Religious Education
Our Religious Education (R.E) curriculum is designed to provide our pupils with a robust knowledge and understanding of the diverse religious and non-religious world views represented in Great Britain, in line with the West Sussex Locally Agreed Syllabus.
The West Sussex Locally Agreed Syllabus states that the R.E curriculum should ‘reflect the fact that the religious traditions in Great Britain are mainly Christian, while taking account of the teaching and practices of other principal religions represented in Great Britain. Accordingly, our R.E curriculum places appropriate emphasis on Christianity, whilst also ensuring ample coverage of other world religions such as Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism and Judaism.
Our R.E curriculum is sequenced to build upon pupils’ prior knowledge and understanding. In EYS and KS1pupils are introduced to stories and key concepts from different religions. As pupils progress through KS2, the curriculum deepens to explore the beliefs, practices and world views of religions in greater complexity. In tandem with an enquiry based questioning approach, this develops pupils’ confidence to discuss, challenge and compare beliefs. Alongside the study of specific religions, our R.E curriculum also explores broader concepts that relate to human experience such as justice, respect and philosophy. This provides the context for pupils to build connections between religious and non-religious world views as well as reflect upon the relevance of religion and belief to their own lives.
The content and delivery of our R.E curriculum is reviewed regularly to ensure it remains relevant and responsive to the background and experiences of our school community. Children have regular R.E lessons and the curriculum is further enhanced by visitors of faith, visits to places of worship and the exploration of religious artefacts.
Through our R.E curriculum we aim to equip pupils with the knowledge, understanding and skills to engage respectfully with people of all faiths and beliefs, as well as providing pupils a safe space to develop their own informed perspectives on the role of religion and belief in the modern world.
Parents' Right to Withdraw from Religious Education (RE)
At Funtington Primary School, we respect the rights of parents to make informed decisions regarding their children's education. As part of our commitment to inclusivity and respect for diverse beliefs, we acknowledge that parents have the legal right to withdraw their children from Religious Education (RE) classes.
Religious Education is a statutory subject that aims to promote understanding of the religious traditions prevalent in Great Britain, primarily focusing on Christianity while also considering other principal religions. However, we understand that some families may wish for their children to opt out of this subject for personal, cultural, or religious reasons.
If you wish to withdraw your child from RE, please inform the school in writing. We encourage parents to discuss their concerns with our staff, who are available to provide further information and support regarding this process.
We are committed to ensuring that all pupils feel valued and respected within our school community, and we appreciate your partnership in fostering an inclusive environment for all.