RELIGIOUS EDUCATION AND COLLECTIVE WORSHIP POLICY

 

 

Aims of Religious Education

 

•Children will acquire and develop knowledge and understanding of Christianity and other important world religions.

•To know about and have some understanding of religious beliefs, practices, values and traditions.

•Develop the ability to make reasoned and informed judgements in discussion about religious issues

 

 

The role of the school in religious education

 

Religious Education encourages a reflective approach to living, a knowledge and understanding of religious beliefs and practices, and a development of personal skills in forming reasoned opinions, based on discussion and reflection.

 

Religious Education seeks to develop an awareness of the variety of human responses to life's key experiences which is distinct from the role of the ‘faith communities’ in nurturing pupils in a religion. The role of the school is to teach pupils to reflect on religion in its many forms in the world.

 

The school has adopted an approach which is, in essence, Christian but promotes a tolerant understanding of and a respect for religious beliefs and the various philosophies of life in our multicultural society. There will be no attempt to alter a child’s belief or to convert pupils to a particular religion.

 

Religious Education forms a distinctive element in the curriculum which is integral to the task of fostering the total development of the child. It is also part of programmes of study in many curriculum areas and provides pupils with an awareness of the basis on which much of our culture has developed.

 

Planning religious education

 

When planning the term’s religious study programme staff will recognise that religious education has two distinct dimensions, the implicit and the explicit. Implicit religious education is concerned with such areas as personal feelings, experiences and relationships, questions and responses to life and the natural world and the understanding how religion contributes to all of these.

 

Explicit religious education deals with aspects of specific religions, for example writings, festivals, buildings, beliefs and symbols.

 

Time allocated to religious education will be the equivalent of ¾ hour a week. There will be times, however, when the staff may wish to use a modular plan in which case some topics will be delivered in a more intensive way.

 

Visiting speakers will be invited into assemblies and classes to help with these aspects. On occasions visits to churches, synagogues and temples may be arranged.

 

 

Key Stages 1 and 2.

 

The staff have, with the agreement of the governing body, chosen Christianity, Judaism and Islam as the three religions in the programmes of study.

 

Religious education will be taught through topics and at times as a separate subject depending on the class teachers' termly study programme.

 

Some religious education will precede collective worship in assemblies.

 

 

Attainment Targets for Religious Education.

 

1.      Knowledge and understanding of religious belief and practice

2.      Understanding the influence and impact of religion on people's lives

3.      Evaluation of the issues from the study of religion

 

 

Recording Achievement.

 

The staff will follow the programme of study for religious education with all children. Occasionally aspects of children's work in religious education will be recorded either because they have made an outstanding contribution or because they required special support.

 

 

Evidence will be collected by:

 

•observing children at work individually or in groups

•questioning, talking and listening to pupils

•assessing work produced by children.

The above evidence will be referred to in the formal annual written report.

 

 

Special Educational Needs and Equal Opportunities.

 

Children with learning and behavioural difficulties will join in all class and whole school religious education sessions. The school has invested in a wide range of books and other resources which may be used to help children with learning difficulties.

 

 

COLLECTIVE WORSHIP

 

The governing body agrees with the D.f.E.E. circular 1/94 para 50 which states "Collective worship in schools should aim to provide the opportunity for pupils to worship God, to consider spiritual and moral issues and to explore their own beliefs; to encourage participation and response, whether through active involvement in the presentation of worship or through listening to and joining in the worship offered, and to develop community spirit, promote a common ethos and shared values, and reinforce positive attitudes."

 

All registered pupils attending the school will take part in a daily act of collective worship.

 

Withdrawal from collective worship

 

Staff have the right to withdraw from collective worship and religious education checking first that pupils are left properly supervised.

 

Parents may request that their children are withdrawn from collective worship and the school continues to be responsible for the supervision of the child or children. Parents who wish their children to be withdrawn must provide written notification to this effect.

