Religious Education

Religious Education Learning Pathway at St John's

At St. John’s we want our children to flourish academically, emotionally and spiritually. Religious Education (R.E.) is a core part of our broad and balanced curriculum which we believe gives children skills and knowledge that will help them to flourish, becoming religiously literate and able to respect the religious beliefs and worldviews of others.
 
Our inquiry based R.E. curriculum provides pupils with opportunities to learn about Christianity and the major world faiths by answering a big question each term. This learning deepens their understanding and awareness of the beliefs, values and traditions of other individuals, societies, communities and cultures. 
 
R.E. educates our pupils so that, by the time they leave St. John’s, they are respectful and open-minded towards different faiths, beliefs and worldviews, whilst also developing their own sense of identity and belonging.
 
At St. John’s, we have a wide background of beliefs, languages spoken and socio-economic diversity. Our R.E. curriculum acknowledges this diversity by allowing children to discuss different faiths and worldviews, extend their vocabulary through the exploration of faiths, express and question difference whilst understanding that some questions are difficult to answer and that children need their own beliefs to help with this.
 
We follow the Kent Agreed Syllabus underpinned by 'Understanding Christianity' resource materials provided by the Diocese of Rochester. Through this, by the time the pupils leave St. John’s for secondary school, they will:
 
•    know about and understand Christianity as a diverse global living faith through the exploration of core beliefs and concepts using an approach that critically engages with biblical text.
•    gain knowledge and understanding of a range of religions and worldviews appreciating diversity, continuity and change within the religions and worldviews being studied.
•    engage with challenging questions of meaning and purpose raised by human existence and experience.
•    recognise the concept of religion and its continuing influence on Britain’s cultural heritage and in the lives of individuals and societies in different times, cultures and places.
•    explore their own religious, spiritual and philosophical ways of living, believing and thinking.