We believe that Religious Education is an essential component of our broad and balanced education at Cockwood School. It provokes challenging questions about the meaning and purpose of life, beliefs about God, issues of right and wrong and mutual respect and tolerance. It is an essential element of
children’s preparation for life in modern democratic Britain where difference is valued, nurtured and celebrated.
We follow the Devon and Torbay Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education 2019-2024.
The teaching and learning approach of the syllabus has three core elements:- Making sense of beliefs, making connections and understanding impact. These are woven together to provide breadth and balance within teaching and learning about religions and beliefs.
The teaching of RE in our school develops children’s knowledge and understanding of Christianity and introduces the other principal world religions. Consideration is also given to other non-religious perspectives such as humanism.
While RE has its own distinctive subject matter it does promote learning across the curriculum in a number of important areas, namely in the contribution to the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of a child. It also has close links to other areas of the curriculum in particular with the Arts, Literacy and ICT. Oracy plays a vital role in our RE lessons where children develop the vocabulary and language skills to express their own thoughts and ideas and to reflect on those from different cultures and religions.
During RE lessons children are given time to consider the influence of religion on individuals, families, communities and cultures and ultimately on themselves. In this way they can begin to develop responses to important questions raised. They are offered opportunities for personal reflection and spiritual development alongside learning about respect, sensitivity and consideration for others.