At Streatham Wells Primary we believe our RE curriculum should reflect the rich and diverse community here in Lambeth, in London, across the UK and across the world. We aim for children to gain an insight and understanding of religious beliefs and practices through enquiry-based learning, and by doing so to learn about the nature of religion and the values by which we live our lives.  Religious Education should contribute educationally, spiritually and morally to the development of each child.

R.E. should:

• help children to develop a positive and understanding attitude towards each other, respecting each person’s right to hold different beliefs and values from their own

• engender sensitivity to and appreciation of all faiths and beliefs represented in the school and the local community

• enable children to develop a sense of worth

• encourage and enable each child to reflect on his or her own life experiences and the questions which these raise

• foster feelings of awe, wonder, delight and mystery and reflect upon the beauty of the natural world we live in

• use a child-centred approach with cross-curricular links which enables children to grow in understanding from their own starting points and promote appreciation of others views
• consider the values by which we choose to live our lives

• ensure that the environment within the school is such that each child feels secure, cared for and confident to share their opinions and beliefs

• help children consider their personal response to moral issues and the implication of these

• teach children the fundamental principles of the faiths studied

Agreed Approaches

We follow the framework of Discovery RE which reflects the multi-faith nature of society whilst giving due regard to the position and influence of Christian traditions.  Discovery RE is a set of detailed medium-term plans for RE from Years F1/2 to Year 6. It adopts an enquiry- based approach to teaching and learning that allow children to discuss and consider the diversity of faiths represented within the school and community, contrasting and comparing them and reflecting upon moral values.  The faiths which we study are:

• Buddhism

• Christianity

• Hinduism

• Islam

• Judaism

• Sikhism

Children will be taught about the religions (AT1) and learn from the religions (AT2).   R.E. should contribute to pupils’ spiritual growth through the development of skills, processes and attitudes.  The following skills are central to R.E and should be reflected in attainment targets and in learning opportunities:

1. Investigation
2. Interpretation
3. Reflection
4. Empathy
5. Evaluation
6. Analysis
7. Application
8. Expression

Attitudes such as respect, care and concern should be promoted through all areas of school life.  When teaching R.E. we should include the following attitudes that are fundamental to the subject:

·       commitment

·       fairness

·       respect

RE does not only serve the SMSC (Spiritual, Moral, Social, Cultural) and British values agenda but also contributes significantly to literacy skills as well as linking easily to many areas of the national curriculum, including Drama, Art, P.S.H.E, History and Geography. Computing is an integral part of our teaching and learning and will be used to support and extend children’s skills and understanding in R.E.