The Importance of Religious Education in Well Green Primary School

Religious education in Well Green Primary school is vital for fostering an understanding of diverse cultures, beliefs, and moral frameworks. By introducing children to various religious traditions and values, it helps cultivate respect, empathy, and critical thinking. These qualities are essential for promoting harmony in increasingly multicultural societies.

One of the primary goals of religious education is to teach children about universal ethical principles such as kindness, fairness, and compassion. These principles are foundational to most religious traditions and can guide children in making thoughtful and moral decisions in their lives.

Religious education also contributes to a child’s personal development. It provides a safe space to explore profound questions about existence, purpose, and morality, enabling children to develop their spiritual and emotional intelligence.

As Mahatma Gandhi, a leader deeply rooted in spiritual and moral convictions, once said:
"The essence of all religions is one. Only their approaches are different."
This quote highlights the shared values between different faiths, underscoring the importance of understanding and appreciating religious diversity from a young age.

In conclusion, religious education for our children equips them with knowledge, respect for diversity, and a foundation for ethical living, nurturing both their minds and hearts for the challenges of the world.

Intent: 

In line with the current Trafford Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education, Religious Education will be delivered in school to meet the agreed syllabus aims by:

• Including knowledge and reference to religious and non-religious beliefs and world views, practices and ways of life.
• Develop a sense of identity, belonging and citizenship in a multi-faith society.
• As part of the syllabus at each Key Stage, visits to local places of worship are encouraged, as are visits by members of SACRE and faith communities to our school.
• Develop an understanding of concepts and mastery of skills to make sense of religion and belief, at an appropriate level of challenge for their age.
• Develop positive attitudes and values and to reflect and relate their learning in RE to their own experience.
• Have the opportunity to learn that there are those who do not hold religious beliefs and have their own philosophical perspectives.
• To explore a range of ‘Big Questions’ of life, developing a deeper understanding of their own and others’ beliefs.

At Well Green, we are committed to providing our children with an exciting and positive learning environment, in conjunction with Growth Mindset, in which they have the opportunity to develop their knowledge and understanding of religions while contributing to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

Implementation:

RE is taught in a weekly topic block each half-term, planned by the teacher to link with key dates and religious festivals, providing opportunities to celebrate festivals and religions with greater relevance and consistency. Planning ensures continuity and progression of knowledge, understanding, concepts, skills and attitudes.  Work is recorded in RE books and can be evidenced by a variety of outcomes suggested in the scheme of work; written piece, artwork, photo. RE is also taught through daily acts of collective worship.

1. Religious education is taught in our school (according to the Trafford Agreed Syllabus Religious Education):
2.  It is open and objective; it does not seek to urge religious beliefs in young people, nor compromise the integrity of their own religious position by promoting one tradition over another.
3.  Endeavours to promote a positive attitude toward people, respecting their right to hold different beliefs from their own.
    
4. Promotes the values and attitudes necessary for citizenship in a multi-faith and multi-racial society through developing an understanding of, respect for, and dialogue with people of different beliefs, practices, races and cultures.
5. Recognises similarities and differences in commitment, self-understanding and the search for truth. Respecting and valuing these for the common good.
6. Promotes community cohesion through involvement with faith communities in the area.
7. Recognises and celebrates the range of cultures and diversity of the school through workshops, assemblies and shared experiences of staff, children and people from the local community.

Trafford SACRE continues to work with teachers in improving the quality of the teaching and learning of RE by providing training, and publishing updated schemes of work and materials and guidance to develop and support assessments for learning and effective teaching and learning strategies.

Impact:

At Well Green, we seek to ensure that all pupils in our school are educated to develop spiritually, academically, emotionally and morally to enable them to better understand themselves and others and to cope with the opportunities, challenges and responsibilities of living in a rapidly changing, multicultural world. Regular assemblies and celebrations of work taught and learnt during each year's group’s RE topic will help to celebrate the diversity of the school community and promote positive images of people in the wider community, including their beliefs, traditions, culture, language and history.