Religious Education
At Eaton Bray Academy we believe that our Religious Education (RE) curriculum provides the children with the following:
- the skills to discuss, compare and reason respectfully about religious, cultural and moral issues
- knowledge of key faiths – Christianity, other principal religions and non-religious beliefs practised in Great Britain
- the understanding of how religious beliefs shape lives, attitudes and behaviour
- to understand the need to respect and accept differences in beliefs and attitudes
- experiences and knowledge that support their own spiritual, moral , social and cultural development
- the ability to live and work cooperatively with others in a world of rich diversity.
Here, at Eaton Bray Academy, the aim of Religious Education is to help children acquire and develop the capacity to understand, value and accept the beliefs of others in our community and thus the wider world. We encourage children to develop a respect for difference, and to foster an appreciation for the rich diversity of attitudes and values, faiths and beliefs that are present in any community. We strive to show not only the differences but also the similarities between people, that people are more alike than they are different.
We believe that RE contributes to our school’s values and beliefs and enables pupils to embody the mutual care and respect that allow a healthy community to flourish and include everyone. RE lessons offer a safe place to explore questions of right and wrong. The very nature of the RE curriculum encompasses many of our school values – the appreciation of differences that enable people to live tolerantly and cooperatively alongside each other, the need for kindness to others, and the courage to share thoughts and ideas in an inclusive environment.
At EBA we follow the Bedfordshire Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education. RE is taught throughout the school and seeks to help children learn through a range of age-appropriate classroom experiences.
The teaching of RE centres around three elements making sense of beliefs, understanding the impact and lastly making connections.
Progression of Skills in the RE Curriculum
At Eaton Bray Academy the progression of skills in RE is clearly set out throughout each stage of a child’s learning.