RE CURRICULUM STATEMENT
At Five Elms Primary School RE is very important as it encourages pupils to have confidence in their own growing sense of identity as well as valuing and respecting diversity in others. RE also helps pupils in their search for meaning and purpose in life. RE provides challenging questions about the meaning and purpose of life, beliefs, the self, issues of right and wrong, and what it means to be human. RE teaches pupils to develop respect for others, including people of different faiths and beliefs, and help challenge prejudice.
At Five Elms we follow the Barking &Dagenham LA RE Agreed Syllabus. This has three aims:
- Learn about and understand a range of religions and worldviews
- Express ideas and insights about the nature, significance and impact of religions and worldviews
- Gain and deploy the skills needed to engage seriously with religions and worldviews.
RE makes a valuable contribution to the personal development of children and young people, particularly their spiritual, moral, social, cultural and intellectual development, regardless of whether they come from a religious family background or not. RE also contributes to develop and demonstrate skills and attitudes that will allow children to participate fully in and contribute positively to life in modern Britain.
At Key Stage 1 & 2, the agreed syllabus requires that Five Elms include six RE units in each year. This agreed syllabus expects schools as a minimum to provide opportunities for pupils to be taught about Christianity and at least one other principal religion. All Five Elms children have liaised with the local church. The Vicar and the staff at St Marys’ church regularly deliver assemblies to all children from Early Years to Year 6. We also have an Islamic SACRE representative who delivers assemblies and workshops to the children, the children of Five Elms have also visited the Sikh Temple, Mosque and Church. Through this the children also develop a deeper understanding of how Muslims, Sikhs and Christians worship. During Christmas festivities, KS2 children usually recite scriptures from the Bible, enact the nativity play and sing songs. EYFS and KS1 also hold nativity performances.