A Policy for Religious Education
1. The aims of Religious Education
The core aims of RE are to enable pupils to acquire an understanding of religion and to consider
some of the fundamental questions of human existence which religions address in different
ways.
In promoting these aims, religious education should:
a. Provide accurate information about the main spiritual traditions of the communities in
which they live. The principal religious traditions are taken to include Christianity,
Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Sikhism.
b. Offer the means by which pupils can understand the influence of religion on people’s
attitudes to life and death; this will involve, for example:
 Considering the relationship between religious belief, personal commitment and moral
values;
 Exploring the spiritual aspects of human experience including the arts, the
environment and personal relationships;
 Gaining first-hand experience of people and places associated with different religious
traditions.
c. Seek to enable pupils to:
 Develop an awareness of some of the fundamental questions about life and death
raised by human experience, and of how religions may relate to them;
 Respond to such questions with reference to both the teachings and practices of
religions, and to their own understanding and experience;
 Reflect on their own beliefs, values and experiences in the light of their study.
d. Help pupils to develop a positive attitude towards other people, respecting their right
to hold different beliefs and value systems from their own. They should also recognise
that some people will have value systems that are not based on religious belief.
2. Objectives
These objectives will be developed in Foundation, Key Stages 1 and 2.

The teaching of RE will reflect the fact that the religious traditions in Great Britain are,
in the main, Christian, whilst taking into account the teaching and practices of the other
principal faiths represented in Great Britain. The six main faiths to be taught are
Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Sikhism.
 RE will be taught through the aspects as outlined in the Agreed Syllabus i.e. Key Concepts
and Processes, in order to maintain a balance between learning ABOUT religion (AT1) and
learning FROM religion.(AT2)
Learning about religion
This includes enquiry into, and investigation of, the nature of religion, its beliefs, teachings
and ways of life, sources, practices and forms of expression. It includes the skills of
interpretation, analysis and explanation. Pupils learn to communicate their knowledge and
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understanding using specialist vocabulary. It includes identifying and developing an
understanding of ultimate questions and ethical issues. In the national framework, learning
about religion covers pupils’ knowledge and understanding of individual religions and how
they relate to one another as well as the study of the nature and characteristics of religion.
Learning from religion
This is concerned with developing pupils’ reflection on and response to their own and others’
experiences in the light of their learning about religion. It develops pupils’ skills of
application, interpretation and evaluation on what they learn about religion. Pupils learn to
develop and communicate their own ideas, particularly in relation to questions of identity
and belonging, meaning, purpose and truth, values and commitments.
 Units of work will be planned so that pupils will acquire knowledge and understanding of
the six principal world faiths as specified in the programme of study.
 Other faiths may be taught where appropriate and it must be recognised that many pupils
will have value systems which are not based on religious belief.
3. Organisation
a. Minimum time allocation (as stated in the Coventry Agreed Syllabus)
Foundation Stage- to be taught for a reasonable period of time through the six areas of learning
Key Stage 1- 30 hours per year
Key Stage 2- 35 hours per year
The time allocated to Collective Worship will be separate from that allocated to RE.
b. At Moseley, this time will be collated to create whole days devoted to each of the religions,
with Christianity (as the main faith in this country) taking four and the others, one each.
Days will be arranged at the beginning of each academic year when the whole school will focus
on that one religion, coming together at the end of the day to share experiences.
Content will be organised for each Key Stage of the school, planned under the headings of the
Key concepts and will allow progression and the opportunity to compare one faith with another
by focussing on particular themes e.g. pilgrimage, places of worship etc.
4. Teaching and learning strategies
As stated in the Coventry agreed Syllabus, the curriculum will provide opportunities for using
dance, drama, art and design, music and ICT to develop ideas.
Pupils will address key concepts and processes, exploring different faiths, both separately and
thematically.
Religious education should promote learning across the curriculum in a number of areas
including: spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development, citizenship, personal, social and
health education.
Spiritual development through for example:
 discussing and reflecting on key questions of meaning and truth such as the origins of the
universe, life after death, good and evil, beliefs about God and values such as justice,
honesty and truth;
 learning about and reflecting on important concepts, experiences and beliefs that are at
the heart of religious and other traditions and practices;
 valuing relationships and developing a sense of belonging.
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Moral development
through for example
 enhancing the values identified within the National curriculum, particularly valuing
diversity and engaging in issues of truth, justice and trust:
 exploring the influence of family, friends and media on moral choices and how society is
influenced by beliefs, teachings, sacred texts and guidance from religious leaders and
through co-operation considering what is of ultimate value to individual pupils;
 studying a range of ethical issues, including those that focus on justice, to promote racial
and religious respect and personal integrity.
Social development
through for example
 considering how religious and other beliefs lead to particular actions and concerns;
 investigating social issues from religious perspectives, recognising the diversity of
viewpoints within and between religions as well as the common ground between religions;
 articulating pupils’ own and others’ ideas on a range of contemporary social issues.
Cultural development
through for example:
 encountering people, literature, the creative and expressive arts and resources from
different cultures;
 considering the relationship between religion and cultures and how religion and beliefs
contribute to cultural identity and practices;
 promoting racial and interfaith harmony and respect for all, combating prejudice and
discrimination, contributing positively to community cohesion and promoting awareness
of how interfaith cooperation can support the pursuit of the common good.