 

 

 

At Sonning Common County Primary School collective worship takes place as follows:

 

New Hall              -        Monday       -        whole school assembly.

 

New Hall              -        Tuesday      -        whole school assembly (not all staff                                                         are expected to attend).

 

New/Old Hall       -        Wednesday  -        infant dept assembly/junior dept                                                               assembly.

 

Classrooms -        Thursday     -        class assemblies.

 

New Hall              -        Friday         -        whole school assembly.

 

At the beginning of every term the headteacher will produce a programme of assemblies for the whole term. These will be based on a weekly theme which departments may wish to expand upon in their own assemblies.

Assemblies on Fridays may be devised and presented by individual classes or year groups throughout the term.

All assemblies will at some point involve children in a collective act of worship, be it in the hall or in class. This may take the form of a song or prayer (reflective thought).

Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural education will often be part of R.E. lessons and assemblies.

 

 

The character and appropriateness of collective worship:

 

The Education Reform Act 1988 and the Education Act 1993 state that collective worship is to be "wholly or mainly of a broadly Christian character" reflecting the broad traditions of Christian belief but should not be distinctive of any particular Christian denomination.

 

The majority of acts of worship over a term will be wholly or mainly of a broadly Christian character, but may not contain only Christian material.

 

The governors of the school recognise the importance of making children aware of other religious cultures and ways of worship which have become part of our national culture. Representatives of these other religions: Muslims, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jews etc. may visit and take part in assemblies in this school.

 

 

Programmes of Study Outline:

 

Core units: Christianity, Islam and Judaism.

 

Year 1:        Myself and Others                   ) These 3 programmes of study

                  Celebrations                            ) will run in conjunction

                  Movement and Stillness.          ) throughout the year

 

Year 2:        Environment, seasons and change       ) These 3 programmes of study

                  Religious buildings                           ) will run in conjunction

                  Journeys                                          ) throughout the year

 

Year 3:        Term 1.       Community and Light

Term 2.       Judaism. Old Testament Stories

Term 3.       Signs and Symbols

 

Year 4:        Term 1.       Creation stories

                 Term 2.       Islamic Life and festivals

Term 3.       The Bible

 

Year 5:        Term 1.       Life of Jesus, Christian holy days and practices

                 Term 2.       Judaism. Old Testament Stories

Term 3.       Christianity a world wide religion

 

Year 6:        Term 1.       Looking at religions world-wide

         Term 2.       Christian hierarchies, national and international                                organisations

                 Term 3.       The Israelites in Egypt and the Exodus

 

The main Christian festivals of Christmas and Easter will be covered in each year group in an appropriate way for their age.

        

                                                        

                                   RE Resources

 

There are three blue resource boxes, one in each department of the school. These are supplementary to any resources in the infant and junior libraries.

 

                                          Infant Resource Box

 

High Days and Holidays

Religious Education and Life Scheme -       Infant Teacher's Handbook

                                                               Infant Teacher's Assembly Book

                                                               A Tapestry of Tales

Beggars, Beasts and Easter Fire

Bright Ideas Festivals

 

Bridges to Religions Scheme Teacher's Resource Book. Books to accompany this are in the Infant Library.

 

Natasha's Dare                                          Nick Butterworth and Mick Inkpen:-

Tales from the Ark                                    The Lost Sheep

Maximus Mouse                                        The Two Sons

Maximus Rides Again                                The Precious Pearl

The Lost Donkey                                      The House on the Rock

Stowaway Adventure

Brown Ears at Sea                            Little Fish Books:-        

Brown Ears                                                       Jesus Loves 

Anna Magdalena                                                         Dorcas       

Caspar and the Star                                                      Ruth

Cattern Cakes and Lace                                                John the Baptist

Maggie Magpie                                                           Paul

                                                                                 Peter

Miles and the Computer                                      Jesus is Born

Miles and the Screwdriver                                            Jesus and the Fisherman

Let's Celebrate                                                            Abraham

In the Den of the lions                                                 Hannah

Who is my Neighbour ?

