At Blaise, we believe that there is the need for children to have a good understanding of the world around us and of the different people who live in it.  We understand the importance of developing and nurturing the children’s spirituality whilst also teaching them to respect the beliefs of others.  Through teaching Religious Education we aim to give the children the skills that they need to make their own informed choices, to debate and express their own opinions and those of others, and to give them the confidence to ask questions about the things which make them wonder.  In the modern world our society and communities are becoming more and more diverse, meaning that we need to become more understanding and accepting of the similarities and differences between the people with whom we interact.  At Blaise Primary we aim to give the children the skills to do so, in a way which neither dictates beliefs nor presents biased viewpoints to children.  The children are taught the six major world faiths as recognised by the curriculum (Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, and Sikhism) and then also Humanism.  These are always presented in a way which informs the children of the beliefs and values of others, without telling the children what they themselves should or should not believe.  At Blaise, we believe that it is important for the children to be able to have first-hand experiences of what is being taught, therefore we try to arrange trips to local places of worship and for visitors to come in to school to discuss their beliefs with the children.

Religious Education provides great opportunities for the children to challenge themselves with ‘Big questions.’  At Blaise present the children with challenging, thought provoking questions and we encourage them to then debate and discuss their ideas with their peers and teachers.

We are meeting the requirements of the 2014 curriculum whilst matching the learning to the individuality of each child. 

In Year One the children will be taught:

•          how they themselves are special and how other people are also special.
•          the similarities and differences between different people.
•          the skills of asking and answering questions.
•          about a range of religions and beliefs.

In Year Two the children will be taught:

•          about belonging.  They will discuss which groups and communities they belong to.
•          about different people and how they belong to different groups.
•          what it means to belong to the Christian faith.
•          what it means to belong to the Hindu faith.
•          the skills of asking and answering questions.

In Year Three the children will be taught:

•          about the morals that guide our behaviour and our communities.
•          about the moral meanings behind religious stories and teachings.
•          about the morals that guide people of the Christian faith.
•          about the morals that guide people of the Buddhist faith.
•          how to ask and express their opinions on questions that make us wonder.

In Year Four the children will be taught:

•          about our beliefs and how they guide the way we live.
•          about the beliefs and values of people of the Christian faith.
•          about the beliefs and values of people of the Sikh faith.
•          how to ask and then debate their opinions on questions that make us wonder.

In Year Five the children will be taught:

•          about how different communities and people live peacefully together, despite the differences that they may have.
•          about Christian teachings on peace.
•          about Islamic teachings on peace.
•          about the Humanist view on peace.
•          how to ask and debate difficult and ethical questions.

In Year Six the children will be taught:

•          about the challenges which diverse communities may face.
•          about the Christian viewpoints towards diversity.
•          about the Jewish viewpoints towards diversity.
•          about the Humanist viewpoints towards diversity.
•          how to ask and debate difficult and ethical questions.

Religious Education has deep links to drama, art, literacy and the Social Moral Spiritual Cultural curriculum.  It provides great opportunities for the children to express themselves and to debate their ideas.  It provides a brilliant platform for the children to gain confidence when asking and answering very difficult questions that can often make adults stop and think.  It also enables the children to accept the differences of others, and to understand the value in different outlooks and opinions.