Religious Education contributes to pupils’ education by provoking challenging questions about meaning and purpose in life, beliefs about God, ultimate reality, issues of right and wrong and what it means to be human? In RE pupils learn about religious and non-religious world views in order to discover, explore and consider different answers to these questions.
Pupils will learn to interpret, analyse, evaluate and critically respond to the claims that religious and non-religious world views make. Pupils will learn to express their insights and to agree or disagree respectfully. Teaching therefore should equip pupils with knowledge and understanding of what is meant by the terms “religion” and “world view” as well as knowledge and understanding of a range of religious and non-religious world views
RE offers opportunities for personal reflection and pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development (SMSC) as it encourages them to examine the significance of their learning in relation to themselves and others. It enables pupils to explore their own beliefs (whether they are religious or not), ideas, feelings, experiences and values in the light of what they learn. RE encourages empathy and respect. It enables pupils to develop their own sense of identity and belonging. It also promotes respect for the right of others to hold different beliefs, values and ideas.
RE enables positive participation in our society with its diverse religious and non-religious world views. RE gives pupils an informed understanding of political, social and moral issues that they will need to face as they grow up in an increasingly globalised world. It helps them deal positively with controversial issues, to manage strongly held differences of belief and to challenge stereotypes and prejudice.