When Jesus was a Boy

St Francis of Assisi

The Wonderful Guest

St Patrick

St Colomba

 

St David

St George

St Nicholas

The Son who Came Home

St Christopher

Assembly Topics for 5-8's

Moses on the Mountain

A Story at Id

The Buddha and the Bodhi Tree

The Story of Prahlad

The Birth of Jesus

Stories Jesus told

People Jesus met

The Birth of the Buddah

Guru Nanak

The Story of Easter

The Birth of Krishna

The Jews Leave Egypt

Sunshine Religious Stories Teacher's Guide

Bible Activities 5-7

The Baby born in the Stable

The Most Wonderful King

The Little Sleeping Beauty

Will my Rabbit go to Heaven ?

The Little Boat that almost Sank

The Pearl that changed a Life

The Great Escape

The Secret Journey

Festival

The Loaf of Bread

I am a Rastafarian

The Ten Silver Coins

Bright Ideas Assembly

Get Set Go - Autumn Festivals

Come inside the Church (six religions)

South North East and West

 

Video - Looking at Faith Programme one

 

Cassette - Stories from the Childrens Bible

 

                                    Lower Junior Resource Box

 

The Little Lord Jesus                                

The Story of Jesus - Poster Set         

Beggars Beasts and Easter Fire          

Two Stories Jesus told                              

Runaway in the Den                                 

Hinduism                                                

Book of Prayers                                       

Jesus calls his Disciples                             

Jesus Said .....                                          

About God .....                                        

Tales from the Ark                                   

Judaism                                                   

Saul and the Donkeys

The Buddha and the Elephant

The Mouse and the Doves

The Buddha's Birthday

An egg for Babcha

Lucy's Sunday

The Seventh day is Shabbat

High Days and Holidays

Simeon's Secret

A Tapestry of Tales

Caspar and the Star

Christianity

 

Dates and Meanings of Religious and other Festivals

 

Religion Education and Life -   Teacher's Handbook

                                                      Junior Assembly Book

 

My Religion Picture Pack

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                    Upper Junior Resource Box

 

Bridges to religions - Something to share

An Egg for Babcha

The Seventh day is Shabbat

Lucy's Sunday

The Buddha's Birthday

Religion Education and Life -   Teacher's Handbook

                                                      Junior Assembly Book

A Gift to the Child - Teacher's Handbook

The Angel's Book

Sabjit's Book

The story of God's Words to Mohammed

The Story of Bilal

Yaseen's Book

A Story of Ganesha

Kedar's Book

Natalie's Book

The Story of Bernadette                             Nick and co. on Holiday

Aideen's Book                                           Nick and co. in a Fix

The Story of Jonah                                    Nick and co. to the Rescue

Rebecca's Book                                         Nick and co. Clean up

 

St Francis the Birds and the Wolf

The Young Puffin Book of Bible Stories

Heroes of the Faith - Mother Teresa

Discovering Religions - Judaism

Nanak the Cattle and the Cobra

The Cat and the Dog

Exploring Judaism

Exploring Islam

Islam - a pictorial guide

Discovering Religions - Christianity

Primary R. E. Alive

Sing it, say it, anyone can play it - Festivals (book and tape)

 

There are some artefacts in school, mostly connected with Islam and Chinese New Year. there is also a set of photographic reproductions depicting different faiths. They are in the infant resource cupboard.

 

             AMENDMENT SHEET FOR ALL POLICY STATEMENTS

 

POLICY ON RELIGIOUS EDUCATION AND COLLECTIVE WORSHIP

                      POLICY NUMBER 8 Version 2

 

             DATE POLICY RATIFIED; SPRING 1998

     DATE POLICY LAST REWRITTEN; AUTUMN 1998

 

Review Date	Page	Line	Amendment
Autumn 1997			Version 1