Religious Education At St Stephen's 

Our school community contains representatives from many different nationalities, cultures and faith groups. As a Church of England school we aim to offer a welcoming and inclusive environment for all our pupils, including new arrivals and non-native English speakers in our community. We believe that Religious Education provides an opportunity to celebrate and foster awareness of these differences within our school.

Our aim is that through R.E. we help pupils to develop a positive attitude towards other people, respecting their right to hold different beliefs from their own, and towards living in a society of many religions and beliefs.

Religious Education is the study of religions, their beliefs, traditions, practices and the nurturing of spirituality and self-awareness. At St Stephen’s two thirds of R.E. teaching is of a Christian nature. The other third covers the remaining 5 major world faiths (Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Sikhism).  At St Stephen’s it is taught in accordance with the Southwark Diocesan Board Agreed Syllabus.

See the table below to see an overview of the topics taught.

Intent:

In St Stephen’s CE all children should be able to:

• Pupils will have a firm understanding about different areas of Christianity, and the differences between what Christians think. 
• Pupils will learn about the 5 World Religions (Buddhism, Sikhism, Judaism, Islam, Christianity)
• Pupils will compare different Faiths, and think about similarities and differences.
• Pupils will develop a culture of respect for everyone.
• Pupils will have a space to talk about deep questions about life and Faith.
• Pupils will link the ideas of they beliefs to how they behave.

Implementation:

At St Stephen’s CE we ensure that RE is taught for 10% of teaching time. The lessons are based on and adapted from the SDBE curriculum. The topics are based on Big Questions which are set in the age appropriate year groups.  

Christianity: Two thirds of the curriculum is based around different aspects of Christianity. This is through a variety of creative and engaging lessons using artefacts,  art, stories, discussions, acting, and so on. Children have a chance to reflect on their own beliefs as well as other people’s. There is opportunity for respectful disagreement and children to develop what they believe.  

The other 4 World Religions: Each year group learns about at least one other Religion in detail throughout the year, as based on SDBE guidance. This helps children understand other religions, and addresses any misconceptions. It also helps children build bridges between different faiths and ideas. 

Collective worship: Collective worship happens everyday, and is a time for the entire school to come together. This is a special time to worship, learn about the school and christian values and celebrate together.