If you fell down yesterday, stand up today.
Religious Education
At STARS we believe that through the study of R.E. pupils will
- learn about relationship between personal beliefs and social and cultural groups
- come to terms with ethical issues and personal values
- discover the particular influence of religion on society and how this affects the way communities evolve, and to consider their own place within society
- learn about the ways in which religion has influenced culture and its development, and how this relates to their own experience
Six major world religions will be explored through the concepts of deity, worship, belief, values, authority, symbolism, spirituality, lifestyle, ultimate questions, awe and wonder, and prayer. For each religion these concepts will be dealt with through the more general themes of Key People, Sacred Writings, Places of Worship, Festivals and Celebrations and Approaches to Life
Reintegration
Key skills and knowledge are reinforced so that pupils have no gaps on return to mainstream schooling. In addition to learning key facts and applying their knowledge in a range of contexts, pupils will be learning the highly transferable skills and processes of enquiry, investigation, interpretation, reflection, empathy and evaluation. These skills and processes can be applied to a range of lessons within a mainstream school.
Throughout the course we promote respect, mutual understanding and tolerance for those who adhere to different faiths and to those who are unable to accept a religious faith. As a result, pupils feel confident to participate in small group and whole class discussions, as would be the expectation in mainstream school.
Pupils will also develop life skills which will help them in all aspects of school life and in their role as part of a local and global community. These include understanding the importance of living by a set of values, an acceptance and understanding of the different opinions, beliefs and customs of others and a willingness to look beyond superficial impressions or stereotypes, and an understanding of the importance of caring for others and the environment
Strengths
Through the study of six world religions we aim to help pupils in their understanding of religion within a multi-cultural context and to play a vital part in dispelling misinformation and promoting religious, cultural and racial understanding.
Pupils will also be encouraged to ask important questions about belief and truth, to reflect and evaluate, to reconsider their own views when necessary, and to develop a sense of awe, wonder and appreciation for the world they live in.
Pupil View
Pupils enjoy the opportunity to engage in a practical “hands on” approach ( e.g. handling religious artifacts, having a go at writing Hebrew and Arabic ). They comment with enthusiasm when they see connections between what we have studied and the wider world e.g. when religious issues are focused on within the daily news bulletin.
Enrichment
A strong emphasis is placed on the relationship between Religion and other areas of the curriculum ( in particular, PSHE, History, English and Geography ). Pupils are also encouraged to explore the similarities and differences between the different religions.
Where possible, artifacts and religious items are brought in for pupils to explore, in order to provide a context for learning, and religious festivals are acknowledged and celebrated as they occur throughout the year. We aim to provide the pupils with the opportunity to listen to outside speakers and to visit places of worship, to deepen their understanding of the religions being studied.