Religious Education
Religious Education at Leatherhead Trinity
The purpose of Religious Education:
Religious education contributes dynamically to pupils’ and students’ education in schools by provoking challenging questions about meaning and purpose in life, beliefs about God, issues of right and wrong and what it means to be human. In RE they learn about and from Christianity and other principal religions in local, national and global contexts, to discover, explore and consider different answers to these questions. At Trinity, we follow the Surrey Agreed syllabus which also offers a platform for children to engage with and respond to non-religious worldviews such as Humanism.
Children learn to weigh up the value of wisdom from different sources, to develop and express their insights in response, and to agree or disagree respectfully. Through RE, we aim to equip children with systematic knowledge and understanding of a range of beliefs and practices, enabling them to develop their ideas, values and identities.
Religious education should also develop in pupils and students an aptitude for dialogue so that they can participate positively in our society with its diversity of beliefs. They learn to articulate clearly and coherently their personal beliefs, ideas, values and experiences, whilst respecting the right of others to differ. Religious education supports pupils and students in developing their sense of identity and belonging and enables them to flourish individually within their communities and as citizens in a diverse world.
Our main aims in RE:
To enable children to:
• demonstrate an appreciation of religion and belief and the important contribution of religious and spiritual insights and values to the individual’s search for meaning in life, whilst acknowledging that this may also come from a non-religious perspective
• develop knowledge and understanding of Christianity, and of the other principal religions and beliefs represented in Great Britain
• develop interest in and enthusiasm for the study of religion & beliefs and enhance their own spiritual, moral, social and cultural development
• develop the ability to make reasoned, informed and creative responses to religious and moral issues
• recognise the influence of beliefs, values and traditions on the individual, on culture and on communities throughout the world