At West Hill School our religious education curriculum fully supports the diverse community that we serve. Learning about others helps us find our place in this wide world.
Children are encouraged to learn, listen and respect all religious beliefs. Through R.E. we develop the understanding of the wider world and of our local community.
At West Hill Primary School, our intention is to equip pupils with the knowledge, skills and understanding of a range of beliefs, religions and lifestyles, whilst encouraging them to simultaneously develop their own ideas, values and identities.
Through their religious education, we want the children to understand they have the right to their own beliefs religion, as long as they don’t stop others from having their religion.
We believe the fundamental British values of mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs can be developed successfully through our curriculum and help the children to become positive contributors in their own communities.
To be able to do this effectively our curriculum focuses on shared experiences and common values through visiting places of worship, exploring themes within different religions and by encouraging the children’s personal responses to questions, and reflections on what they have learnt, and how this is applicable in the multi-cultured, multi-faith world in which we live.
Our RE Curriculum is based on the Wandsworth SACRE, where children learn about key faiths and world views (Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Humanism). Children learn about religion and beliefs (AT1) and then have opportunities to reflect, empathise and make links with their own lives (AT2). The children begin in KS1 with thematic related activities and progress in KS2 to more focused work on the key religions. RE is taught for one hour each week. We are forward thinking and have begun to think about the future developments in RE to Religion and Worldviews.
Quality resources are used to help bring believers’ experiences of their faiths, alive for the children and visits to places of worship and visiting speakers are used wherever possible. Visuals, recap, questioning and discussion are used to ensure that all children are accessing and understanding the learning. West Hill School uses the resources available from the local authority resource service to supplement those we have in school.
West Hill is located within a diverse and vibrant community. We make use of all the local places of worship that are in our local community.
