At Park Academy, Religious Education (R.E.) plays a significant role in our curriculum, aligning with the guidelines set by the National Curriculum. The purpose of R.E. is to promote not just academic growth but also spiritual, moral, cultural, and social development. This prepares our pupils for the diverse world they will face as adults.
Our RE curriculum has several key aims:
- To help children understand life from a religious perspective, allowing them to appreciate the role of faith in people's lives.
- To incorporate various faiths that are represented in our classrooms, even if they aren't the main focus in a particular key stage.
- To boost the self-esteem of children who come from strong faith backgrounds, making them feel valued and respected.
- To enable children to tell the difference between various religions and understand the principles that underlie each faith.
In terms of skills and knowledge, our RE programme focuses on that concepts that include the core beliefs, rituals, and traditions of various religions. Disciplinary methods involve the different ways of understanding and studying religion. This could include:
- Asking questions of believers to get firsthand insights into a faith.
- Observing religious practices and lifestyles to understand how faith is lived out day to day.
- Reading religious texts or other sources of wisdom to delve deeper into the beliefs.
- Engaging in debates about religious truths, allowing for a critical examination of different viewpoints.
- Exploring the emotional and sensory experiences tied to religious practice.
- Analysing data and statistics related to religion to provide a factual basis for understanding its role in society.
RE at Park Academy is designed to be an inclusive study of faith and belief. By focusing on a balanced set of skills and knowledge, we aim to prepare our pupils to engage thoughtfully with the world's religious and cultural diversity.