Religious Education

I hold that it is the duty of every cultured man or woman to read sympathetically the scriptures of the world.

Mahatma Ghandi, Indian lawyer

Intent

Religious Education promotes pupils’ understanding of the multicultural and multi-faith society we live in today. It enables them to explore issues of belief, interfaith relationships, and the diverse worldviews people hold. After learning about various faiths, as well as belief and non-belief systems, pupils are encouraged to consider how we can interact harmoniously and explore the connections between different groups in contemporary society.

At Forestdale, our Religious Education curriculum follows the syllabus provided by the local authority. This syllabus focuses on seven central worldviews: Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, Sikhism, Buddhism, and Humanism. It aims to:

1.Enable pupils to understand and reflect upon the religious and spiritual beliefs, practices, insights, and experiences that contribute to humanity’s search for meaning in life. 2.Provide opportunities for pupils to explore and express their own responses and personal beliefs.

The key religions studied at each stage are as follows:

•Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS): An introduction to religion and world beliefs

•Key Stage 1 (KS1): Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, and Humanism

•Key Stage 2 (KS2): Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism, and Humanism