Intent:

At Trinity St Mary’s our core underlining aim is to develop the children’s knowledge and understanding of Christianity and the other major world faiths. Children reflect on what it means to have a faith and to develop their own spiritual knowledge and understanding. We help the children learn from religions as well as about religions. Religious education contributes significantly to children and young people’s education in schools by provoking challenging questions about meaning and purpose in life, beliefs about God, ultimate reality, issues of right and wrong and what it means to be human. In RE they learn about and from religions and worldviews in local, national and global contexts, to discover, explore and consider different answers to these questions. Teaching therefore should equip pupils with systematic knowledge and understanding of a range of religions and worldviews, enabling them to develop their ideas, values and identities. It should develop in pupils an aptitude for dialogue so that they can participate positively in our society with its diverse religions and worldviews.

The aims of Religious Education are to help children to:
† Understand and be able to recognise the Christian Faith, the value and content of the Bible, the role a church plays in the community and recognise the Church of England’s values, traditions, structure and the impact of a spiritual life.
† Develop an understanding of what it means to be committed to a religious tradition.
† Develop an awareness of spiritual and moral issues in life experiences and respond to moral and ethical issues in light of their understanding and knowledge of their faith.
† Have respect for other peoples’ views and how that enables different individuals and communities to live together respectfully for the wellbeing of all.
† Enhance their cultural development and appreciation through the understanding of different faiths and cultures, particularly those reflected in the school community.
† Prepare for becoming adult citizens in a diverse world and so be able to promote respect for and empathy towards people of differing beliefs.

Implementation:
Trinity St Mary’s CE Primary School uses the Southwark Diocesan Board of Education’s Scheme of Work. This scheme is centred on two attainment areas, which are as follows:
AT1: A focus on the factually based, knowledge and understanding enriching element of RE.
AT2: A focus on encouraging pupils in the development of their capacity and skill to respond thoughtfully to and evaluate what they learn in their lessons.

We plan our Religious Education curriculum in accordance with the agreed scheme of work. We ensure that the topics studied in religious education build upon prior learning. We offer opportunities for children of all abilities to develop their skills and knowledge in each unit, and we ensure that the planned progression built into the scheme of work offers the children an increasing challenge as they move through the school.