ST MARY’S CHURCH OF ENGLAND

RE at St Mary's

As a Church of England School, St Mary’s follows the Guildford Diocesan RE Guidelines and teaches from its unit plans. Our Christian vision and values are at the heart of everything we teach at St Mary'’s. RE is taught weekly throughout the school, giving children the opportunity to explore the deeper meanings and relevance of scripture, both for the people at the time and for today's world. Pupils enjoy the opportunity to ask questions and explore the development and teachings of the Christian faith.  They learn that Christianity (as is the case with all religions) has a broad spectrum and that cultural practice and location (both at home and globally) influence the way that people interpret The Bible and Christian narrative. Christianity is studied as a living and diverse global faith, focused on the Gospel teachings.  As our units on Christianity progress pupils develop their knowledge and skills, they learn to make links across Christianity and across other religions.

RE is taught as a robust, academic subject and has the status of a core subject. In RE lessons our children learn to ask the 'big questions' and understand that adults don't always have the answers. RE is not taught with the assumption that everyone is coming from a Christian starting point - our children are encouraged to ask questions and challenge. It is through these discussions that they develop their own views and learn to listen to others whose opinions may differ from their own. The curriculum is designed and delivered to be fully inclusive. A child who struggles in more formal areas of the curriculum, may demonstrate a deep understanding and go on to achieve high levels in RE.  Pupils' attainment and progress is tracked regularly and planning is adapted to suit learners' needs.  

As they progress through school, our children will become familiar with stories from the Bible which they reference frequently in class. Our children have regular opportunities to read and discuss the gospel teachings, considering both the impact on the people at the time and the relevance for Christians around the world today. The RE curriculum has links across other subject areas and is also supported by Pause Days, when a topic is explored in depth and designed to be as creative as possible, often including art, dance, drama and music.  We encourage discussion and support children to explore the similarities and differences across religions. Reflection time is a valued part of our RE lessons and supported further with half termly Godly Play sessions. The Godly Play method encourages engagement in spirituality and exploration of religious language to make meaning from Biblical stories through imagination and creativity.

RE STATEMENT OF ENTITLEMENT FOR CHURCH SCHOOLS