Religious Education

At Stephen Freeman School, we intend that Religious Education will:

  • Adopt an enquiry- based approach, beginning with the children’s own life experience before moving into learning about and from religion.
  • Provoke challenging questions about the meaning and purpose of life, beliefs, the self, and issues of right and wrong, commitment and belonging.
  • Develop pupils’ knowledge and understanding of Christianity, other principal religions, and religious traditions that examine these questions, fostering personal reflection and spiritual development.
  • Encourage pupils to explore their own beliefs (religious or non-religious), in light of what they learn, as they examine issues of religious belief and faith and how these impact on personal, institutional and social ethics; and to express their responses.
  • Enable pupils to build their sense of identity and belonging, which helps them flourish within their communities and as citizens in a diverse society.
  • Teach pupils to develop respect for others, including people with different faiths and beliefs, and help to challenge prejudice.
  • Prompt pupils to consider their responsibilities to themselves and to others, and to explore how they might contribute to their communities and to wider society.
  • Encourage empathy, generosity and compassion.
  • Develop a sense of awe, wonder and mystery.
  • Nurture children’s own spiritual development.

The R.E. curriculum at Stephen Freeman brings together learning about and from religion, questioning and spiritual development in a comprehensive scheme of learning.

Background information

British Values

Discovery R.E. helps promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.

Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural

Discovery RE actively promotes children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) development.  https://discoveryschemeofwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Discovery-and-SMSC.pdf  for a  summary of where SMSC opportunities which exist with Discovery.

Statutory Religious Education Requirements

All maintained schools have a statutory duty to teach R.E. Academies and free schools are contractually required through the terms of their funding agreement to make provision for the teaching of RE. Discovery RE is fully compliant with the DfE Statutory Requirements. Click here for more information: https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/sites/default/files/file/our-work-schools/TheAgreedSyllabus2015-2020.pdf  for a document outlining the teaching of R.E.

Teaching

Discovery is implemented throughout the whole school during weekly whole class Discovery lessons focusing on different topics each term and is embedded through all lessons and the whole school day with everyone supporting and encouraging the children they interact with to use the skills they are developing and to make links to other areas of learning.

Click here to see the long term knowledge and skills progression in RE.