility of a deity, drawn from a range of case studies from religion and worldviews.
Have the time and space to reflect upon their own personal worldview and the personal knowledge they bring to RE lessons, considering what they might learn from religion and worldviews encountered and how these, in turn, might shape their own worldview.
(Coventry & Warwickshire Locally Agreed Syllabus 2024-28 Pg8-9)
Implementation
We use the locally agreed SACRE syllabus and resources combined with Understanding Christianity as tools to teach our explicit Religious Education & Worldviews curriculum. Both resources, teacher knowledge and expertise, provide a balance of theology, philosophy, human/social sciences and history. The resources are used to create a spiral curriculum taught as a two -year rolling programme, ensuring the children revisit Christian themes, other faiths and worldviews, in order to build on previous knowledge of them.
Our vision, values (chosen by staff, parents, governors and local clergy), assemblies, Collective Worship and links with our local church, all strengthen and support our Christian ethos and Religious Education & Worldviews curriculum. The Religious Education & Worldviews curriculum is designed to be challenging, thought-provoking, dynamic and contextually relevant.
The ability to engage in meaningful, open and honest dialogue is a life skill and our curriculum is designed to encourage everyone to ask and answer questions (both teacher and child initiated), to discuss, debate, pause and reflect and respond to a variety of stimuli (quotations, text or story, art, film, music, artefacts, the natural world, visits to places of worship, visiting speakers, assemblies and so on). The children’s responses to a given stimulus may be written, drawn, musical or dramatic or simply silence, in wonder and awe.
Impact
Curriculum for L.I.F.E
L – Love of Learning
Children develop a deep understanding of core theological concepts within Christian belief and practice, as well as broader worldviews. They enjoy opportunities to reflect, evaluate, and explore different ways of understanding the world around them.
I – Inspired
Through a Religious Education & Worldviews curriculum that encourages questioning, discussion, and creativity, children are inspired to think critically and spiritually. For some, RE provides a sensitive, safe space to ask, doubt, and explore faith, belief, and practice in meaningful ways.
F – Flourished
Children flourish through opportunities for spiritual growth, reflection time, and creative responses, which strengthen both their mental health and their capacity to consider relationships with God, faith, or the wider world. They learn to apply the values, skills, and attitudes developed in RE to work and socialise respectfully alongside those of faith, different faiths, and no faith.
E – Enriched
Children are enriched by becoming religiously literate, able to articulate informed responses to the nature and impact of religions and worldviews today. They transfer key skills in reading, writing, numeracy, and creativity, while deepening their respect, empathy, and understanding of others.
Organisation & Sequencing
Enrichment
