Religious Education
Religious education at St Nicholas Church school is taught to develop and expand our pupil's knowledge of different religions and understanding of a variety of worldviews.
R.E teaches our pupils to build their sense of identity and belonging and reflect on different beliefs and practices. This promotes recognition and respect for diversity among our communities. We believe that R.E in our school enables our pupils to be successful in developing a deeper understanding of how religion impacts the world around them.
R.E encourages pupils to engage in sustained shared thinking with one another and supports them to develop the skills they need to question, debate, compare and critically assess different answers to life's 'big questions'.
At St. Nicholas Church School we believe that R.E should be creative and inspiring. We use Discovery RE as a comprehensive enquiry based teaching programme to deliver the Bath and North Somerset Agreed Syllabus framework.
Using the enquiry approach to learning starts with a question and leads the children from their own human experiences to the values , beliefs and practices within key religions or worldviews. Lessons involve children working to respond to their enquiry with creativity as they express their ideas and beliefs, teamwork as they work together to investigate and explore and resilience as they follow their enquiry through .
Every day there is an act of collective worship which includes time for prayer and reflection in line with statutory requirements. Children also have the opportunity to visit the local church to partake in collective worship. In-school worship is also led periodically by our local clergy.
Multi-faith visitors are welcomed which enables our children to have opportunities to explore festivals and beliefs through hands on exploration and real, lived experiences.
R.E in our school provides opportunities to challenge prejudice and stereotypes. It instils confidence in our pupils, enabling them to engage with challenging questions whilst making connections to their own beliefs and experiences. Pupils will understand why R.E is relevant to their lives now and how it will be relevant in the future. It will encourage our whole school community to always live life well together and prepare us to make positive contributions to the diverse and ever-changing society in which we live.
Parents have the right to withdraw their children from R.E. lessons. Any parent considering withdrawal of a child from this element of the curriculum is encouraged to discuss this with the Head of School.
