The main purpose of Religious Education is to engage pupils in an efficient enquiry into significant questions which religion and worldviews address, so that they can develop the understanding and skills needed to understand and evaluate varied responses to these questions as well as develop their own responses. Religious Education gives consideration to the British values. It gives all pupils the understanding to be respectful and mindful of their own beliefs and values as well as beliefs and
values of others. They are encouraged to think critically about beliefs and religions and they learn to weigh up the value of wisdom from different sources, to develop and express their insights in response, and to agree or disagree respectfully.
At Chantry Community Academy we follow the Discovery RE scheme which teaches from Years F1/2 to Year 6. It adopts an enquiry based approach to teaching and learning. Christianity is taught in every year group, with Christmas and Easter given new treatment each year, developing the learning in a progressive way. Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Sikhism are also covered. Alongside The Discovery RE Scheme, targets from the Kent Syllabus are also taken into consideration.
The RE curriculum ensures all children know and understand a range of religions and worldwide views so they are able to describe and explain different belief and practises among communities and individuals. They look at the nature, the significance and impact of religions and worldwide views to be able to use and express their own judgement and personal responses to questions about the identity, the diversity and the meaning and value of religions studied. Children will gain and deploy skills so they are able to investigate key concepts and questions of belonging, meaning, purpose and truth for all religions and respond in creative ways. They are taught to understand how communities live together respectfully for the wellbeing of all. They are taught to show respect for any religion around them and understand why beliefs and practices are important in their own and other people’s lives.
At Chantry Community Academy, children are taught to use aspects of our schools RECIPE in their lessons by
- Showing respect in lessons to different religions as well as their own
- Displaying excellence in their learning and
- Showing perseverance in the understanding of the values and beliefs of all religions taught in school.