Religious Education is taught in accordance with the Norfolk Agreed syllabus. We focus on different aspects of Christianity and other major world religions. This reflects the fact that religious traditions in this country are in the main Christian, whilst taking account of the teaching and practises of other principal religions. By providing an understanding of other cultures, customs and religions we aim to promote tolerance. Collective Worship is held on a daily basis, with the whole school together. Any parent wishing to withdraw their child from Collective Worship in Religious Education, is invited to discuss the matter, and suitable alternative provision, with the Headteacher.
Religious Education is an entitlement for all pupils and its place in the whole school curriculum is an acknowledgment of the important role which beliefs and values play in people’s lives, regardless of particular religious commitments. It is also an acknowledgement that religious beliefs and practices play a key part in the lives of many people worldwide today as they have done throughout history.
As a curriculum area Religious Education offers pupils an opportunity to develop a better understanding of themselves, the people around them and the world in which they live. RE at Lingwood Primary Academy is provided in line with the requirements of the relevant Education Acts. These are that:the basic curriculum must include Religious Education provision for all the pupils on the school roll
We recognise that children may come from a variety of religious and secular backgrounds. The religious programme seeks to be sensitive to the home background of each child; it is not the function of Religious Education to promote or disparage particular religious views.
Within the framework of the Education Acts and Agreed Syllabus, our aims in Religious Education are:
- to enable each child to explore the human experiences people share and the questions of meaning and purpose which arise from those experiences;
- to enable pupils to know about and understand the beliefs and practices of some of the religions and world views, particularly those represented in Norfolk and the UK. Among these, Christianity has a particular place, and is taught in each year;
- to promote respect, sensitivity and cultural awareness by teaching about the religions and world views represented in the region and the country;
- to affirm each child in his/her own family tradition, religious or secular;
- to provide opportunities for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development;
- to promote an enquiring approach, enabling children to think for themselves to process information, reason, question and evaluate issues of truth, belief, faith and ethics.
The Norfolk Agreed Syllabus gives more details of the importance of Religious Education in the curriculum and selects two main aims for its Programmes of Study and Attainment Targets:Learning about religion and belief, and Learning from religion and belief.
