At Cowley St Laurence we follow the LDBS syllabus for Religious Education. RE is taught every week across the school.

Taken from the Religious Education in Church of England Schools - A Statement of Entitlement, the aims and objectives of Religious Education in Church schools are:

• To know about and understand Christianity as a diverse global living faith through the exploration of core beliefs using an approach that critically engages with biblical text.
• To gain knowledge and understanding of a range of religious and worldviews appreciating diversity, continuity and change within the religions and worldviews studied.
• To engage with challenging questions of meaning and purpose raised by human existence and experience.
• To explore their own religious, spiritual and philosophical ways of living, believing and thinking.

The intent of the LDBS syllabus:

• To enable all children to become religiously literate.

• To ensure RE enables all children to live life in all its fullness – vision for Education (Church of England)
• To offer a systematic enquiry- based approach to the teaching of RE so that the following skills in children can be developed:

Ability to be critical thinkers

Ability to engage critically with texts

Ability to ask deep and meaningful questions

Ability to make connections within and across religions and worldviews

Ability to reflect, respond and express their own religious, spiritual and/or philosophical convictions

Ability to make their own choices and decisions concerning religion and belief based on a deep knowledge and understanding of religions and worldviews, belief systems, values and practices.

To offer units of learning that:

• Are rooted in theological concepts, strong subject knowledge and content.

• Offer a balanced curriculum which enquires into religions and worldviews through theology, philosophy and the human and social sciences.
• Offer sequential learning both in terms of knowledge and skills across the primary age range.
• Offer motivating, engaging and creative lessons for all children.
• Provide opportunities for children to develop empathy towards people of similar or differing religious or worldviews to their own.

To ensure the teaching of RE supports and enhances:

• The Christian vision of the school.
• Contributes significantly to the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of children.
• Takes note of the Religious Education Church of England Schools – Statement of Entitlement.
• The Church of England’s vision for Education – every person deserves to live a ‘life in all its fullness.’

An overview of our RE curriculum can be found below.

It is the policy of the school and Frays Academy Trust that collective worship and Religious Education are for all.

However, parents/carers do have the right to withdraw their children from all or part of Religious Education.  

Requests for withdrawal should be put in writing and addressed to the Headteacher of the school.  A copy of withdrawal requests will be placed in the pupil’s educational record. The Headteacher will discuss the request with parents/carers and take appropriate action.  

Alternative work will be given to pupils who are withdrawn from Religious Education.