Our Intent: At Pinewood we want our children to gain knowledge about what Christians believe as well as gaining a sense of right and wrong and how to live with a strong sense of moral values. We also want to prepare them for life in diverse Britain, knowing and understanding about different faiths and cultures and how to be respectful and tolerant of others and their beliefs.

Ofsted: “Religious education (RE) should make a major contribution to the education of children and young people. At its best, it is intellectually challenging and personally enriching. It helps young people develop beliefs and values, and promotes the virtues of respect and empathy, which are important in our diverse society. . . Ofsted

Religion and beliefs inform our values and are reflected in what we say and how we behave. RE is an important subject, developing our pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the religions and beliefs which form part of contemporary society.

Religious Education, provides the foundations for understanding the beliefs and practices which guide, motivate and inspire different people in the world around us. It opens children’s minds to different possibilities and alternative points of view. When sensitively taught, it can bridge gaps between people and demonstrate shared values and commonly held beliefs, as well as celebrating differences and individuality. Respect, tolerance and understanding are all improved. RE knowledge, learnt at Pinewood and which continues at junior school, should provide our children with the cultural capital to be able to confidently and respectfully interact with people of different faiths and no faith as they move through life.

Implementation: At Pinewood RE is planned and taught in line with the new Nottinghamshire Agreed Syllabus for RE which means that over the time from F2-Y2 children will have engaged with a variety of religious views and non-religious worldviews. Children are taught to value and respect one another and are proud of their achievements and those of their peers.

Religious education provokes challenging questions and discussions including beliefs about God, understanding ourselves, issues of right and wrong and individual beliefs. It can develop pupils’ knowledge and understanding of Christianity, of other principal religions, different religious traditions and worldviews.

Children know our school values and talk about them regularly as well as part of collective worship, PSHE, RE and story sessions

Collective worship is planned termly including themes from RE, PSHE and British values. It also relates to events, celebrations and festivals from around the world and often intrinsically links with RE.

This is how we describe the concept of religious education to our children:

It was World Religion Day in January - We had an assembly on all the different religions and learning to celebrate difference and respect all beliefs. Ian from St Mary's Church came and taught us a lovely hymn too!