Our Aims

In our school we want RE to enable pupils to:

• Develop a strong foundation of the Christian faith through knowledge and understanding that includes Christian Beliefs and Values, The Bible, Old Testament Characters, the Life and Teachings of Jesus, Prayer and Worship, Saints, The Local Church, The Christian Community, Living out the Faith, Rites of Passage and Christian Festivals;

• apply an understanding of Christianity to make reasoned and informed responses to life issues and moral choices;

• Recognise that there are a number of different branches of Christianity who may share common beliefs, but interpret and practise their faith in different ways;

• Similarly, recognise that there is diversity within the other principal world faiths and worldviews;

• Develop knowledge and understanding of other main world faiths, including Judaism and Islam, represented in the United Kingdom, applying an understanding of religion to develop respect, empathy and sensitivity towards all people;

• Grow and deepen their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development including an active promotion of equality, equity, diversity and inclusion through the kaleidoscope of faith and belief

• Develop the ability to reflect on their own beliefs, values, misconceptions and experiences, communicate issues of faith and truth;

• Enhance their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development;

• Develop the ability to reflect on their own beliefs, values and experiences and communicate issues of faith and truth;

• Develop skills of critical analysis and evaluation and the promotion of understanding of people from different faith backgrounds and none.

At Dulwich Village C of E Infants' School RE is taught through discrete lessons for all three year groups.

The teaching and learning approach has three disciplinary lenses or 'ways of knowing' (believing, thinking, living).

Children will identify and make sense of core religious and non religious beliefs and concepts: understanding what these beliefs mean with their traditions, recognising how and why sources of authority (such as texts) are used, expressed and interpreted in different ways, and developing skills of interpretation (believing.)Example questions might include "Who is God?" "Why did God make the world?" and "How can we live the way God wants?"

Children will evaluate, reflecting on and connecting the beliefs and practices studied allowing pupils to challenge ideas studied and to challenges pupil’s thinking, discerning possible connections between these and pupil's own lives and ways of understanding the world (thinking) Example questions might include “Why are we here?” “What is the truth?" “What is right and wrong?”

Children will examine how and why people put their beliefs into action in diverse ways, within their everyday lives, within their communities an din the wider world (Living.) Example questions might include “Why do people form groups?” “What makes people happy?” and "How do different types of people get along?”

Each half term a different aspect of R.E. is covered in each year group and we use the Southwark Diocese Board of Education’s schemes of work, to develop the children’s learning. R.E. is taught through the use of role play, reflection, art and music as well as creative writing and discussion, alongside visitors and trips to places to worship.