RE at BS

RE at BS

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RE at BS Page

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The Aims and Objectives of RE at BS
Within the RE Department we aim:
To introduce students to the nature and meaning of the religious quest.
To involve students in a critical and lively examination of religious concepts, such as belief and worship.
To present other world faiths from the point of view of those who belong to them.
To examine the validity of answers to the important ultimate questions of life.
To connect the teachings of religion with world events and society at large.
To break down religious prejudice and intolerance.
To encourage a sensitive and open exploration of spirituality and religious belief.

By the time they leave Bexleyheath School students should be able:
To recognise that religion gives meaning to life for individuals and communities.
To examine and evaluate their own beliefs, values and experience.
To consider the special contribution that religious thinking and language
makes to human experience.
To develop and extend through critical enquiry a knowledge and understanding of religious beliefs, traditions and practices.
To understand the nature of the challenge and problems raised by living in a multi-faith/ multicultural society.
To examine and evaluate their response to living in a plural society.

Skills and Attitudes
Through teaching and learning in RE these key skills will be central:

· Investigation - asking questions, information gathering, collecting evidence, undertaking research.

· Interpretation - understanding meaning and symbolism.

· Reflection - listening, thinking and feeling about the meaning of experience, and ultimate questions.

· Empathy - appreciating with imagination the beliefs of others, seeing through the eyes of another.

· Evaluation - being able to debate issues using evidence, weighing up different views and ideas.

· Analysis - distinguishing between opinion, fact and belief.

· Synthesis - linking significant features of religion together, connecting different aspects of life.

· Application - making the connection between ideas and values, and real life.

· Expression - explaining concepts, rituals and practices.

In addition to the above, good RE should encourage within students the following attitudes:

· Self-knowledge
Students consider what it means to be a person holding various beliefs, attitudes and values to help them through life.

· Understanding of Others
Students explore what it means to belong to a religious community and what ideas and values communities hold.

· Curiosity
Students are encouraged to reflect on human experience and the meaning, purpose of life in order to help them in their own personal search for a faith to live by. Questions of ultimate value and significance are explored such as the origins of the universe; the existence of God, etc.

· Feelings of Awe and Wonder/Recognition of Beauty
Through visits to places of worship, consideration of amazing natural events (e.g. conception) and the contribution of heroes to enriching the lives of others, students may feel a sense of awe and wonder and an appreciate of beauty.

· Imagination, Insight and Intuition
Students are encouraged through a variety of teaching methods to use their imagination to develop insight and intuition as they study various religious cultures and traditions and explore current ethical dilemmas.

· Reflection and Contemplation
Through silence and focusing on symbols, such as a cross or a candle, pupils learn the importance of reflection and contemplation.

Attainment Targets in RE
There are two attainment targets:

AT1: Enquiry and Evaluation
This attainment target encourages the development of skills and attitudes which enhance pupils’ insights into the role of religious belief and practice. It includes the ability to:
· give informed and considered responses to religious and moral issues.
· Reflect on what might be learnt from religions in the light of one’s own beliefs and experiences.
· identify and respond to fundamental questions of life.

AT2: Knowledge and Understanding of Religions
This attainment target encourages the development of knowledge about, and understanding of the beliefs and practices of Christianity and other principle religious traditions represented in Great Britain. It includes the ability to:
· identify, name and describe and give accounts, in order to build a coherent picture of each religion studied.
· explain the meanings of religious language, stories, and symbolism.
· explain similarities and differences between and within religions.

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