Religious Education at ESCA

Intent

At Ermine Street Church Academy, we believe that it is important for all our pupils to learn from and about religion, so that they can understand the world around them. Our school's religious education program aims to help children learn and grow while also helping them understand many religious and nonreligious worldviews that they will encounter throughout their life.

 Our goal for pupils is to help them appreciate the way that worldviews shape life and behaviour, develop the ability to make reasoned and informed judgements about religious and moral issues,  and enhance their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

We aim for all pupils to deepen their knowledge as they progress through the RE curriculum, supporting them to reflect and articulate their own personal views.

Implementation

There are no presumptions made as to the Worldviews, beliefs and values of the children and the staff. We value the religious background of all members of the school community and hope that this will encourage individuals to share their own experiences with others freely. Parents are active in our school community, and we have many parents who volunteer to share their personal experience of religion with the children.  All religions and their communities are treated with respect and sensitivity and we value the links between home, school, and a faith community. We are extremely privileged to have Reverend Rob Paddison visiting our school regularly to deliver collective worship, as well as being our school chair of governors, and being heavily involved in our school community.

Religious Education is taught throughout the school in such a way as to reflect the overall aims, values, and philosophy of the school, through three key focus lenses. Our children are taught to view the world through the lenses of Theology, Philosophy, and Human/Social sciences. Our curriculum is designed to introduce children to these lenses, by utilising questions, tools and skills incrementally, from EYFS to Year 6.

At ESCA, the following religions have been selected for study, and are the foci of different units from EYFS to Year 6: 

·      Christianity

·      Islam

·      Judaism

·      Hinduism

·      Sikhism

·      Humanism



Impact

The children at ESCA are extremely passionate about their RE lessons. They speak about their learning with passion and enthusiasm, and they actively enjoy learning about worldviews and why people choose, or choose not to follow a religion. Children at ESCA are respectful and tolerant of other religions and cultures. Through their R.E. learning, the children are able to make links between their own lives and those of others in their community and in the wider world, developing an understanding of other people’s cultures and ways of life.

At Ermine Street Church Academy, pupils encounter a range of biblical texts, placed within a wider theological context. They gain knowledge of the nature of God and what it means for Christians to be in relationship with the Creator. They study Christian understanding of the relationship between God and his people in the Old Testament, and make sense of messianic expectations and Christian belief in their fulfilment in Jesus. Pupils learn about the life, teaching, death and resurrection of Jesus, within this wider historical and theological context. They consider the present and future aspects of the Kingdom of God. Pupils examine the impact of these beliefs and their outworking in the lives of Christians, through (for example) celebrations, festivals, rituals, creative and spiritual expression, actions and activism, expressions of love and compassion, calls for justice and ethical responses. 



Throughout their studies, pupils will encounter all major religions (Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism) developing a holistic approach to Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural development (SMSC), British Values, and Community. RE develops pupils' knowledge and understanding of religious traditions and secular world views and explores their responses to life's challenges. Reference is constantly made to those who live out their beliefs, insights and values in their daily lives and within their own communities. This gives pupils the knowledge and skills to flourish both within their own community and as members of a diverse and global society. Pupils will develop their religious literacy gaining the knowledge of, and ability to understand, religion, beliefs, practices, spiritual insights and secular world views.