Religion and Worldviews
Intent
Our aim is for our learners to develop their wider world understanding of who we are, why we are here and how we live and flourish together through cultivating their own thinking and understanding of Christianity and other faiths. Our pupils engage with a range of activities, religious treasures and key texts to gain a deep spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding of religion, working towards applying their knowledge academically to create thought-provoking, high quality outcomes. Spirituality, one of our curriculum drivers working towards creating courageous advocates, provides a thread through which our curriculum is founded, allowing our learners to explore the significant theological concepts within Christianity and other faiths as part of developing their wider theological and religious literacy through many connected subjects.
At Mangotsfield C of E Primary School, our pupils learn about the Christian faith and other world views through our agreed resources: ‘Understanding Christianity’ and the locally agreed syllabus. We know the importance of celebrating other faiths and cultures to ensure that all children develop an understanding, respect and tolerance of the multi-faith society we live in, promoting diversity and plurality.
Curriculum Documents
Right to Withdraw
We believe that Religious Education helps all children, irrespective of their own religious beliefs, understand the world around them and the communities within our school, our city and our world. The purpose of RE lessons is not to worship, but to study other religions so that learners can understand their beliefs and traditions. However the parent of a child at a community, foundation or voluntary controlled school may request that they be excused from all or part of the religious eduction provided including collective worship sessions.Parents who wish to withdraw their child from RE should be aware of its aims and what is covered in the RE curriculum and be given the opportunity to discuss this if they wish. It should be made clear whether the withdrawal is from the whole RE curriuclum or specific parts of it. Reasons for the withdrawal need not be offered.
Important - limitations to withrawal:
If learners are withdrawn from RE, schools have a duty to supervise them, though not to provide additional teaching. A pupil may be requested to work in another area of the school, such as the library or a break out area.
Whilst parents have a right to withdraw their child/ren from RE, they should note that learners may also encounter religious beliefs and wider aspects of faith in other areas of the curriculum from which there is no right of withdrawal.
On occassion, spontaneous questions about religious matters are raised by learners or issues relating to religion arise in other curriculum subjects such as history or PSHE. For example, schools promote community cohesion and help learners to understand ideas about identity and diversity, feelings and emotions within both religious and non-religious contexts.
Managing the Right of Withdrawal
Requests to withdraw a learner from RE will be made in writing by parents.
If learners are withdrawn from RE, schools have a duty to supervise them, though not to provide additional teaching or to incur extra cost. Learners will usually remain on the school premises where this is feasible and appropriate.
Where a request for withdrawal is made, the school must comply and excuse the learner until the request is recinded. Though not legally required, it is good practice for a headteacher to invite parents to discuss their written request.
(Section 71(3), School Standards and Frameworks Act 1998)
