Religious Education in the Classroom
At St. Andrew's we deliver Religious Education in line with the Brighton and Hove Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education and the Church of England’s Statement of Entitlement (2019). We aim for children:
- to know about and understand Christianity as a diverse global living faith through the exploration of core beliefs using an approach that critically engages with biblical text
- to gain knowledge and understanding of a range of religions and world views appreciating diversity, continuity and change within the religions and worldviews being studied
- to engage with challenging questions of meaning and purpose raised by human existence and experience
- to recognise the concept of religion and its continuing influence on Britain’s cultural heritage and in the lives of individuals and societies in different times, cultures and places
We seek to give children a rich variety of experiences from which they can develop knowledge, understanding and awareness of all faiths and it promotes respect and open-mindedness towards others with different faiths and beliefs.
The Syllabus encourages children to explore their own religious, spiritual and philosophical ways of living, believing and thinking ensuring they have the knowledge, understanding and skills necessary to hold balanced and informed conversations about religions and worldviews. The Teaching & Learning Approach [link to subpage] is based on a number of resources which can also be accessed by parents and carers.
Religious Education also has a significant role in the development of spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding. We encourage children to explore and develop their sense of identity and belonging through self-awareness and reflection and we have Reflection and Prayer Spaces in each classroom.