We believe that studying religious and non-religious worldviews is essential if pupils are to be well prepared for life in our increasingly diverse society. Pupils need to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to make sense of the complex world in which they live so that they can 'respect religious and cultural differences and contribute to a cohesive and compassionate society' (RE Review 2013).
Religious Education provokes challenging questions about the ultimate meaning and purpose of life, beliefs about God, the self and the nature of reality, issues of right and wrong, and what it means to be human. Pupils learn to weigh up the value of wisdom from different sources, to develop and express insights in response, and to agree or disagree respectfully.
Pupils are encouraged to articulate clearly and coherently their personal beliefs, ideas, values and experiences so that they can hold balanced and well-informed conversations about religions and worldviews whilst respecting the views of others.
We follow the Code of Practice for teachers of RE and uphold their 8 principles.
1. Respect persons - One hallmark of a professional teacher is sensitivity to pupils. Irrespective of their religious or non-religious beliefs, every pupil should be treated equally out of respect for their dignity as a human being.
2. Value reason-giving - Schools are places of critical engagement and respectful, vigorous debate where deep thinking is valued. Pupils should be encouraged to think skilfully about, reflect on and take responsibility for the beliefs that shape their behaviour and attitudes so that they continue in or develop their beliefs through lifelong critical reflection.
3. Practise reciprocity. The Golden Rule, “treat others as you would like to be treated”, is a principle which is widely shared across human communities. When handling beliefs in school, teachers should treat religious and non-religious beliefs as they would like their own beliefs to be treated in the same circumstances.
4. Accept contestability and value self-awareness. Beliefs are always contestable; the teacher should recognise that they may be controversial and should frame their language accordingly. This entails a willingness to be self-aware, particularly in relation to the way in which the teacher’s own beliefs impact on his or her approach to teaching and learning.
5. Be open. Appropriate openness about what a teacher believes can be a professional asset. This means being prepared to answer questions about and talk about his or her own beliefs when that is appropriate (an important professional judgment) in a way that enables pupils to develop in their own learning. The older the pupils, the more likely it is that a teacher could be open in an appropriate way. Teachers will make their own professional judgment on the extent to which to be open about their own beliefs.
6. Promote fair and accurate representation. Where people of diverse beliefs meet, there is opportunity for both conflict and co-operation. Teachers should strive for fair and accurate representation of religious and nonreligious beliefs by drawing on sound scholarship and a range of voices. To promote cooperation, teachers should treat diversity as an opportunity to work with others in the shared task of achieving excellence in teaching and learning.
7. Model life-long learning. In a culture where open debate and hard questions are encouraged, teachers will often find there is much that they do not know. Professionalism in these circumstances means being open to the discussion moving into challenging territory and being willing to learn.
8. Promote balance. The search for meaning and truth is central to education. When dealing with a controversial issue, teachers should encourage consideration of a balanced range of views, even if they find this uncomfortable on occasion.