The importance of Religious Education (RE) is valued and carefully considered at Honley CofE JIN School
School. We want to ensure our pupils have an awareness and understanding of the beliefs and
cultures within and beyond their community and equip them with essential skills that will support their
enquiry and response to significant questions posed by religion and worldviews.

RE is fundamental to understanding, appreciating and responding to the world in which we live. It is
therefore a subject that will be essential to pupils beyond their school education as they navigate
their own lives and encounter ways of life and beliefs that are different from their own, RE becomes a very special opportunity to create and begin the journey towards broadening their cultural experiences. This is a significant element of our school curriculum which outlines how, as a school, we aim to provide ‘the opportunity for children to learn from and about their own and other cultures, respect diversity, cooperate with one another and appreciate and celebrate our differences thus providing them with a strong moral compass and a strong cultural capital.

It is very important that pupils are provided with subject specific knowledge regarding a variety of
religions so that they have a strong foundation of key concepts, beliefs, practices and vocabulary
associated with each. As they progress throughout our school, they will continue to build on their
knowledge and understanding while applying subject specific skills at a deeper level. We know how
important it is for our pupils to start to experience learning about religion at the earliest opportunity by
introducing them to this in Foundation Stage through stories and role plays which provide exposure
through the environment and promotes discussion. Our goal is to be able to build on pupils’ learning
at each stage so that as they progress throughout school, they are able consolidate, develop and
deepen their learning.

Our ambition for our pupils is that they will be able to apply the knowledge and skills that they have
learnt and carry the confidence and understanding to be respectful citizens while knowing that they
can aspire to achieve anything regardless of their background.

Through our Religious Education curriculum we aim:

• to engage pupils in enquiring into and exploring questions arising from the study of religion and belief, so as to promote their personal, spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.
• to provide learners with knowledge and understanding of Christianity and other principal religious traditions and beliefs represented in Great Britain.
• to develop their understanding of the ways in which beliefs influence people in their behaviour, practices and outlook.
• to enable learners to apply the insights of the principal religious traditions to their own search for identity and significance.
• to enable learners to become aware of their own beliefs and values and to have a positive attitude to the search for meaning and purpose in life.
• to encourage learners to develop a positive attitude towards other people who hold religious beliefs different from their own.