Religious Education

At Downe we celebrate diversity and believe that Religious Education provides an opportunity to celebrate and foster awareness of differences within our school and the wider world. Through group discussions, visits, visitors and following ‘The Bexley Framework’, children learn to communicate their knowledge and understanding of religions and different religious beliefs. They will develop their knowledge and understanding of specialist vocabulary and also identify and develop an understanding of ultimate questions and ethical issues. Through Religious Education, children have the opportunity to develop many key skills such as thinking, researching, evaluating, reflecting and empathising. Wherever possible, links are made between Religious Education and other curriculum subjects.

The principal aim of RE is to engage pupils in systematic enquiry into significant human questions which religion and worldviews address, so that they can develop the understanding and skills needed to appreciate and appraise varied responses to these questions, as well as develop responses of their own.

Following The Bexley Framework for RE provides plenty of opportunity to fascinate and stimulate, much to think about creatively and deeply, some challenges to each person to play their part in a better community and the chances to develop religious literacy and for children to explore spirituality for themselves.

The Bexley Agreed Syllabus consists of three key areas of teaching:

• Believing- Religious beliefs, teachings, sources; questions about meaning, purpose and truth
• Expressing- Religious and spiritual forms of expression; questions about identity and diversity.
• Living- Religious practices and ways of living; questions about values and commitments.