Religious Education
At West Byfleet Infant School we believe in the development of the ‘whole child’ and their place within a constantly changing world. RE encourages children to ask challenging questions - about meaning and purpose in life, beliefs about God, issues of right and wrong and what it means to be human. In RE they learn about Christianity and other principal religions in local, national and global contexts. RE also enables dialogue with one another so that they can participate positively in our society with its diversity of beliefs, enabling them to have balanced and well informed conversations about religion and beliefs (i.e. be religiously literate) into adulthood. Pupils learn to articulate their ideas and personal beliefs, while respecting the right of others to differ. RE helps pupils to develop their sense of identity and belonging and enables them to flourish individually within their communities and as citizens in a diverse world.
We follow the ‘Agreed Syllabus for RE in Surrey Schools’ by Surrey SACRE. Lessons are taught by the teacher and follow the units outlined in the syllabus (which are presented as enquiry questions). Alongside this, if appropriate, we also use ‘Cornerstones’ resources as an enhancement to support our teaching of RE, whilst also taking account of our pupils’ prior learning and own experiences or 'worldviews'.
Within the SACRE Syllabus, knowledge is shaped through key questions reflecting theological, sociological and philosophical approaches (called 'Golden Threads': God, Community and Identity).
In EYFS, pupils will learn about the beliefs and cultures that others encounter, the celebration of different festivals and listen to stories from a variety of cultural and religious traditions. Children’s learning will be thematic and ongoing; pupils will reflect on people, objects, occasions and places that are special to them, often through child-led learning which is supported by the ‘Birth to 5 Matters 2021’ document.
The expectation is that in KS1 pupils will be introduced to the study of Christianity and aspects of Judaism and Islam, incorporating, where appropriate, consideration of non-religious beliefs and worldviews.