Statement of Entitlement

Board of Education / National Society Council

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION IN CHURCH OF ENGLAND SCHOOLS

 

A Statement of Entitlement

A high quality RE curriculum is essential to meet the statutory requirement for all maintained schools to teach a broad and balanced curriculum. At the heart of RE in church schools is the teaching of Christianity, rooted in the person and work of Jesus Christ. There is a clear expectation that as inclusive communities, church schools encourage learning about other religions and world views fostering respect for them. Although there is not a National Curriculum for RE, all maintained schools have a statutory duty to teach it. This is equally applicable to academies. RE must be taught according to the Locally Agreed Syllabus (Rochester)

 

In Church of England schools the students and their families can expect a religious education curriculum that is rich and varied, enabling learners to acquire a thorough knowledge and understanding of the Christian faith.

RE must have a very high profile within the church school curriculum and learning activities should provide fully for the needs of all learners. Attainment should be high and progress significant in developing an understanding of Christianity and a broad range of religions and world views.

Links with the Christian values of the school and SMSC development are intrinsic to the RE curriculum and should have a significant impact on learners.

Learners should be inspired by the subject.

 

Religious Education

The aims of Religious Education in church schools are

 

To enable pupils to encounter Christianity as the religion that shaped British culture and heritage and influences the lives of millions of people today

 

To enable pupils to learn about the other major religions, their impact on culture and politics, art and history, and on the lives of their adherents

 

To develop understanding of religious faith as the search for and expression of truth

 

To contribute to the development of pupils’ own spiritual / philosophical convictions, exploring and enriching their own faith and beliefs

 

Appropriate to age - The outcomes for pupils at the end of their education in church schools are that they are able to

 

Think theologically and explore ultimate questions

 

Reflect critically on the truth claims of Christian belief

 

Develop the skills to analyse, interpret and apply the Bible text

 

Recognise that faith is a particular way of understanding and responding to God and the world

 

Analyse and explain the varied nature and traditions of the Christian community

 

Make a well informed response to Christianity

 

Respect those of all faiths in their search for God

 

Reflect critically on areas of shared belief and practice between different faiths

 

Enrich and expand their understanding of truth + reflect critically and express their views

 

Teaching and Learning about Christianity + other faiths and world views

 Christianity should be the majority study in RE in every school. In church schools that should   be clearly adhered to. Understanding Christianity as a living religion is the foundation of pupils’ Religious Education in schools. It is important that this draws on the richness and diversity of Christian experience in the breadth of its Anglican and other denominational forms, and in the variety of worldwide forms. The encounter must be an open one which stems from and instils respect for different views and interpretations and in which real dialogue and education takes place. Pupils will be enabled to deepen their understanding of God as encountered and taught by Christians.

Church schools have a duty to foster an accurate and increasing understanding of world religions and world views. As a result, pupils will gain greater insight into the world in which they are growing up. They will also be able to appreciate the faith of others and develop a deeper understanding of their own beliefs and practices. These outcomes must contribute to harmonious relationships within and between communities, promoting social inclusion and combating prejudice.

 

Curriculum balance

  Christianity will form the majority study in all church schools

  KS 1 – 3 at least 2/3 Christianity

 

Curriculum time

Sufficient dedicated curriculum time, meeting explicitly RE objectives, however organised, should be committed to RE. Normally this should be between 5% and 10%.

Staffing

 It should be a priority in church schools to build up staff expertise in RE.

 

At least one member of staff should have specialist RE qualifications

 

All teachers teaching RE to have appropriate professional development

 

RE to have equal status with other core subjects in staffing, responsibility and resourcing

 

Outcomes for pupils

Pupil achievement in RE should equal or be better than comparable subjects.