Within RE at Greenmount we endeavour to help our pupils understand the power and meaning of belief and religion for individuals and communities in the United Kingdom and across the world. We are fortunate to be a school which is full of different religions, languages and fascinating cultures and our enquiry based RE lessons which follow the Leeds ‘Believing and Belonging Syllabus’ provides opportunities for pupils to ask questions, seek answers and develop ideas in a quest to discover more about their own identity and that of others.  We understand that a fundamental British value is “Tolerance” and believe that by teaching children about different faiths, other than their own, will aid them in developing into understanding, informed and tolerant adults in later life.

RE lessons offer a safe space for reflection, discussion, dialogue and debate. We do not promote religion or a particular religion: children learn about all major religions and that, importantly, some people choose to have no faith.

R.E. Long Term Plan

Intent.

Have respect and an open-mindedness towards other faiths and beliefs

Understand key beliefs of the prominent faiths to live in a multi-faith society

Appreciate the ways in which beliefs influence people in their behaviour, practices and opinions

Recognise the role of religions in the cultural practices of local, national and global communities

Impact.

Recognise a range of significant symbols and use a range of vocabulary to talk about religions, beliefs and religious artefacts and why they are special.

Understand different religious world views, and be able to reflect on what they mean for people

Make links between their own lives and those of others in their community and in the wider world

Implementation.

Visiting places of worship

Viewing online images and videos of global pilgrimage sites

Studying religious artefacts

Reading sacred texts

Using drama to retell key religious stories to understand their significance

Meeting visitors from local religious communities

Taking part in whole school events- (multi-faith days, Harvest Festival, school performances)

Comparing religions and worldviews through discussion

Assemblies and collective worship.

Assemblies or ‘daily acts of collective worship’, are a legal requirement. Like RE, our assemblies promote values which will help everyone to lead happy, healthy and harmonious lives. These values complement and reinforce all faiths; they celebrate achievements, promote positive relationships and self-awareness, share stories with morals, enable discussons of topical and local issues and highlight community values.

Does my child need to be taught RE or attend assemblies? 

Parents have a statutory right to withdraw their children from RE and assemblies. However, because of the benefits of RE within a broad and balanced, inclusive curriculum, we hope that any who may wish to do so will contact the school to discuss any matters of concern before making such a decision. If a parent is considering withdrawal from RE, we will listen to their concerns, inviting them to do so with the head teacher. If a pupil is withdrawn, the school has a duty of care to look after them, but not to provide alternative education.