Religious education is a statutory subject and forms part of the core curriculum for all Key stage 1 and 2 pupils. Religious Education (RE) in this country is distinctive in being locally agreed within each Local Authority and closely aligned to the nature of the community itself.
RE rightly strives to be relevant to the lives of young people of all faiths and none. The syllabus that we follow, created by the Havering SACRE, draws on the experience of the local faith communities within the London Borough of Havering.
Now, more than ever, it is vital that young people are able to understand themselves within the context of a diverse society so that they are equipped to be active citizens with the confidence to participate with peers whose background can often be different to their own. The Government’s emphasis on understanding, tolerance and integration points to the importance of establishing common ground with a clear sense of shared aspirations and values though this can only come about if we have confidence to learn from those different to ourselves.
This new agreed syllabus for Havering provides our children here at Branfil with some thought provoking, high quality RE lessons which we hope they will enjoy.