Citizenship
through for example:
 developing pupils’ knowledge and understanding about the diversity of national, regional,
religious and ethnic identities in the United Kingdom and the need for mutual respect and
understanding;
 exploring the rights, responsibilities and duties of citizens locally, nationally and globally
including the importance of resolving conflict fairly.
Personal, social and health education
through for example:
 developing confidence and responsibility and making the most of their abilities by
considering what is fair and unfair, right and wrong and being encouraged to share their
opinions;
 developing a healthy, safer lifestyle by learning about religious teachings on drug use and
misuse, food and drink, leisure, relationships and human sexuality, learning about the
purpose and value of religious beliefs in relation to sex education and enabling pupils to
consider and express their own views with a sensitivity towards others;
 developing good relationships and respecting the differences between people by learning
about the diversity of different ethnic and religious groups, the destructive power of
prejudice, racism, discrimination, offending behaviour and bullying;
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
being able to talk about relationships and feelings, considering issues of marriage and
family life and meeting and encountering people whose beliefs, values and lifestyles are
different from their own.
5. Equality of opportunity and meeting individual needs
At Moseley Primary School, by adhering to the above and by challenging racist and sexist
stereotypes, images and language, Religious Education will be taught within an inclusive
environment and will make an important contribution to the whole school’s Equal opportunities
policy.
Any work in religious education should ensure the underlying commitment to the principles that:
 all people have a right to their own beliefs
 no one has a right to force their beliefs on others
 no one belief should be presented as superior to any other
 respect should be shown to those people who do not have any particular faith
 no one should be discriminated against in any way for holding to a belief that differs from
that held by others
 the importance and validity of each individual’s role in the observance of their beliefs
should be emphasised regardless of their ethnicity, sex, a learning or physical disability
 the diversity of the role of women in religion should be explored and emphasised
 no one should be discriminated against because of a code of dress, diet or religious
observances
 a global perspective is necessary, as the experiences of a faith community in Britain may
be different from those of the same faith elsewhere
 faith and culture are not one and the same and should be explored as separate concepts
 that within any faith community there are different traditions, customs and practices
 stereotypes should be challenged and material explored for bias
 the language used is not sexist or racist
 a multi- faith approach encourages open-mindedness and enables the exploration of
discrimination and prejudice
 children withdrawn from lessons at the request of parents should not be made to feel
“different”- either superior or inferior. Reasons for their withdrawal i.e. parental
conviction rather than individual specifics, could be discussed with the class to prevent
any misunderstanding.
6. Assessment, recording and reporting
Assessment, recording and reporting of RE will
 help children to recognise the degree of progress which they have made in RE
 enable children to identify ways of improving their work
 provide information which is useful to the intended audience in language which can be
easily understood ( e.g. children, parents, other teachers etc)
 ensure that children are actively involved in reviewing their work
 be manageable in the time available, make reasonable and realistic demands on teachers
and minimise the amount of unnecessary duplication
 be conducted in the kind of positive, supportive and constructive climate, which
recognises the needs and anxieties of pupils
 be based on the range of types of assessment tasks that help pupils to continue to
develop their understanding of the key concepts
 be based on a shared understanding of the criteria which are being applied
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
facilitate the provision of summative information which meets statutory requirements and
the needs of transfer institutions
7. The management, co-ordination and planning of the subject; including approaches to staff
development, monitoring, evaluation and review.
a) The role of the co-ordinator
The RE co-ordinator will be responsible for
i.
producing an agreed subject policy and key stage plans which are compatible
with the school’s overall curriculum and which meet the statutory
requirements;
ii.
providing advice to teachers, appropriate resources, teaching strategies and
approaches to assessment;
iii.
developing an overview of the RE curriculum on the school to ensure the
children access a sufficient variety of experiences and that the subject policy is
put into practice;
iv.
co-ordinating the purchase, organisation and storage of appropriate RE
resources
v.
collecting a portfolio of pupils’ work in the subject to ensure consistency of
standards and monitoring approaches to assessment to ensure there is a
sufficient variety of tasks;
vi.
keeping abreast of recent developments in the subject, attending relevant inservice courses and participating in the planning and delivery of school-based
INSET and discussions.
b) The role of the class teacher
The class teacher will be responsible for
i.
implementing and reviewing an appropriate number of learning tasks which can
be used for assessment purposes and recording the outcomes of these using the
system agreed by the school
ii.
reporting to parents on pupils’ progress in RE
iii.
participating in the collaborative review of the effectiveness of schemes of
work/ lesson plans
c) The role of the Head teacher
The head teacher will be responsible for
i)
ensuring the subject co-ordinator fulfils her/his role and has a reasonable amount of
time and financial support in order to carry out the role effectively within the
constraints of the school budget
ii)
including RE in the cycle of review of policies outlined in the School Improvement Plan
d) The role of Governors
The governors will be responsible for
i)
monitoring policy and practice as part of their role in monitoring the curriculum in
general
ii)
ensuring that the statutory requirements are met, in terms of numbers of hours
taught.
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