Vision 

At St Martin’s, religious education plays an important role in defining the school’s distinctive Christian character. As a school we recognise that spiritual development lies at the heart of the curriculum. All members of our school community will experience a rich and varied syllabus through the life of the school, as well as through the taught curriculum, where diversity of thought, belief and culture is celebrated. 

Our school vision aims to enable pupils to: 

• Experience an effective and high-quality teaching of religious education.  

• Provide opportunities for all pupils to learn and to achieve.  

• Understand and appreciate a diverse range of religions and beliefs. 

• Share their views, opinions and experiences on different topics. 

• Respect others whose faith and beliefs differ from their own. 

• Challenge questions about life and contribute to meaningful discussions. 

• Take part in active learning with activities and opportunities to solve ‘real world’ problems. 

• Build their sense of identity and belonging.  

• Experience visits to places of worship to promote tolerance

Rationale 

In R.E, we follow the Understanding Christianity and ‘The Sandwell agreed syllabus for Religious Education.’   

For our Christianity topics, the Understanding Christianity scheme allows us to support pupils in developing their own thinking and their understanding of Christianity, as a contribution to their understanding of the world and their own experience within it. It aims to see pupils leave school with a coherent understanding of Christian belief and practice.  

In addition to this, we also supplement our teaching of Christianity with content about a range of religions through ‘The Sandwell agreed syllabus for Religious Education’. The Syllabus explains the value and purposes of RE for all pupils and specifies what shall be taught in each age group. It provides a coherent framework for setting high standards of learning in RE and enabling pupils to reach their potential in the subject. The scheme is of a broad and balanced education and is a focal point in our curriculum for work on Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development and British Values. It equips pupils with systematic knowledge and understanding of a range of religions and beliefs, enabling them to develop their ideas, values and identities. 

The long term plan shows the units we teach. Further information on the non-Christian units can be found on the Sandwell Syllabus.