Steep Church of England VC Primary School

At Steep, religious education (RE) is a highly valued academic subject that enables our children to understand how religion and beliefs affect our lives.  As a church school, the teaching of Christianity is an important part of our curriculum where we develop our pupils’ own thinking and understanding of the faith. We also teach about other faiths and world views, helping our children to hold balanced and well-informed conversations about religion and belief.  As a Hampshire school, we use the agreed Living Difference IV syllabus in conjunction with Understanding Christianity.

Parents have a right to withdraw their children from religious education and collective worship in school.  If they wish to do so they should contact the Headteacher to discuss their wishes. A designated member of staff will be responsible for overseeing any pupil withdrawn from collective worship, and children withdrawn from R.E. lessons will be set alternative work.

In order to fulfil this purpose, Steep’s RE has a balance between three disciplines:

• Theology

This is about believing.  It looks at where beliefs come from, how they have changed over time, how they are applied differently in different contexts and how they relate to each other.

• Philosophy

This is about thinking.  It is about finding out how and whether things make sense.  It deals with questions of morality and ethics.  It takes seriously the nature of reality, knowledge and existence.

• Human/Social Sciences

This is about living.  It explores the diverse ways in which people practise their beliefs.  It engages with the impact of beliefs on in individuals, communities and societies.