Religious Education
‘I am thankful I can see so much to admire in all religions’
Alfred Russell Wallace (Scientist)
As a Church of England School, Religious Education (RE) is central to the understanding of education and mission that we have at Milton St John’s. Jesus said; ‘I have come that you may have life in all its fullness’ (John 10:10). He calls us to a full life in mind, body and spirit and we believe that RE at Milton St John’s contributes to this 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.
Theologians at Milton St John’s will:
- Describe, explain and analyse beliefs and practices, recognising the diversity that exists between them.
- Identify, investigate and respond to questions.
- Appreciate and appraise the nature and significance of different ways of life and ways of expressing meaning.
- Explain how their ideas how beliefs, practices and forms of expression influence individuals and communities.
- Critically respond to questions about identity, diversity, meaning and values.
- Appreciate and appraise the varied dimensions of religion.
- Investigate key concepts of belonging, meaning, purpose and truth.
- Enquire what enables different individuals and communities to live together respectfully.
- Articulate beliefs, values and commitments clearly to explain why they might be important in their own and other peoples lives.
Our curriculum drivers underpin all we do and are an essential part of our learning. The drivers help our children to ‘RISE’ up and play a vital role in their community; locally, nationally and globally. They are listed below:
- Respect for the opinions and beliefs of others
- Independence & Resilience
- Spirituality
- Engagement & Curiosity
Implementation
We follow our Local Authority agreed syllabus for Religious Education. The syllabus is based around a key question approach, where the question ‘opens up’ the topic to be studied. The key questions are split across three strands as follows;
Believing – incorporating Religious beliefs, teachings, sources, questions about meaning, purpose and truth
Expressing - incorporating Religious and spiritual forms of expression; questions about identity and diversity.
Living – Religious practices and ways of living; questions about values and commitments
Pupils learn about Christianity in each Key Stage, in addition pupils will learn about principal religions represented in the UK. When choosing the additional religions to be studied we have taken into consideration of the demographics of our local area, these religions will be Islam, Hinduism and Judaism, with the focus being on Islam.
Each year group studies one Key Question from each of the three strands through the year. Each strand builds upon another so children develop a depth of knowledge as they progress through school.
EYFS
Children in EYFS encounter religions and worldviews through special people, books, times, places, objects and by visiting places of worship. They listen to and talk about stories. Through stories they are introduced to subject specific vocabulary and use all their senses to explore beliefs, practices and forms of expression. They are encouraged to ask questions and reflect on their own feelings and experiences.
Impact
Children at Milton St John’s ask challenging questions about human life, beliefs, communities and ideas. They have a depth of knowledge about different religions and different ways of life in local, national and global contexts. They can weigh up for themselves the value of wisdom from different communities and can disagree respectfully. they are reasonable in their responses to religions and world views and respond by expressing insights into their own and others lives.
